Wood for exterior door

Planning to make a new back door for our house. It's the door most people use, so it should look nice. I'm going to put a window in it.

What's a good, readily available (I'm in the NE) paintable wood for that purpose?

Thanks!

Brian

When living in a previous home I added a ceramic studio. The studio was in tongue and groove knotty pine. I made a solid redwood, T&G door. I primed and painted with regular house paint. It worked like a charm (a very heavy charm). It did not distort in any way over the years. It was in Ontario, Calif. with low temps of 29 deg F and highs of 102 deg. The studio was added on to the house a few years after we built it. It was built into an el on the north-west corner of the house.

I don't know if that helps. However, that is my only exterior house door building experience.

Enjoy,
JimB

I've never made one but I've watched "Norm" make several. He uses mahogany. I guess your choice would depend on the style of your home and if you paint or leave a natural finish on the door.

Before deciding you might want to check with your local building inspector to determine what is required per building code. In some states/towns, such as mine, an egress door must be 36" wide & be metal clad. Different code compliance restrictions may apply in your area,. Plus, solid core vs. hollow core doors vary considerably in construction & quality.

Al,

My house, like many others in my town, was built in 1902. Our inspectors can't realistically require people to meet those specs.

I am planning to paint the door, so I want to avoid woods like oak and mahogany that wouldn't take to that as well.

The door is on a back porch under a roof, so weather isn't that much of a problem. I'm planning to buy a matching rail and stile combo router bit for the joinery and to reinforce the joints with screws and plugs. I think raised panels would be nice, too.

Brian Corrigan said:

...I am planning to paint the door, so I want to avoid woods like oak and mahogany that wouldn't take to that as well. The door is on a back porch under a roof, so weather isn't that much of a problem...

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Since it won't be subjected to heavy weather, and you're going to paint it, I'd use either soft maple (sturdy, and reasonably cheap) or poplar (a bit softer, and probably cheaper). Either wood should make a sturdy door, and both take paint very well. Both woods should be reasonably available in your area.

Well scents your going to paint it I would just go get a fiberglass therma-tru door and install that.

Chuck Thoits said:

Well scents your going to paint it I would just go get a fiberglass therma-tru door and install that.

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Second Chuck's recommendation!