subject: Benefits of New Doors Built With Dowel Construction [print this page] Benefits of New Doors Built With Dowel Construction
When shopping for new doors your may come across the term Dowel construction. This design and manufacturing technique is widely used and creates a door that is solid and strong as well as being a great value for the money. What is the difference between a dowel constructed door and one without? And how do you know if this type of door is the best choice for your home?
Difference of a Doweled Door
Almost all interior doors are built with this process and the design is beginning to show up on exterior doors as well. Basically the various components of the door - bottom, top and middle rails, as well as the panels and stiles - are built separately and then fit together using wood dowels or pins.
The dowels are glued into the corresponding holes and the entire door is held together with a hydraulic press until the product is completely dry. The result is a tightly fitted door that has been easily made and can include a wide variety of detailing and decoration.
When fluted dowels and the highest quality adhesives are used the resulting construction is very dependable. Although mortise and tenon (aka M&T) construction tends to hold up better in very extreme weather conditions, doweled doors can be used in exterior entrances with great success.
Best Material for Dowel Constructed New Doors
Kiln dried lumber is the optimum material for use on doweled doors. This timber has been taken through the drying process to eliminate the occurrence of swelling and shrinking on site. That way the fit of the dowels will remain tight and the integrity of the door will be reliably strong.
Windows Installed in Doweled Doors
Some manufacturers will install the glazing directly into the moulding, creating a product that is solid and not easy disassembled. That means the window that comes with the doweled door cannot be easily changed as it is in steel, composite or fibreglass models that use a pinned moulding to provide glazing that can be changed.
The benefit of this construction is that, when combined with double or triple glazing, a dowel constructed door provides the ultimate security. The dowels make the timber slab very difficult to break down and the compressed and adhered mouldings keep the glazing solid. There are less vulnerable spots present in this style of door, making it even more valuable to the homeowner.
New doors come in a variety of styles and designs, with dowel construction showing up more and more on exterior doors. Compare the prices and consider whether this is a door you can live with for years. The strongest built dowel doors should last a lifetime on your home.
