# Designing & Building Entry Doors?



## DuncanInSpain (Sep 26, 2007)

Hi

Can any body recommend a good book or other source of information on designing & building entry doors?

I'm In Spain - hot summers, warm winters (very rare to hit freezing), variable humidity, winter rains - timber costs a small fortune…

I'd like to do something a bit outlandish and use curved and angled rails but that may be one step (or more) further on…

Any information gratefully received - Google searches haven't yielded much so far.

Duncan


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## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

Go to amazon.com and type in 'building doors' into the search field on that page. You'll get lots of hits and many of the books let you look at some pages and the table of contents or index to see what it might be.


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## Waldschrat (Dec 29, 2008)

Duncan,

Is it a door that must also keep alot of noise out from the street? If you are looking for outlandish, that all depends on what kind of style you are going for, a complete modern style door, that is curved or angled, or are you looking for both in the same door curved and angled. Would an older style work or an modern interpetation of it? I am thinking if you look at Barock or Rokokko doors you might get what you are looking for or at least a direction. They commonly have curved rails. And lots of profile and stuff like that.

If its for an entry way, then you are going to want to design it with a double rabbit and double weatherstripping/gasketing. Not to mention it has to be thick enough to accecpt the bigger lock box which has to built in and the thicker hinges. Do you know about the rules or regulations for building an entry door in your area, spanish or the province in which you live building codes. We in Germany have a TON, so it might be good to make your self smart in the building code area. Maybe in Spain they are nicer and not so strict, who knows? it would be worth it to ask a cabinet maker to find out.

If you can read german, I can recommend you a book which might help in the design of doors.

ok good luck!

Nicholas


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## DuncanInSpain (Sep 26, 2007)

Waldschrat

Building codes??? This is Spain!!! The codes are only ever 'enforced' on new-bild appartment blocks and then, apparently, only if insufficient drinks were offered… This is a refurbishment of an old house (and I'm only renting it so cost is an issue) so virtually anything is acceptable here. The older doors here tend to be in a pine (not a Cedar) but nobody seems able to tell me what to try and get - probably all the new pine is fast growing stuff that warps, twists, winds and splits for ever and a day.

What I'm thinking is something like the Gaudi door in the profile pic (darned if I could work out how to include a pic with the post). Basically, in my case, this will be a rectangular frame with curved rails and carved raised panels - OK, so I'm copying Gaudi, but I don't think I'm likely to pose any threat to his incredible design legacy…

Despite having had a half-German girlfriend for a few years, I don't read any German other than the Fleischmann catalogue.

The Amazon tip seems to produce a good array - I'll investigate these further - thanks to Craftsman on the Lake (what a lovely screen-name - sounds an idilic situation to be in…) for that one. I never seem to think of Amazon until somebody suggests it.


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## Waldschrat (Dec 29, 2008)

Cool door! Its almost or is what we would consider a "Jugenstil" type of design. Very nice.

I tell you what, If you are interested, I may be able to sketsch something up for you. But you are aware if you want to build such a door you have to have some carving skills and what not, or are you going to leave the relief out?

Let me know, if I can help with a draft of a frame door which should pass to your entryway (you might want to think about how curvy and round you want the styles and what you are able to do in your shop. Just one question, does the inside of the door have to look exactly like the outside, or is the outside exposed severly to the rain or elements? Noise insulation, is that necessary?

Keep in touch…. and let me know if I can help out.


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## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

It is interesting by the lake. Here is a view from my house.


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

Good luck! but surely in Spain there is plenty of good architecture to follow , with regards to making heavy wooden doors, or otherwise .I have seen, and been highly impressed with Spanish woodworking .keep it in with the norm of the architecture surrounding you albeit developing your own design within these limitations.that's my opinion Alistair


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