I'm not usually one to sit down and write a blog post, but a recent trip to visit family in the Lake District reminded me of an image I'd seen of a garden shed made from doors. More importantly the shed was built using reclaimed doors, and this got me thinking about the various uses doors and other timbers could have after they've been discarded from use in a property. The door that I'd seen on my visit was very similar to our Kershaws Heritage No.16 door, a retro, 1930's styled door with a sunburst glazing design. This door looked a little out of place when being used as a shed door and obviously hadn't had a fresh coat of paint for many years. Due to quality construction and the 1930's craftsmanship the door was evidently holding together well as it appeared to have survived the elements for a number of years.
Another project, I've seen recently, used old UPVC patio doors that were being replaced as a frontage for a garden workshop. This seemed like a fantastic re-use for these large glazing panels and the end result was a smart timber framed garden room with plenty of light. I was hoping that the author would have used other reclaimed timbers for the rest of the project, but he had created the timber frame and cladding from new timber lengths. Using new timber obviously has it's advantages, and I'm guessing in this case probably the new wood was easier to source in the correct sizes.
I'm hoping to replace my front door later in the year, it's south facing and has to deal with quite a bit of weather. Unfortunately the elements have taken their toll on my front door as it now leaks when we get heavy rain which is probably due to the fault of the previous owner of the property who didn't retreat the door periodically with a coat of stain. Maintenance is needed for timber doors before they start to look weathered and is easier to do before problems arise. I'm considering reusing the old timber door by trimming it down a little and using it as a new side door to my garage, with a bit of careful re-adjusting, filler where needed and a few coats of paint I think it'll be a good replacement to the plain planked door that is on the garage currently.
I wonder where some of our doors will end up in the future? Perhaps you're looking at purchasing a new front door and have a project in mind to reuse the old door?
