Hi, here goes. My wife wants to fit a stable door behind (about a metre) behind our upvc front door so that in the summer we can have the front door open and the top half of said stable door to let air in, and heat out, also keeping dogs and grandchildren in. There doesn't seem to be such a thing as an internal stable door so I'm thinking of a softwood external one. Unfortunately using it internally invalidates guarantee! Door is cheapish softwood but 44mm thick. What are the chances of it warping? I only want to wax it, not paint. Also the frame (old house) is a half inch out over the height of the door. Do I just trim at an angle on one edge? Sorry for being so long-winded!

I've moved this to the Carpentry forum.

Thanks

if they are constructed for external use they may shrink warp and twist
have you got a link to the design

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we are all ------------------still learning

Hi big-all. It's a Jen-Weld interior softwood stable door, only £114. They warned about using one internally. I'd have thought the more stable temperatures (sorry) and moisture content inside the house would be less likely to cause problems than when the door was fitted outside. Is there any treatment that can prevent warping? I assume any exterior door would be kiln dried at least. What I really want is an internal stable door that can be waxed not painted. I may have to cut down my own interior door.

You could buy an internal door and alter it by cutting it in half and reducing it's height to allow for fitting rebated meet, middle rails.

With regard to the door frame being wider at the bottom by 1/2".
Establish which leg is plumb and remove the fixings from the other leg. This leg is then packed out to suit & refixed.

Davyp1

Have you thought about using a dog safety gate like this http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/dog-gate

To be frank an internal stable door will look naff and you really do not need something there all year which around that will be used on the few nice weeks of weather we have each year.

DWD

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Painting with BIN

Davy. Thanks. Loathe to remove part of door frame as it's built well into plaster and continues above door as part of interior window/light. Is it accepted practice to chisel/plane door frame? Something will look out of line obviously.

Davyp1 is not suggesting removing part of the frame: just undoing the fixings and putting the frame into the correct position. That will be more difficult/messy if it's actually built into the plaster as you state.

The common procedure if the door frame is out of plumb and you don't want to move it is to fit the stops to the door. If the stops are part of the frame rather than loose then the best option really is to move the frame.

You can throw the hinges in/out a bit to lessen the amount it's out on one side, but this will mean it's then out on both sides, if you don't want a draught around the door you'll either have to straighten the frame or fit supplementary stops to close the gaps around the door.

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One day it will all be firewood.

The idea of a 'dog gate' proposed by DWD is an excellent solution, although it may require some attention to the fastener it is is to be grand-children proof!

Thanks again. We want a door to provide added insulation in the winter (basically there's a metre square hallway behind the front door but top half open in summer, so don't need dog gate. Ayjay, I understand door stops to be the battens nailed to the frame the door rests against. I would have to move them if I used a 44mm door, no problem. Do you mean fitting battens to the actual door to align it? Would have to be tapered.

i have made in excess off 30 stable doors for about 12 different people and they all looked great
but then they where all in houses with a cottagy feel where they fit in
yes i agree without a casual woody informal feel a stable door can look out off place
but then again a molded panel panel door can be cut in half reinforced along the cut edges with minimal visual impact
most stable doors are visual as well as practical so its horses for courses

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we are all ------------------still learning

Usually for horses

DWD

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Painting with BIN

Doorstops come in two varieties, on many frames (as opposed to linings) the stops are often rebated from the solid and can't be removed in the same way as planted (loose) stops, if the door is not meeting the stops as it should, planted stops can be removed and re-fixed in the correct position or with rebated stops they can be cut (scribed) back so that the door meets them correctly or alternatively you can plant a (much smaller) stop on top of the rebated stop and make that meet the door.

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One day it will all be firewood.