Tiny Shop doors

The tiny shop walls are nearly done and it is time to plan and construct the doors. There are two openings, each ~4 feet wide. The intent was to make double doors. I'd love to get used doors and make them fit from Habitat but they didn't have anything suitable. The restraint is they must match the walls so they will be clad with the same T-111 as the walls.

But the door itself. I don't have my planer available so I am thinking laminating MDF, trimmed with solid wood, then clad with the T-111. That gives me solid wood for hinges and latches and the flatness of the MDF. Lots of work and I am open to other suggestions.

Carol,

I've never had good luck using MDF anywhere that it would be near a moisture source, Are these doors going to be exposed to the Weather?

I have used MDO, which is an exterior plywood with a thin layer of moisture resistant material on the surface (they make sign boards from it). This was primed and painted with exterior house paint before installation. It gave me a good smooth surface like MDF, but with the structural integrity of exterior plywood. You can get this MDO plywood with the MDO layer on just one or both sides of the plywood. It isn't cheap, but should give you a much longer lasting door, if you are looking for a smooth finished exterior surface.

Charley

The reason for considering MDF was for flatness. And I am very aware of the moisture issue. The exterior has to be the T-111 that matches the walls. I have been watching Youtubes on shed doors and they sure run the gamut! The more popular seems to be an inner 1x? frame clad with ply on either side with strap hinges. They seem to be the simplest but I don't have a really flat surface to build them on. And finding 1x material that is flat is an issue as well. No planer available as of yet. Need to get doors on the shed before I can move tools in! Also not fond of strap hinges. No real security. Just back out the screws and there is no need for the padlock!

Have you looked at Hardie Panel? They have a model that is similar to T111. I used Hardie panel and trim boards when I built a 12' x 20' lawncare building. The Hardie boards hold screws very securely.

After more deliberation and give the tools I have access too right now, I have a new plan.

I will get 2x8's as straight as I can and rip the pith out for a pair of stiles for each door. Do the same for the rails. That will give me nearly quarter sawn 2x material for the frame. The corners will be full glued and pinned half laps. Then a dado around the inside of the frame to receive the T-111 panel to match the walls. The a rabbet around the inside edge to glue and fasten a piece of 3/8 plywood to lock the assembly into square and plumb. Then I will have solid wood for the hinges and latches.

Each door is roughly 2' wide by 7' tall. I hope they last a good long time.

Thoughts?

I like your new plan. They should hold up well.

Charley

I did not feel competent enough to say it but i was thinking of a similar plan to your new one but i really like your point about 2x8's and cutting out the pith. I will definitely bank that hopefully as Jim Bradley says it won't leak out my head when next i am at hd .
Other say i spent an age digging through the heap of 2x4's at hd to try find straight and decent ones for my temp shapeoko table.
Should have used your idea and purchased 2x8's with pith.
Most of the 2x4's i went through were nothing but the pith.
And that's to say nothing of the really bad knots.
This was supposed to be "select" grade. If it was then i shudder to see the lower grade than what i was sorting through.

Btw i did something similar to what you plan on a garden shed lean to for side of house and it stood up pretty well.