I’m interested in installing “dutch” doors. Webster’s- a door divided horizontally so that the lower or the upper part can be shut separately. I like the look. I like the idea of adding, what amounts to, another window while maintaining some degree of privacy and security.
Being Florida some times I come home and would like to quickly and easily vent the pent up heat while keeping the neighborhood dogs and prying eyes at bay.
I was thinking that I could install two keyed alike deadbolts and a latch to hold the halves together. Of course four heavy duty hinges for the people who want a ride and some extra framing to reinforce the whole thing.
Does anyone have any experience with this sort of door? Any favorite manufacturers or would it be better to build the door. Any ideas? Advice? Is this a reasonable solution or have I gone nuts?
Replies
The weather seal between the two halves is the first issue that occurs to me.
there are still a few wooden door manufacturers who will make a dutch door.
it's been a couple of years since i sold doors at the lumberyard, but i remember that prehung units were available with gaskets at the crack perimeters and you could bore the backsets and way you want to.
I recently read an article about doing such witchcraft.
Probably FHb or JLC.
Anyone else?
I just tried to type it all out and was a clear as mud. Now I can't even remember how they did it!
I do remember.....saying to make the seperation cut at a bevel.....so the water drains to the outside.
as in.....
inside....[ ]..... outside
[ added to top of bottom door.....
] added to bottom of top door
and overlapping.
There...clear as mud, no?
There was something about ripping the door in the middle and adding that bevel cut piece in between.....but I ain't gonna try 'splaining that one again!
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite
Actually your illustration is pretty clear. Good tip. Thanks.
that was the second shot at it....
not good at "word pictures" tonight.
Think I'm low on beer.
better fix......
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite
Jeff, I'm confused. How can you open the top half (inswing I presume), with the bevels acting as an interlock?
20 years ago I was on a job where another carpenter hung a dutch door. The one thing I remember is he had a tough time keeping the gap between doors even as it opened. I thought that if I were ever faced with that challenge I would try hanging a plumb bob through the knuckles of all 4 jamb hinges to get them perfectly lined up. As I think about it I would certainly rout the hinges as apposed to chiseling them for the same reason.
I made one many years ago from a flush solid core birch door. Have also made two interior dutch doors from a hollow core wood and a hollow metal.
If you are going to use an existing door or a prehung for the project add the extra hinges before you cut it in half. I added a interior shelf to the lower half of each unit I made. The shelves were for transactions, but served a second role of securing the upper half. If you use the shelf idea, you only need a good drop bolt and deadbolt to secure the upper door. When cuttint the doors, I used 42" as the height for the lower half, and cut an addtional 3/4" off the top door for the scribe fit to the shelf on the lower door.
Jeffs' idea about the bevels is excellent. The doors I built were protected from the weather by a large overhead canopy for the exterior door, so I did not add the bevels. I did use a foam and vinyl weather strip on the botton of the upper door, just like you get on the bottom of new prehung exterior units.
Hope this helps, like Jeff it is a liitle early for verbal pictures.
Dave
Up here in PA we run into Dutch doors fairly frequently. They are really tough to weatherstrip and keep aligned, but since you are in Florida that may not matter a whole lot. There is a piece of hardware (other than a slide bolt) to keep the two doors together. When I have a little more time I will try to find it online and link to a picture. Describing it be difficult.
Got a print a while back where the Architect had called for for a dutch pocket door.
Asked the GC how those would work, and he just rolled his eyes.
No amount of planning will ever replace dumb luck.
I had one put in the kitchen a coupla years ago when I was redoing the place in S. Cal. Actually, it replaced another in the same hole.
I got it at a door distributor. Prehung fir, the bottom half was paneled, with the pie tray option. We didn't worry about no stinkin' weatherstripping with the 4 panel windows being single pane and open half the day.
But of the 4 years I had it, the trim carp fooled with it at least 2-3 times to keep the gaps straight and top from binding into the bottom half. But it was a great door.
Works best when you don't have flying insects around.