Solid Sapele Carriage House Doors
Sliding Carriage House Barn Doors by Delnero Furniture Co.
Building the Finest Wooden Items for Four Generations, Fort Plain, N.Y. USA
The Home Enrichment Company was commissioned to build a 6000 square foot Carriage House,
which was to be outfitted with massive sliding carriage doors, operable shutters, and
interior passage doors. Delnero Furniture built every door and shutter out of SOLID
planks of ribbon stripe Sapele wood. Most exterior doors manufactured today are built
with thin layers of laments glued over inner cores made out of MDF and other man-made materials.
Building exterior doors out of SOLID woods is certainly a challenge, but if the time
honored techniques of our forefathers are implemented, the finished product is something
to be admired for generations.
The front and side sliding barn doors needed to be built large enough to allow antique automobiles to
pass through them. These massive sliding doors measured 108" high x 60" wide x 2 3/4" thick, and weighed
over 350 pounds each. Each huge slider door was hung on reinforced industrial barn door hardware.
The gable shutters and bar room shutters were fully operational, and hung on traditional wrought iron
pintles. The interior doors were hung with large strap hinges.
We traveled to Tewksbury Massachusetts to hand select these thick planks of ribbon stripe sapele wood.
We chose ribbon stripe Sapele for its excellent resistance to rot and insects, and used quarter sawn
cut lumber to ensure the doors would not wrap or twist.
Justin and Bob glue together planks to become the barn sliding door's rails.
It takes about 28 clamps to apply enough PSI to squish out the excess glue, and create a quality glue joint.
Because these sliding doors were so wide, we imbedded 1" x 1" x 1/4" thick steel angle iron supports across the bottom stiles,
to prevent them from bowing. These sorts of details are hidden when the door is completely assembled, but ensure stability.
Taking the time to go the extra mile separates the quality minded craftsman.
Bob belt sands the flat surfaces of the beadboard panels. We included a tongue and groove into the bead profile to make a much more stable finished panel.
Justin stands next to this giant sliding door. It towers well over 3 feet above his head, and out weighs him by nearly 200 pounds!
Open Daily 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Closed Sundays
Evenings by Appointment
Closed Sundays
Evenings by Appointment
