
We learnt the hard way that a 'period' door isn't just about the panels—it's about the timber. Our first attempt at replacing a cottage door used standard softwood from a big-box store. Within a year, it had warped, the joints creaked, and it looked nothing like the original.
There's so much truth here—the wood really is the soul of a period door. We had a similar issue with a 'reclaimed' door that turned out to be painted softwood hiding rot. Your point about made-to-measure is key too; off-the-shelf never fits a 150-year-old frame properly. Did you find the pitch pine needed any special treatment to match the existing finishes?
Thanks for reading! Totally agree—the timber really is everything. Did you end up going with a made-to-measure oak door too, or did you find another route for your renovation?
Great point about the timber — most people overlook how much the wood matters until it's too late. We had a similar issue with our Edwardian sash windows; ended up sourcing reclaimed pine instead of new. Did you find the made-to-measure process straightforward, or was there a lot of back-and-forth on the dimensions?
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