Victorian back door

[Feltwell]

Feltwell Towers is blessed with most of it's original joinery, except sadly for round the back - where all the original doors have gone.

Currently, for a back door we have a nasty 1970's/1980's softwood door which, together with it's frame, is slowly returning to nature. This door is fully glazed by way of 8 small glass panels - whatever we replace it with needs to be mostly glazed, as it's the only source of natural light into the rear hallway of the house.

Anyone got any ideas for a more appropriate looking door? Most of what I've seen online in the way of glazed doors are very much front doors. House is late Victorian, door in question is the one behind the steps in the picture below.

 

[Flyfisher]

I don't really know what a traditional Victorian back door would be, but I agree that the current doors do rather stick out from what is a very handsome looking period house.

I'd guess a traditional door would only be glazed in the upper half. Would that really make such a difference to the internal light? Have you tried covering the bottom half of the existing door with cardboard to check the actual impact?

 

[plasticpigeon]

I think I can help. When I went looking at houses to buy, we looked at one or two houses that would strech us financially. I was all for buying a grand place but my partner wasn't but hey ho that is another story,. She is usually right so we probably did the right thing. Anyway being nosey and interested in old places I built up a collection of photos, some from rightmove and some of my own. The closest to what you have that I have seen is this. On the other side the lower panels are not as on the inside but are effectively flush with the outside and reeded on their vertical edges. This makes the panels much thicker than on an internal door. I'll try and get a photo of what I mean. Any good? It is from a large mid Victorian semi.

 

[dandrew]

Plasticpigeon's photo is of a diminished stile (gunstock) door - typically the stiles above the lock rail are narrower than those below, which allows for wider glazing and more light. Though saying that the stiles look about the same width all the way up in the picture.

The treatment of the panels, flush to the outer face of the door and with a bead along the long edge is termed 'bead flush', a bead around all 4 edges is 'bead butt'. You tend to see this finish in Georgian doors more than Victorian doors - look at 10 Downing St the next time it is on the telly. I would favour a bolection moulding for the outer face if it were mine, but that sort of detail is more in keeping with a front door than a back door. I suspect it will be a matter of taste. A good source of reference is Modern Practical Joinery by George Ellis, published about 1900, so more Edwardian than Victorian but he shows several examples from different era's.

 

[Feltwell]

Thank you both, that's really useful. I like that door PP.

A good source of reference is Modern Practical Joinery by George Ellis, published about 1900, so more Edwardian than Victorian but he shows several examples from different era's.

That date is spot on - the house was built in 1899. I see that book has been reprinted many times, which is a blessing - Amazon sell new copies for £17.50. I think I shall treat myself......

 

[plasticpigeon]

I've also found Cassell's Carpentry and Joinery edited by Paul Hasluck very useful. I have both Ellis and Hasluck, and they are definitely both worth getting.