My Door Company
755 Highway 105 #23
Palmer Lake, Colorado 80133
719.422.3667
My Door Company
Saturday, October 8, 2011
New My Door Company Blog
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Door of the Month - Cherry Hills Village
Welcome back to the continued postings of My Door Company, builders of Custom Handcrafted Doors and Cabinets. We return today to close out the month of April with a profile of a recent remodel by My Door Company in the Cherry Hills Village area of Englewood, Colorado. Englewood is a much-established suburb of Denver, and the Cherry Hills area has some of the most beautiful homes and open areas in the city.
(after)
(before)
The previous entrance began with a standard double door unit (pictured directly above). The new door unit is almost 7 feet tall and over 6 feet wide with the actual door itself resting at 2" thick and about 40" wide. Though this is only 4 inches wider that a standard 36" front door, those extra inches make a huge difference. Given this was originally a double door unit, My Door Company had plenty of room to widen the door and add adjacent sidelites to give the entrance a much bigger and more open feel and appearance.
As you can see from the images, the exterior and interior have different finishes. As we have discussed in earlier posts, not only is the finish different on either side, but the wood we manufacture the unit from is as well - on this door, the exterior is built from Select Alder, and the interior is made from Poplar. Again, Alder is an extremely stable species that looks great with most any type of stain and topcoat, and Poplar is a perfect paint-grade wood given its consistent and subtle grain patterns.
This door is also suited with 4 insulated glass units - 2 lites in the door and 1 in each sidelite. For all our exterior doors that contain glass, My Door Company uses nothing but insulated glass units. Insulated glass units increase your R-Value (measurement of thermal resistance) for greater energy savings, reduce sounds transmissions, and has increased durability.
My Door Company is proud to be part of remodels like this project, as well as new construction - we have done a fair share of both in our years in business. In this case, we worked directly with the homeowner on the design of the new door unit, built the new unit in our facility, then removed the old door and jamb from the existing home and installed the new one on-site. This homeowner already had a painter lined up, so we installed this unfinished and did not coordinate the finish ourselves. Though as part of our offerings, My Door Company can provide and coordinate everything from design to installation to finish, or we can just build and deliver if you have a general contractor taking care of the rest of the details. So if you are a homeowner or a general contractor, or whether you are working on new construction or a remodel, My Door Company is the best place to find Colorado's finest Custom Handcrafted Doors and Cabinets.
And as always, please contact us or visit http://www.mydoorco.com/ for more info. Thanks again.
-rh@mdc
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Specialty Items of the Week
For those of you who are joining us for the first time, welcome to My Door Company's ongoing discussion on custom handcrafted doors and cabinets. My Door Company is a Colorado-based company that offers all things woodworking, particularly custom doors and cabinets. Our main facility is in Palmer Lake, Colorado, just about 40 miles south of Denver. We are proud to have been part of the woodworking industry for the last 30 years, with almost half of those years present in Southern Colorado. Check out our photo gallery above to see a handful of the doors and cabinets we have built in the past, or see www.MyDoorCo.com for a full set of our photos. Also, feel free to contact us anytime by phone or email - and if you happen to be in the neighborhood stop by the shop and we'd be happy to give you the grand tour. Visitors are always welcome. And of course, thanks to our returning readers for the continued visits.
This week we dive into some of the other talents of My Door Company - obviously our namesake pegs us as official Door "Aficionados," though our craftsmanship does not stop there. Not only is My Door Company proud to be one of Colorado's finest door companies, we also consider ourselves to be a top-notch general woodworking outfit as well. Given the custom nature of our handcrafted doors and cabinets, we often work with our customers on other woodworking projects as well. During the last three decades, we have built a great deal of tables, entertainment centers, beds, countertops, mantles, and staircases (among other custom items). Your imagination is our only limitation.
For a living room or den, the options for mantles, fireplaces, or other accents are endless. The top image is a decorative fireplace, built entirely from MDF (medium density fiberboard), which worked great for this project because it was painted. It is an overall simple design, though the fluting on the columns, the prominent crown moulding, the faux finish, and the "H" monogram above the outer columns, make this mantle/fireplace one-of-a-kind.
This picture frame was made from stacking and mixing a variety of different moulding profiles, and complete with a hand carved finishing effect. Great for that hard to frame piece of art or photograph.
And for a bedroom, the below bedroom sets were made to match images provided by our clients, though custom built to fit their specific size restrictions and preferences. Complete with matching bedside tables, raised paneling, fluting, and decorative accents.
The craftsmen of My Door Company can build from an idea, a magazine picture, or one of our previous designs. As with any of our custom projects, we are with you start to finish - from the initial design consultation to the final product. Nobody does custom handcrafted doors, cabinets, and specialty items like My Door Company.
