August 2, 2022
I keep telling myself that using the authentic vintage, solid wood 5 panel doors was worth it. Reuse CHECK! Recycle CHECK! Unified aesthetic CHECK! Less expensive that even the most garbage hollow doors CHECK!
When I'm done, they look great. They easily invite the use of mortise latches, which I love and contribute to the look of the place. When you close a solid wood door, you are actually closing a door. You hear it, you even feel it just a little bit, in your soul.
All of that being said, I very easily spent the most time of everything during the project on doors. The exterior oak doors, which will be explained later i a post, were the most satisfying of projects. never had I even conceived of being able to create something so beautiful with my own 2 hands. The interior doors, as noted in a past post about the sanding and stripping and sanding and stripping, took so long to get to where I wanted them to be.
In addition to the sanding and stripping (and sanding and stripping) the priming and painting no less than 4 coats, hanging them, seeing the light reflect off of the holidays (a painters term) and areas that needed just a bit more work, sanding and touch up painting them again, and then, after the dry winter weather offers up hairline gaps where the panels meet the cross sections. It's time for caulk, sand and paint again.
And the hanging of the doors. Don't get me started. I installed 2 pre-hung steel doors in my garage as alley facing entry doors, and each took me about 30 minutes. The wooden 5 panel doors in the apartment have about 37 steps each to get them to be what I want them to be. Which isn't fancy, It's just right.
Was it worth it......uhm...ah....sure. yes. it as worth it. There, I said it.