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screen/storm door–will pine last?

Megunticook | Posted in General Discussion on May 2, 2003 04:37am

Hi,

Need a screen/storm door for main entrance of new house. Was going to go with red oak door made by a local mill here (mortise and tenon construction) but they jacked their prices before I committed and $750 seems a bit high.

Now looking at a product made by the Combination Door Company called the Easy Change door (http://www.combinationdoor.com/combdoor.html). Made of pine (Ponderosa, maybe, I’ve e-mailed them to find out) and I’m wondering how it’ll hold up. Costs about $350. Will be under porch roof, but will get hammered by late afternoon and evening sun. Would like to finish it clear, maybe several coats of a bullet-proof marine-grade spar varnish.

Anybody have experience with these doors? With pine screen doors in general? Am concerned about longevity, mainly.

Thanks,

Ed

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  1. booch | May 02, 2003 04:55pm | #1

    I've got nothing fancy but my back screen door is a Menards special 35 dollar unit with oak strips every 6 inches from elbow to ankle. The only other addition is a turnbuckle in the upper panel to keep it hanging straight. Seems kids are hard to train on door handles.

    Longevity (apart from the screen) is decades with a good coat of paint. The hinges are suspect but if you buy good they will last. The biggest issue I find is moist weather (spring) swells even the 3 inch vertical members so they bind in the exterior casing. I plane them and all is ok for a while but the working gap on the sides is close to 1/4 inch by the time the summer sun shrinks it.

    Now why use this POS? Well, I remember from my childhood 40 years ago the familiar slap of the wooden screen door at the hardware store. Something about that sound, the summer heat, and mint licorice sticks strikes a chord. In this case sound is the trigger. Some things are visual as a harken to the past, in this case I reminisce with each slap. My wife hates it, the kids are non plused but in 3 decades they will remember.

    I suspect you've got a full blown gas assist closer with whatever else makes it similar to the aluminum progeny. Consider aesthetics as well is my only recommendation.

    Jack of all trades and master of none - you got a problem with that?
  2. Edgar76b | May 02, 2003 05:51pm | #2

    I think pine is a good cheap choice. but the most important thing is this; Any door will last if it is under an over hang. I have removed a number of these doors and they all fail at the same place. The bottom style. In the corner joint. The water sheds off of the door. Gravity allows it to collect at the bottom of course. Sometimes you don't have the choice. Situations such as mobile homes and screened in porches don't leave you with many options. In that situation I would choose a better outdoor wood, such as Cedar. In the case of a Screen Porch, your door is actually weathering from both sides. In this situation, just knowing that your door will have a short life might be what you need to accept. 

     Just Say No! to Red Oak. Red oak has a beautiful grain structure and can be stained but, it is terrible for repelling moisture. In fact it absorbs it. especially the new growth red oak. It is porous. they grain Is actually very similar too a stalk of celery. Have you ever done that experiment in school with the blue food coloring and the celery? Same thing. I once saw a demonstration with a foot long piece of 8/4 red oak. Taking a big drag off a cigar, The old timer blew into the end grain of the piece of red oak. With out to much trouble, The smoke began to billow out of the other end.

    Also another example for you. Take a ride to Wisconsin. to Taliessin. Frank Lloyd Wright's summer home. He used Red Oak for all of his outside trim Mitre'd facia boards etc. Maybe you can commune with the spirit world, to ask him. You might here him say, "Don't do it!" The house , along with many of the others he has built , So I understand , are in a constant state of repair, because of this.

    Obviously staining and sealing are a good preventative measure, But nothing is as good as starting out with a good quality wood. Lately, storm/screen doors I have seen on the market are made from Spanish Cedar. which I do Believe is closer to mahogany, than it is to cedar. Natural oils in the wood to help prevent decay. I have installed a few. One was from a company called Cumberland Woodcraft , as advertised in this magazine.  Just to give you an Idea. They offer a tiger screen . Which is expensive but heavy duty. So, if you have chickens.......Good Luck

    "I was born in the country, razed in the city, I'm a natural born shaker from my hips to the ground" 

  3. TommH | May 02, 2003 06:03pm | #3

    I saw one yesterday at an upscale hd in glastonbury, ct. and picked up the brosure (same info as on the website ) . It did look like pondoroso pine, lot of flat grain. My reaction was that it definitely should be painted for it to last. Also, I didn't like the way the removble panel sits in the frame             ; on the outside, it sits proud of the frame, rather than flush, which made it look clunky. Check out http://www.daviswoodworkingdesigns.com which looks really sweet, but probably pricey

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