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tracywag_gw

Front doors on 100yr old two family

tracywag
9 years ago

Hi all! I am looking for some ideas. We have a two family, with front entry doors side by side. Husband wants to replace the solid oak doors because even with weatherstripping and good storms they let in a lot of cold. The width of the area is 89", with 32" doors currently installed. If we are going to go to the bother of all of this, I would like to have something nicer than I do now (I like the old oak!).

So my question is, has anyone replaced doors like these? They only photos I can find are of dual doors in the same entry. These are separate doors to separate entries. The whole space is 89" wide. If we keep 32" doors, is it sensible to have the hardware on both in the middle? Could it be worked out to do two doors a little closer together (currently 12" between) and have one satellite on each outer edge? Is there another option that I haven't considered?

thank you for any thoughts.

Tracy

Comments (6)

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    tracywag:

    You don't just dispose of 100-year-old original fabric; it's disrespectful of old homes. Do some research and weatherstripping. They'll be fine and save you money.

  • jakethewonderdog
    9 years ago

    Absolutely agree with Trebruchet:

    You won't find new replacement doors that are appropriate... This isn't something where you put in a new fiberglass fake wood grain door - and certainly not on the front.

    Look, I know for a fact that you can make old doors and windows efficient, I've done it on my own homes. What's more, there are other places to spend money (high efficiency furnaces, insulation in the walls and attic, etc) that are far more effective at making an old house energy efficient than replacing doors and windows.

  • camlan
    9 years ago

    Agree that keeping the original doors if at all possible is best.

    In the Boston area, there are many of these two family homes. Some owners have replaced the front doors. Every case I've seen, they just put in a new door in the existing door frame.

    And for the most part, they seem to pick doors that are currently trendy and look out of place on a 100 year old house.

  • camlan
    9 years ago

    If you are considering moving the doors closer together, I think you also have to look at what's going on right inside those doors. Is there going to be enough space to enter the house and move around the door? Where are the interior walls?

    I've lived in a couple of similar two family houses. In one, the vestibule was large and airy and you could have shifted the door a foot either way without a problem.

    In the other, the door to the second floor unit opened into the tiny vestibule and created a slight problem if you were standing there opening the door to guests, because there was no room to move around or let people in. Moving the door a few inches to the left would have helped, but moving it to the right would have made matters worse. I'd try a mock-up with tape on the floor or something, just to make sure that moving the doors would still allow easy entrance/exit to both units.

    If you want to get more light in the space, I'd consider a door with a window in it, or adding some sort of other window beside the door.

  • Saljean
    9 years ago

    I would STRONGLY suggest doing what you can (with various weatherstripping systems) and keep the old doors, which sound like the work fine. No door you could buy today will be able to match the beauty and character of the original door to an old house.

    If you could see what the owner of a beautiful craftsman in my town did, you would know what I mean. They took the original door and side lites out, and replaced them with a light oak door with a large oval with cheesy leaded glass. The oak is not quarter sawn; the side lites are similar. I want to cry: "What were you thinking?". Please reconsider!

  • renovator8
    9 years ago

    Do the doors open directly into living spaces? Is there no way to create a vestibule?

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