New Front Door, Timber?

[Skiny]

I need a new front door made up, but I have been advised by a joiner not to use oak due to warping/movement. Is this really true?? My first thought when it came to a front door would be oak as it's such a traditional wood.

My house is 1800s, and so I want something that's going to suit it. Oak would be perfect, but I don't want to make an expensive mistake. Just looking for some advice.

 

[foxhole]

Lots of oak doors around , is the door going to be very exposed or is there a
porch .etc?

 

[Skiny]

It would be on the front of a terrace cottage, so fairly exposed. I was thinking of putting a small porch/roof over it, to give some protection.

 

[foxhole]

Avoid veneered doors they fail in weather.

 

[Skiny]

I'm looking at solid oak - no veneer, no engineered. Just solid oak boards to make it up. I've heard conflicting things from different people, but I guess if it's built properly, it shouldn't give much of an issue.

 

[motorbiking]

Oak is fine, but it needs a lot of treating to avoid it going black. All wood will expand and contract. If you want maintenance free, good thermal properties, decent security etc. Then you could probably get something composite that looks good.

 

[dishman]

Avoid composite doors, especially for a period property.

My neighbour binned a lovely period door (it is now in my garage being restored) because it needed a bit of maintenance (aka painting and lead repair) and put in a composite door.

It looks better than a pvcu door but feels still feels plastic. Looks no where near as good as well painted period door. It already has slight issues with the frame, and you cannot change the colour/give it a refresh when it starts to look tired. If the lock mechanism goes it is a pain to replace.If exposed they can be just as susceptible to expansion and contraction (especially if in a dark colour) which can cause issues over time.

A well installed timber door should be just as good in terms of insulation. A bit more effort just needs to be put in as part of the installation. A good solid timber door is just as secure, unless you expect the police to use a battering ram.

 

[Skiny]

I don't mind the maintenance of wood at all and much prefer the look of it. I was just surprised at what that joiner said, but think I'll be taking the chance with it, especially given how long oak doors have been in use. I suspect it's more about how well the door is constructed and installed, so won't be using that guy given his lack of confidence.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

It's a solid wood door in an exposed environment, so it will move. Being oak it will also be relatively heavy, so the door frame will need to be substantial enough to support it. Black staining on oak is best avoided by using stainelss steel or brass fittings - never steel