Visit MyDoorCo.Com for more info. Thanks for stopping by.
-rh@mdc
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Shaker Castle
Rising far above Monument's 7,000 foot elevation, this beautiful home was built with the same splendor as the ancient castles of centuries past. Arches, columns, marble, and superb Cherry (among other things) grace both the ins and outs of this home. Rarely does one come across such a homeowner that has the vision and taste to maintain a perfect level of consistency and originality throughout a home, though the creator of this residence achieved just that. His attention to detail was present in everything from the heated marble floors to the multi-level, multi-shaped ceilings, and everything in between (doors, cabinets, furnishings, fixtures, etc). My Door Company was fortunate enough to play an integral part in the finishings of this immaculate castle, namely the entry-way door, all the interior doors, and the kitchen cabinetry. As we dive into our projects that rest within the walls of the Shaker Castle, we extend many thanks to the man with the driving vision behind our work.
We begin with the commanding front door - like we always say on the shop floor of My Door Company, "no better way to greet your friends and family than with a most grand entrance." This castle does just that - this magnificent entry-way door is a plank-style, round-top pair with oval-headed wooden clavos (plugs). The exterior of the front door is Alder, and the interior is Select Cherry to match the woodwork on the inside of the house. My Door Company has built a variety of doors with two species of wood - one type on the inside, another on the outside. This is done for a variety of reasons, but mainly to match different woodworking schemes or for different finishes (paint on the outside, stain on the inside).
As we have discussed before, Alder is a common hardwood used for cabinets and furniture, originating from Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. American Cherry (Prunus Serotina) is grown in both the USA and Canada, and much like Alder, is used mainly for furniture, cabinets, and turnery - though it is also used in pianos, violin bows and other musical instruments. Also known as New England mahogany, an American Cherry tree typically grows 80 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 2 feet. Strangely enough, extensive industrial contact with Cherry wood and sawdust can cause wheezing and giddiness (Alder has been linked to Dermatitis and some bronchial problems). Though not to worry, these health problems are easily avoided - simply take advantage of the custom handcrafted doors and cabinets available from My Door Company, one of the industry's leaders in overall safety and safe-woodworking techniques.
Not only did the wood vary between the inside and out on this front door, but the style itself was entirely different. As you can see from the photos below, the wooden arches on the interior of the door set (right) mirrors the stone arches on the outside of the house (left). The double doors of this unit were 2 1/4 inches thick and the overall unit was 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide.
Let us now step into the extravagance of the interior of the Shaker Castle - we move onto the doors of the inside. Between the bedrooms, bathrooms, office, closets, pantry, so on and so on, My Door Company built almost 30 doors (not including the entry-way door unit). As stated before, the consistency of this home was incredible, and the interior doors were no exception. As you can tell from the below images, they have the appearance of a 7-panel stile and rail door - though each door was made from a single sheet of fiberboard.
We started with an 4'x8' sheet of MDF (medium density fiberboard), cut each sheet to size, routed out the shape and designs, then added moulding to the face of the door around the routed edges to give each door more dimension (the below image shows an up-close view of an unpainted section). MDF is an engineered wood product, and while is does not work great in all woodworking applications (for example, you cannot stain it), it was perfect for this type of painted door. The interior doors are all 8 feet tall and 1 3/4 inches thick (with various widths), and probably some of the heaviest doors ever built - each one has a set of 4 solid ball-bearing hinges to maintain swinging ability.
As if the interior and exterior doors were not enough, we now expand beyond into the other woodwork of the Shaker Castle. Since My Door Company understands the true nature of woodworking, we are proud to offer cabinets and other specialty items to maintain the custom nature of any remodel or new construction. The kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities of The Shaker Caster were also made from select Cherry, all made to match to the front door. The images below, of course, do not give the woodwork justice, though one can begin to see some of the intricacies that are present, not just in the kitchen, but throughout the house. (More on cabinets and other specialty items from My Door Company in the coming weeks - enjoy the photos below!)
(If you look real close on the image directly above left, you can see another example of the MDF interior doors.)
For those of us at My Door Company who were able to work on the Shaker Castle projects, the experience was nothing but unforgettable - we extend our many thanks to Mr. Shaker himself, who is now a close friend of all us of here at My Door Company. And as usual, we thank you, the readers, for taking the time to visit the Official Blog of My Door Company - swing back next week for more on the custom handcrafted doors and cabinets from Colorado's Finest Door Company.
And of course in the meantime, give us a call or visit www.MyDoorCo.com for more info.
