The average consumer is likely in the habit of simply replacing doors with whatever stock items are locally available. Unfortunately, it’s not as well-known as it should be that anyone—not just builders—can order custom doors from manufacturers. Many manufacturers allow people to order doors easily over the phone or customize their orders online for added convenience. What’s more, many include shipping to local towns and even nearby states.
Getting a door yourself is an affordable opportunity to obtain a quality entryway that will stand out and last for years due to its superior craftsmanship. When ordering a custom door, it’s vital to ask the right questions. Depending on the remodel or project timeline, one of the first things buyers often ask is, “How long does it take to get a custom exterior door?” It’s essential to explore the options and ask about customizable elements, such as styles, types, finishes, fixtures, and more.
How Do Custom Doors Work?
As noted, many manufacturers allow online or phone orders. It’s uncommon for a business not to take an order. But this can happen during holidays because they may be busier than usual, as is often the case with any company. Delivery times depend on the complexity of the order. Generally, though, custom-made exterior doors take six to eight weeks to fulfill. It’s crucial to realize a door is much more complex than the average customized item.
Some manufacturers may have a quicker turnaround time depending on whether they cut the door from scratch versus using stock components they then customize to construct it. Either way, customizing a door is a complex process, so be sure to plan ahead so that it will arrive at a time when there’s room and ample opportunity to install it right away. In addition, the sooner you install a door after its initial creation, the less likely it will be to become damaged as a result of improper storage or from being moved around a worksite to make room for other products.
Why Choose a Custom Door?
Anyone who’s suffered the dull look of a standard stock door is simply missing out. A custom door lets homeowners truly design a one-of-a-kind entryway experience. It’s easier to create the perfect door to complement a home’s façade as well. Customization goes much deeper than choosing a size or deciding on whether to include a window. As noted, characteristics you can change include the wood species, whether the door is a pre-hung or slab type, the specific fixtures, the windows, and the presence of transoms and sidelights. You might also think about whether you want sidelight doors, double doors, and even custom-sized doors to accommodate disabled individuals. Whatever you need, it’s possible to acquire for a fair price.
The degree of uniqueness that you can add to a door through custom options is stunning. What’s more, many custom options are much more affordable than people realize. Many stock options cost only a little less or just as much as a fully custom design. It’s also easy to stick within a budget by shuffling options around, whereas, with a stock door, you always pay the same price and get the same mass-produced item.
Choosing a Wood Species
One of the most critical choices to make when ordering a custom door is to select the wood species. Two of the most famous selections are wood and mahogany. Each has rightfully earned its place for its symbolic importance and literal beauty. However, many more options are available than this. What’s more, most options are also very affordable and come from responsibly sustained and harvested forests. So, you can choose your preference without wondering if your door contributed to environmental damage—a question many consumers ponder when selecting what to spend their hard-earned money on.
A few genuinely amazing-looking selections include the stunning knotty alder and rich pinewood. Other options have bonuses besides beauty. For instance, cedarwood’s incredible aroma isn’t just an excellent detail; it’s the smell of the built-in insecticidal oils the wood contains. Another wood that’s rich in oil is teak. Besides displaying incredible mineral streaks, teak is popular for outdoor furniture and exterior woods due to how its resistance to moisture and weathering exceeds that of many other species.
Finished or Unfinished?
A major factor that affects how long it takes to get a custom exterior door is the complexity of your order. It’s just as possible to order a barebones door you like the look of versus a wildly detailed and luxurious door. The choice is yours! Two factors that will impact completion times are the detail of the finish and whether you select a slab or pre-hung door. Anyone looking to have fun with their remodeling project might consider a minimalist design. It’s entirely possible to order a door with no finish at all. The surface will be ready for the homeowner to add a stain in their own time. While manufacturers will offer a quality finish in standard colors, there are advantages to doing the job yourself. For instance, it’s possible to achieve gorgeous looks by using different stains to highlight certain sections on the door’s surface. It’s also possible to add weathering by partially sanding away dried stains or splashing in exotic colors.
Anyone who already has an available frame in place can also cut corners by ordering a slab. Slabs doors still come with custom fixtures, but they lack the exterior structures making them easy to pop into place. When ordering a door with extra features that its predecessor lacked, it’s best to get a pre-hung one. Otherwise, you will need to measure and frame the door by hand. You merely need to connect a larger or differently sized door to the frame using existing studs to give it a firm brace.
Features and Fixtures
Choosing fixtures is also much more exciting than simply deciding on a silver- or gold-colored doorknob. Manufacturers have a broad selection of styles and finishes on doorknobs, kickplates, windows, frames, and other decorative pieces, such as brackets and knockers. Often they make these fixtures with higher quality materials than those found at common retailers. For example, you can choose from real metal options, such as brass, copper, and cast iron.
Different styles of doors are available too, besides those with unique heights and widths. Explore fun options, such as arched doors, carved doors, and even Dutch doors. As mentioned, choosing to have sidelights on one or both sides is also an option. It’s even possible to order a sidelight with built-in hinges to widen the exterior door as needed. This option could make it easier for you to do things like carrying furniture into the house. All in all, it’s easy to get the proper entryway that matches your lifestyle by going custom.