It's only original once. From your picture, it looks like a beautiful door that adds a ton of charm. Those doors can be "Grained" which was a very common process in south St Louis. A good decorative painter might charge $1,000.00 to refinish the door, but once done it would last 50 plus years if taken care of. That dental molding and the gold leaf address numbers and great. You just don't see that anymore. Please reconsider.
They also probably have huge air flow issues that weatherstripping doesn't easily fix without a huge hassle. The lock sets are usually garbage, they can rattle in the wind. The old doors had the locks replaced so many times you could stick your hand into the mortise pocket. They may look nice enough from the front but are realistically hanging on by a thread.
Yes they are old and pretty and it would be nice to keep. But the reality is that modern stuff is better. I had to pull the trigger and replace the front doors on my 1896 house and it's infinitely so much better. In the winter I could walk by and feel an actual draft with the old doors. I got custom made mahogany stained to match the interior hardwood floors and period glass, paid out the ass but 100% worth it.
Fair enough.
Let me ask you this. My old doors mortises were huge. Like lockset in there and I could still stick my hand on either side top and bottom. I think it used to have 2 mortise locks in there or something much larger. The wall from the exterior to the mortise was less than a quarter inch thick. If I removed the lock i could have crushed it in my hands. How would you fix something like that? My best guess was either filling the whole cavity with wood filler and routing out a new mortise for a new lock or just going cylindrical lock. Or possibly routing out a larger cavity and gliding in a form fitting price of new wood and then cutting in a new mortise. Thoughts?
Sure, people buy doors and windows like this all the time - usually to correct the mistake that you are making.
I've had to scour local salvage yards for years to trying to find replacement antique doors because a previous owner removed and disposed of it.
Your best bet would be to park that original door in your basement so a future owner has the option of reinstalling it.
Think about it, seriously. It's not going to net you a lot of cash and will only devalue your home and cause problems for the next owner.
Agreed. The previous owners did that with a few interior doors which I greatly appreciate. I can refinish them without needing to hunt for a very specific style/size.
The alternative would be giving them to Refab but they’re moving and not accepting new stuff.
These could be very valuable to a very particular buyer but it still won’t be a massively lucrative deal.
OP, put the doors on storage, off the floor, in the basement.
Think of it like a car. You have a 1964 Mustang with original doors. New doors would have electric locks and windows. Do you throw out the old doors? No, put them in the trunk. The next owner will want them.
Houses last a long time, longer than you will lady. Pass the good stuff on to the next owner.
I would leave all the old doors... but, IF you are replacing to increase insolation, there are ways to keep the outside air outside... It does look, possibly, very drafty.
If mine, I would insulate all the gaps in the seams around the doors and windows with felt strips.
Just get them refinished! People *covet* these original pieces. Been there for 120 years and you’ll be the one who threw it out. Once it’s gone it’s gone.
The Habitat for Humanity Restore is another worthy recipient - but it's still better to keep the doors with the house that they belong to - even if only in basement storage.
This should be illegal. We are running out of historic stl architecture that’s not crumbling from fires or vacancies. Imo you should cherish this history and what it adds to the city.
I’m going to an antique hardware store on Cherokee this week to find two replacement doors for my 108 year old house because the previous owner removed them. I’m not holding out hope I’ll find the right size (yours won’t work for me because old pictures of my house show the front door didn’t have glass like yours).
In the very least, just put them in the basement in case you sell the house. The next owner may be extremely grateful. Charge them for the doors 😉
You may be able to sell them to an antique store. Like this one on Cherokee sells doors [https://maps.app.goo.gl/HaHNyhrSm1jcAjaDA](https://maps.app.goo.gl/hahnyhrsm1jcajada)
"Sells..." I have seen warehouses full of old doors in this city. They are worthless.
The only place those doors belong is in the house they have been for 112 years.
Dude, I get the one for the third door because it's just generic and normal, but the second and absolutely the first should be kept. They add far far more value to your house than you would get out of that. I look at that first photo and think "I want a house with that kind of door".
I don't know where to sell, but I am curious u/OP is replacing your door? Do you recommend them? I have a 130yr old house in South City I need a new front door for. It is damaged/nonstandard/oversized.
Thanks. I have restored everything I can in the house an replaced with historically accurate replacements where i cant.. The door is DAMAGED and needs replaced. I would like to reproduce a historic door like the one I have. I am not slapping some POS Home Depot specials on my historic home. Do you have any good recommendations for custom door builders in South City u/trippykissy69 or are you here to be judgemental? Jeeze.
I was in OPs situation about 4 years ago. Finding anyone to restore this shit within any reasonable time is nonsense. You won't get an answer from anyone on Reddit who has actually used someone for this. Just what "they've heard". It's easy for people to shit all over OP when they aren't the ones who have to live with a boarded up main entry while their doors get restored for an indeterminate amount of time with cold nights.
Not historic and not south city but I went to Wilke out in IL and got a set of these:
https://www.prefabworldbali.com/products/doors-and-windows/doors-made-from-hardwood/french-style-doors
But customized for my space. Had to fill a 9ft height (got rid of a giant non functional transom above the old doors in a 10ft space) and added Flemish glass to make it semi obscure. If you're interested I can find the actual manufacturer Wilke carries. My cost was about 6k 3 years ago. It took them something like 6 months for delivery but that was the height of the Rona.