-rh@mdc
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
"Doorspeak"
And as usual, the Craftsmen at My Door Company welcome you back to the on-going discussion about all things "Door." We hope you all have enjoyed the exciting motions of the last few postings - rest assured, we post nothing but the best for all to see. Though in case you missed our Virgin Island endeavor, or perhaps our voyage by "Ship through a Sea of Glass," see our archives to the right for the unforgettable details. Only here, with My Door Company, can one gain such immaculate insight into the ultimate craft of door building.
Today, we discuss the ever-growing vernacular of the trade - "Doorspeak," if you will (thank you George...). While most everything to do with doors is commonplace, and somewhat self explanatory, we do not wish to leave any of our followers behind in the weeks to come as we explain the intricate details of the workings of My Door Company. Given there is some debate over certain terminology within the industry, and a popular substitute of slang for others, we will try and wade through the muck and discuss nothing but the facts. Furthermore, much of the door vocabulary we use crosses the lines into other industries, such as architecture and the likes, so some terms are used differently depending on the field. And due to the innovative spirit so evident in all work by My Door Company, you will see definitions and terms exclusive to My Door Company - we have no choice but to maintain that same sense of innovation from our physical work in our written word as well.
Let us begin with the door above (and below): in "doorspeak" - Knotty Alder, 2-panel, top rail arch, square-top; 1-panel, 1-lite sidelites; with "Rustic Iron Scrape".
Now for the layperson - A square-top door with 2 panels, a curved top rail, with windows to either side, all made from Knotty Alder, and complete with the "Rustic Iron Scrape."
Let us begin with the basics (reference the letters on above image):
Although there are a variety of types of doors, almost all of the doors from My Door Company are panel doors, with panels, stiles, and rails (we will discuss the other types of doors, like slab or flush doors another time...). Stiles (H) are the vertical supports, and Rails (D) are the horizontal portions - this door has 2 stiles and 3 rails. Panels (A & B) make up the majority of any door and there is virtually an endless amount of combinations and shapes when it comes to the panel configuration - this door has 2 raised panels, the top panel being curved. These particular panels have a raised profile, though flat panels are also an option for a simple, straight look. These components apply to all doors - exterior, interior, cabinet, etc.
This particular door is a square-top door, though it does have a arched top rail. Not much else to say about square-tops, though a discussion on the architectural feature known as the "Arch" could go on for days and days. The "Arch" has fascinated humankind throughout all of history, and remains to this day a prominent feature in all types of construction and design. The top rail on this door could be classified as a "flat" arch because it's curves come to point. For our intents and purposes, let us mention only a few types of arches - true, flat, gothic, tudor, elliptical, and cathedral. Click HERE for an example of a roundtop (or true arch) door and HERE for a flat arch door unit. Our apologies to all the past and present Thinkers and Theorists of Arches and Architecture for the brief (and perhaps butchered) explanation.
Moving on to glass - all glass/windows in and around doors are called "lites." If panel A was glass rather than wood, it would be called a "doorlite"; glass next to a door is called a "sidelite" (C); glass above a door is called a transom (this door unit has no transom). And as you can see from the image above, the door and sidelites are all part of the same unit. The above sidelites could be considered stationary doors, given My Door Company builds them with the same quality and integrity as the door itself. Label E references the actual glass within the sidelite.
To maintain weatherproofing and longevity, the entire door unit sits on a threshold, or sill (G). Much like everything else, there is almost endless threshold options (adjustable, aluminum, wood, handicap-accessible, residential, commercial, etc). Obviously, the door opens on hinges (not visible), and closes against weatherstripping to ensure energy efficiency and a quality seal (again not visible). The door itself is also suited with a door bottom, or sweep (also not visible), that is attached to the bottom of the door - it is usually made from aluminum and vinyl and rests between the door and threshold when the door is closed. And for those of you from the "knob-less" corners of the world, every door has a knob, to open, close and lock the door.
For both structural and aesthestic reasons, all doors have brick moulding (F). Brick moulding is part of the door unit and is a heavy-duty moulding used to attach the actual door unit to a home or building. Brick moulding is the exterior version of the baseboard and casing that is found on the interior of any given house.
The last, but not least, characteristic on the above door is the exclusive "Rustic Iron Scrape" - this is a carved finish meant to give certain doors an aged or distressed look. It has been used on both exterior and interior doors and the finished look is exclusive to the doors of My Door Company. Just another example of the custom and creative nature of the work done by My Door Company. (Look for more details and examples of the "Rustic Iron Scrape" in the coming weeks - for now click HERE for an enlarged image to see the carved detail).
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Let's do a quick review of everything discussed so far on a new door, pictured below:
In "doorspeak" - Select Alder, 3 panel, 6 lite, square-top; 1 panel, 2 lite sidelites; arched 5 lite transom
A - arched 5 lite transom (again, the door, sidelites, and transom are part of the same door unit)
B & C - 1 flat panel, 2 lite sidelites
D - doorlites and mullions. "Mullion" is an architectural term that references a divider on or between windows. This particular door has mullions on the door, sidelites, and transom.
