Homebase sheet material cutting service?

[Agile]

I have an old oak front door which is really quite thin and has been rather damaged by attempts to break in several times.

However, it looks very good and I want to renovate it and make it more robust.

I am considering adding 18mm MDF across the inside and getting it from Homebase who will cut their sheet materials.

My question is to what accuracy does a place like that usually manage to cut it?

Tony

 

[kevplumb]

if they are anything like home depot over here app 1/8"" tony

 

[Deluks]

Mdf? If you're living in somewhere like Peck'Nam, Tower Shamlets or Croydon I'd be getting a sheet of steel screwed to the back and paint it.

Otherwise veneered mdf would give a nice finish. From a proper timber merchant who will cut accurately. Homebase I'd imagine to be hit n miss depending on which branch you go to.

 

[Agile]

It needs more support than steel would give.

But its getting very difficult to get sheet steel cut and supplied ( that means very expensive too.

I am aiming to glue the MDF onto the inside of the door. Veneer would be very nice but I will look at the prices and doubt that the cost will be justified even if Homebase did stock it.

In London if you can find a timber yard it usually very expensive compared with B&Q and they dont want to do any cutting even if they had the equipment. The sheds are the way of the world now. Homebase is the only one with the cutting jig but hardly any stocks of sheet to cut up !

Tony

 

[Jasonb]

Have a word with South London Hardwoods, they will do standard or veneered MDF and can accurately cut to size, they can also edgeband the MDF in matching veneer so you don't see the cut MDF.

http://www.slhardwoods.co.uk/

But watch out they are in Croydon!!

Jason

PS B&Q Warehouse will also cut and has far more MDF than Homebase

 

[JohnD]

MDF is not very strong. Have you considered ply?

WBP would do but Marine ply is higher standard and available with nice hardwood faces

btw if you are prone to attempted breakins, a Frame Guard and Lock Guard will help spread the load of attacks on your mortice lock and keep. You will need three heavy 4" hinges.

the frame needs to be as strong as the door.

 

[maltaron]

If the risk of breakins is that bad I think I would try an Estate Agent.

 

[Agile]

Life is not that easy!

The door is about 5mm less wide at the bottom !

I dont want to spend TOO much on the idea but a new oak door going on another house had cost £600 !

Nobody really looks at the inside of the door so I was thinking of painting it matt black so that I could use multiple screws to hold it on.

I always thought MDF was very strong as I use it to support rads on weak walls.

Its a significant risk of breakins unfortunately.

Tony

 

[Deluks]

Ply would be stronger. You can get 1 sided veneer ply as well.

 

[vv2806]

To answer the original question - they should cut to 1 mm accuracy. I had MDF and ply cut at B&Q and they cut up to 1 mm. Homebase cutting equipment looks the same.

The problem in your case might be that they can cut only at 90 degrees and your door is not square, if there is difference in the width at top and bottom.

I have MDF shelves attached to a uneven wall. Asked the B&Q guy to cut what was possible (where the angles were 90 degrees) and cut the rest myself with a circular saw.

And yes - ply is stronger than MDF.

 

[JohnD]

if it's a funny shape, the shed will probably only cut it to square size. But if you can lay your hands on a power planer, you can easily true the edges. Using a surform or hand plane would also do it but might take you half an hour or so depending on the strength of your arms.

you can also tack moulding over the edges to hide ragged cuts

a kickstop lockguard or similar can be bolted through the door and your reinforcing panel. They are often available at half price on fleabay.

btw if it is an old oak door, you could use stainless coach bolts and acorn nuts to clamp door to panel, painted black they would look in keeping, and will be far stronger than screws in the event of an attack. You can't use ordinary steel screws on oak, especially outside, as the tannic acid corrodes them and causes stain.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Hey Tony, the question I want to know is why are they trying to break in? Or break out?

Or is someone trying to get their £84 Plus vat for one hour of your labour.