Small Front door - what are the options?

ST1991

Thanks everyone. My current door is a stable door, and it's about 2cm thick in the middle of it (wish i was joking...) with thicker bits around the edges and the middle. The door is ridiculously old and it's a shame to get rid of it tbh, but there are gaps around every edge and I've had to break in when the lock got jammed one time and it was extremely easy to do, which concerns me. Along with this it, split the wooden door frame breaking in so keeping the existing door is a no-go.

Reclamation yard seems like my best bet I'm in Bristol, if anyone knows of any!
The door chap who came over and measured up told me i couldn't have that much (4inches) shaved off the door we want - which is an Oak derby Chameleon - a nice looking door, and thats the look i am after.

I think having it open outwards isn't the worst idea... but coupling that with a modern door is the worst thing i've heard for a while...!

gwynlas

I've just looked at salvage yards  Bristol and Wessex reclamation have a number of solid doors around 1900mm  that look as though they could be cut down. Prices look reasonable/

knightstyle

Lucky escape for you as that door is not solid wood, it is bits, offcuts, of wood glued together and then veneered to look like solid wood!

ST1991

gwynlas said:

I've just looked at salvage yards  Bristol and Wessex reclamation have a number of solid doors around 1900mm  that look as though they could be cut down. Prices look reasonable/

Phew - and that is why i love this forum!

After reading replies, i didn't realise the door i wanted 'wasn't' solid wood... (perhaps i am stupid...) and i now need to do a bit of googling on 'actual' solid wood doors it appears.
The door chap told me that no door could be cut down because too much would be cut off, and that he would have to make one basically unless i wanted a solid/flat/fire-door-esque front door.
When i called a company i found online who sell standard sized AND make custom doors - they basically told me the same thing - so i believed it.

I'm now off to research an 'actual' solid wood door...

FreeBear

ST1991 said:  The door chap told me that no door could be cut down because too much would be cut off, and that he would have to make one basically unless i wanted a solid/flat/fire-door-esque front door.

True for most "standard" off the shelf doors - Most have the top, middle, and bottom rails tenoned in to the uprights on each side. If you try to cut too much off the top & bottom, you end up cutting in to the tenon joints and the door ends up falling apart. A ledge & brace door is constructed in a different way, and you would be able to cut one down to suit. But you probably don't want the rustic style if you were looking at part glazed door. 30" x 74" (762mm x 1880mm) is pretty close to the standard size for internal doors. However, most internal doors tend to be pine which wouldn't last as long as a hardwood like oak.

With Bristol on your doorstep, it would be worth ringing a few local joineries and see if the could custom make a door to the size you want in solid oak - You might be mildly surprised at the cost.

markin

If you had the money would adding a porch be a better idea?

Owain_Moneysaver

ST1991 said:

I really want to stick with a wooden door, i personally don't like UPVC. has a browse online and found a few websites that do make custom sized timber front doors but the cost is sooo high.
My previous quote/budget was around £1000. This was for an oak veneer front door, frame, door furniture and fitting. The door itself was around £300/£400 of that.

Mendes, who appear to make/import the Derby doors, do offer a custom door option. They might be cheaper given they'd be resizing one of their own doors rather than making a new door from scratch? http://pm-mendes.co.uk/product/derby-chameleon/