E - flat panels on doors
F - brick moulding
HERE is an unlabeled image of the above door.
******************
Hopefully, this onslaught of door jargon has given you a better understanding of doors and what is part of the custom door process. While there are almost unlimited options of almost all door components, the quality of different options and processes widely varies - and needless to say, My Door Company only utilizes the top of the line hardware, wood, and processes in our production.
For those readers that are absolutely overwhelmed or bored, look forward to a new "Project of the Week" next time, with less words and more pictures. And as always we appreciate your time and attention.
Visit http://www.mydoorco.com/ for more info.
-rh@mdc
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Project of the Week - Ships & the Sea
This particular door, as you can see from the image above, is simple in design with an arched top and oversized sidelites (sidelites are the stationary windows to either side of the door). The door unit was built from select Alder, which is a common hardwood used for cabinets, furniture, and the likes. Much of the Alder used in the States originates from Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, as well as Canada, though other sub-species of Alder can be found in Africa, Europe, Russia, and Japan. Even further one can purchase 'Select' Alder, which is mostly straight-grained with limited knot patterns, or 'Knotty' Alder, which has a more rustic look with it's natural character and prominent knots. Alder is easy to work with and once finished has the elegance of Cherry, without the price tag. Given it is a pleasant-looking hardwood that is both widely-available and affordable, My Door Company has used a great deal of Alder recently for both exterior and interior doors, as well as cabinets and other furniture.
This particular door unit is quite impressive as it towers almost 8 feet tall and 9 feet wide, though it is the glass itself that commands all attention. As you can see in the below image, the glass in the door and the sidelites have quite the ocean scene (the project was for a retired Vice Admiral). Between the three panes of glass, there is a massive ocean vessel with sails and crew, along with tumbling oceans waves, whitecaps, clouds, and fowl to match. Such a simple elegant door, with such a sandblasted scene leaves one captivated, even with the great mountain views surrounding the property.
Not only does My Door Company strive to build the highest quality doors made in Colorado, we also offer options like this glass art to truly personalize all the work that we do. The options are endless. Thanks again for joining us.
Visit www.MyDoorCo.com for more info.
-rh@mdc
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Project of the Week
Welcome back to the workings of My Door Company - where we continue our journey forward with the first posting of what is to be a regular segment entitled "Project of the Week." We will profile a current or completed project in detail, discussing specs, wood species, processes and procedures, carving techniques, and other details. We hope you enjoy the inner-workings of how My Door Company does doors and cabinets.
We begin with our first international project - My Door Company just completed and shipped a plethora of custom doors to a beautiful little island called St. John. This beautiful island, located some 800 miles south of Florida in the midst of the Caribbean sea, is all the more beautiful now that one of it's vacation homes is fully equipped with our official handcrafted doors! While technically St. John is, of course, still American soil, this job in the US Virgin Islands is our most sprawling project to date.This particular project consisted of both interior and exterior doors, all fashioned from African Mahogany. African Mahogany is sourced from the tropical areas of western, central, and eastern Africa, most widely used for cabinets and furniture, as well as for boatbuilding. There is a great deal of variance in the natural grain patterns and colorings of African Mahogany board by board (more than some other species), which is quite apparent in some the images posted here. This occasionally makes it difficult to work with in the machining process, as well affecting the look and tones of the finished product.
The doors consisted of 22 openings, both inside and out. The interior doors were single-door units with raised panels, as you can see above, and the exterior doors consisted of single-door units, double-door units, and four-door units with glass. Overall there were 37 individual doors total. The exterior doors, in contrast to standard residential doors, were all out-swinging. Traditionally, all standard residential exterior doors swing in, and all commercial exterior doors swing out (for fire safety and other issues). Because these particular exterior doors are in a home located in an area prone to hurricanes and other extreme weather conditions, they all swing out. Of course, this may be a detail that only door builders notice, but it does affect the types of thresholds and hinges that can be used. 
As you can see from the images, the style of the doors were simple, yet elegant with the round top of the single unit doors and curved corners of the multi-units. Even though the curves are simple and slight on some, the processes to curve wood for stiles, rails, and panels, as well as door jambs and moulding, are much more complex and challenging compared to the components required for standard square doors and openings. Overall, we had almost 10 crates of doors shipped to Florida, then turned over to a freight forwarder to deliver to the island. We used almost 2000 board foot of African Mahogany and over 20 gallons of glue for the 13 sets of exterior doors and 9 sets of interior doors. The doors were all of various widths and heigths, but the largest four-door unit was 12 feet wide and almost 9 feet tall - quite the set of doors to frame that island view!
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