Craftsmanship — Solid Wood Front Entry Doors

TIMELESSNESS OF WOOD

For centuries, natural wood has been used to create a perfect combination of beauty and durability. Each piece of wood is truly unique and naturally becomes the best choice for a sophisticated and individual look. And each species has its own distinct personality and feel. As to pure aesthetics, one will not find another material matching the charm of wood. Various artificial composite materials are out there trying to mimic it, but none have been able to capture the warm texture and beautiful depth of the real thing.

Wood is also a practical choice. It is known for superb insulation qualities. When properly finished and maintained, wood is exceptionally durable and resistant to time and elements. Moreover, wood is a naturally renewable resource.

We offer some of the world’s finest wood species, just to name a few:

Mahogany is invariably associated with elegance due to its widespread use in furnishings. A reddish tone and close grain pattern makes mahogany an ideal choice for creating sophisticated environment.
Teak creates a statement of exotic. It has a relatively uniform texture and is known for its hardwood character. The color tone is normally golden brown yielding an end product of very smooth paint finish.
Knotty Alder is a strong wood with unique personality. It is light brown in color with yellowish hues. Out choice a few open solid knots, not too many, which gives alder a more informal presence. Stains always highlight beautiful grain and hand distressing adds to the mood.
Ash appeals for its enduring strength and abilities to completely change the personality based on the stain applied, from light brown to deep red.
Cherry offers unparallel smooth texture. The wood is brown and slightly on the reddish side with a fine straight grain. Cherry represents truly upscale living standard.

SOLID WOOD SAMPLES

Mahogany Light Mahogany Medium Wood

Mahogany Medium Mahogany Dark Wood

Mahogany Dark Mahogany with <br> Walnut Finish Wood

Mahogany with
Walnut Finish Wood

Mahogany with
Coffee Finish Mahogany Hand Scraped Wood

Mahogany
Hand Scraped Knotty Alder Dark Wood

Dark
Knotty Alder Knotty Alder Distressed Wood

Knotty Alder
Distressed Wood

Oak Oak

We encourage you to visit our showroom and recognize how professional stain stands above hand-applied ordinary dull finishes.

ENGINEERED CONSTRUCTION

At Doors for Builders, Inc., all stile and rail components have been engineered for durability and stability. The finger-jointed and edge-glued core construction creates a system that is more stable than solid wood.

To enhance stability even further, the core of our mahogany doors contain the same solid mahogany species. For our engineered banded stiles and rails, each stile features a solid mahogany edge band. The engineered stiles and rails are stronger then single, solid wood pieces, reducing the possibility of the door warping or splitting. Our durable 3-ply wood panels will not twist, warp, shrink or expand.

In our finished series, the panel is completely prefinished and sealed on all six sides before being installed, and as the panels are free to float between fixed edges, there is no unfinished part of the panel that may show up with time. There are no nails that hold panels in place.

We utilize a ply of up to 1/4" thick as outer facing that allows for multiple refinishing. There is no veneer to delaminate. Where design permits, we apply large decorative raised mouldings on both sides. We use only premium kiln-dried (10%+/-2%) grade wood components. From a design perspective, all engineered parts are hand matched to ensure consistent appearance and performance.

THE ART OF FINISH

We insist on providing you with the fully finished product, which is stained immediately following your door completion at the factory. Despite manufacturers’ stringent requirements, all builders will agree that it is next to impossible to immediately finish the door system upon installation. In addition, there is no sure knowledge of transportation and storage conditions of your doors prior to delivery. All these factors will negatively affect ultimate durability of your doors. Therefore, we only sell finished doors and strongly recommend the product, which is stained immediately following your doors completion at the factory.

Our finishing process is among the most advanced in the industry. All our doors are finished with the ICA'S water based coatings for exteriors – produced using fully automated plants, with production and quality checks to ensure compliance with the ISO 9001 standard – are subject to strict in-house lab testing in accordance with the INI EN regulations, and have passed the tests set by the most authoritative European certifying bodies. All panels are pre-stained and sealed prior to assembly. All premium finish applications take place in a dust-free, controlled environment. The following deep staining steps create our unique look and rich furniture-like effect:

Sanding raw wood door with 240-grit to clean off any contaminants;
Detail sanding of all profiles with 240-grit;
Application of penetrating stain by hand;
Application of wood filler/sealer to smooth our and seal grain;
Soft sanding after wood filler/sealer dries out;
Application of prime coating;
Fine sanding with 320-grit;
Application of first catalyzed UV inhibited topcoat;
Second fine sanding with 320-grit;
Application of second topcoat;
Third fine sanding with 320-grit;
Application of third topcoat;
Final touch up of details and profiles.

Our mahogany and knotty alder doors may be ordered distressed. The distressing is all done by hand and provides that special antique appearance. Distressed feel may be performed in variety of colors and the results are truly stunning. The distressing process is characterized by the worm holes, surface scratches and dents over the face of the doors and trim. Jambs, frames and panels typically also maintain touch of distress, and overall finish sometimes reflects more open grain.

Below please find our standard finish colors and species. Please note that these photos offer an indication of the final appearance, but due to natural variations in texture, grain and color of raw wood, the actual results may vary. As to the size and various video card and monitor specifications, the colors are only a limited electronic representation of the actual stain. Please keep in mind that some wood species are more sensitive, and darken significantly with age and intensity of exposure to light. Note that not every door is available in all finishes or species presented below.

SIZES AND SHAPES

The wide variety of entry systems presented on this site matches most standard rough openings. We normally make two standard door heights of 6'8" and 8'. Our highest system contains slabs of 9'. Our standard design reflects door thickness of 1-3/4" but we also make 2-1/4" thick panels. We accommodate the single slab width of up to 42".

CUSTOM DESIGN

We appreciate and welcome your door ideas. For customers who cannot find the doors they are looking for on this site, we encourage providing us with a sketch or other form of design concept, and our consultants will be happy to discuss and quote your own unique doors. Please note that lead time on most custom doors is about 12 weeks.

HINGE

As highest quality standard, we exclusively use our own heavy duty ball bearing patina coated brass hinge with a steel pin. The weight of one hinge is 13 oz. Architecturally proportioned, this 4" straight angle distinctive design represents consistent character.

THRESHOLD/SILL

Our thresholds are offered with extensions of up to 3". The threshold cap allows for adjustment to be made for a tight seal. Attached profile image demonstrates the matching patina color of anodized bronze threshold with our hinges.

BRICKMOULD

We offer optional 2" brickmoulding. Optional jamb extensions are also available.

GLASS OPTIONS - WOOD DOORS

Nothing compliments a solid wood entry door like a beautiful glass design.

Doors for Builders offers the most popular and comprehenseive glass styles to accommodate the different looks and privacy options are clients expect. They range from an elaborate diamond glass which features beveled edges for a multi-dimensional look, that has grown to be one of our trademark glass styles. Rain glass and Water glass are appropriate options when privacy is important, without sacrificing splendor and light. Or the traditional clear, beveled glass which allows the character of the wood to be showcased, while still allowing in the most light. For our clients who enjoy a more decorative aspect on their front entry doors, we also offer hand crafted hinged wrought iron designs made to the clients taste. No matter what glass option the clients chooses, they will enjoy either double insulated or triple insulated, high-end, beveled glass designs that will highlight the exquisiteness of their front entry door for many years to come.