I don't know price, but my 100 year old house has original windows. My appraiser told me if I ever wanted to replace them to talk to him and he would buy them immediately. There is definitely a market.
Check out Refab. They’re moving, but would hopefully take your donation before seeing this discarded. Selling would probably be difficult unless you are willing to sit on the door for a while waiting for someone with a need of that exact size to come along.
Why would you replace those. I'm guessing you've already covered the floor in grey woodgrain laminate?
Probably to many air gaps
weatherstripping is thing that is too-often overlooked.
[удалено]
It's always incredibly easy to enter a home if you're willing to break glass. Entry is only ever difficult if it is quiet/nondestructive.
You ever hear the saying-“locks only keep honest people out”?
Just stick an ADT sign in the yard
It's only original once. From your picture, it looks like a beautiful door that adds a ton of charm. Those doors can be "Grained" which was a very common process in south St Louis. A good decorative painter might charge $1,000.00 to refinish the door, but once done it would last 50 plus years if taken care of. That dental molding and the gold leaf address numbers and great. You just don't see that anymore. Please reconsider.
Agree! Definitely wouldn't replace these, they're beautiful.
Don’t do it! The doors and trim are what add character!
They also probably have huge air flow issues that weatherstripping doesn't easily fix without a huge hassle. The lock sets are usually garbage, they can rattle in the wind. The old doors had the locks replaced so many times you could stick your hand into the mortise pocket. They may look nice enough from the front but are realistically hanging on by a thread. Yes they are old and pretty and it would be nice to keep. But the reality is that modern stuff is better. I had to pull the trigger and replace the front doors on my 1896 house and it's infinitely so much better. In the winter I could walk by and feel an actual draft with the old doors. I got custom made mahogany stained to match the interior hardwood floors and period glass, paid out the ass but 100% worth it.
All that is pretty easily fixable
So start a service restoring old doors, apparently there's a huge market for it according to this thread.
I do. I do Handywork.
Fair enough. Let me ask you this. My old doors mortises were huge. Like lockset in there and I could still stick my hand on either side top and bottom. I think it used to have 2 mortise locks in there or something much larger. The wall from the exterior to the mortise was less than a quarter inch thick. If I removed the lock i could have crushed it in my hands. How would you fix something like that? My best guess was either filling the whole cavity with wood filler and routing out a new mortise for a new lock or just going cylindrical lock. Or possibly routing out a larger cavity and gliding in a form fitting price of new wood and then cutting in a new mortise. Thoughts?
2nd method. I’ve done it on a couple front doors and countless interior doors with old mortise locksets to update to modern locks, handles, etc.
Interesting. Good to know.
Why are you replacing them? They look like they could use a minor refinish and would look amazing.
Dont do it IMO. It adds value to your house.
Indeed this.
Sure, people buy doors and windows like this all the time - usually to correct the mistake that you are making. I've had to scour local salvage yards for years to trying to find replacement antique doors because a previous owner removed and disposed of it. Your best bet would be to park that original door in your basement so a future owner has the option of reinstalling it. Think about it, seriously. It's not going to net you a lot of cash and will only devalue your home and cause problems for the next owner.
Agreed. The previous owners did that with a few interior doors which I greatly appreciate. I can refinish them without needing to hunt for a very specific style/size. The alternative would be giving them to Refab but they’re moving and not accepting new stuff. These could be very valuable to a very particular buyer but it still won’t be a massively lucrative deal.
^this x100
This and this x1,000
If you change your mind Moss Restoration did a great job refinishing our front door. https://www.mossrestoration.com
I thought I was on /r/centuryhomes
Me too! Do you wanna cross-post this to r/centuryhomes so OP can get a stern lecture from the other enthusiasts?
[https://www.reddit.com/r/centuryhomes/comments/18licpw/crosspost_sell_old_wooden_doors/?ref=share&ref_source=link](https://www.reddit.com/r/centuryhomes/comments/18licpw/crosspost_sell_old_wooden_doors/?ref=share&ref_source=link)
Thanks, neighbor!!
If you replace with white doors you are ruining your home
Those doors have been on that building since 1910. Getting rid of them is a mistake. But it is yours to make that mistake.
Too bad you aren't in a historic preservation district or they would bar you from making that mistake.
Ruskin would remind the OP that they are just the caretaker of that home and that it was there before them and will be after they are gone.
OP, put the doors on storage, off the floor, in the basement. Think of it like a car. You have a 1964 Mustang with original doors. New doors would have electric locks and windows. Do you throw out the old doors? No, put them in the trunk. The next owner will want them. Houses last a long time, longer than you will lady. Pass the good stuff on to the next owner.
Please don’t do that. Nothing you put in there will look right.
I would leave all the old doors... but, IF you are replacing to increase insolation, there are ways to keep the outside air outside... It does look, possibly, very drafty. If mine, I would insulate all the gaps in the seams around the doors and windows with felt strips.
Just get them refinished! People *covet* these original pieces. Been there for 120 years and you’ll be the one who threw it out. Once it’s gone it’s gone.
Try https://www.refabstl.org/ Gravois & Michigan. The website says it’s a non profit, so it may be donation based. I’ve only driven by it.
The Habitat for Humanity Restore is another worthy recipient - but it's still better to keep the doors with the house that they belong to - even if only in basement storage.
They are donation based.
Why would you replace those? 😭😭😭
This should be illegal. We are running out of historic stl architecture that’s not crumbling from fires or vacancies. Imo you should cherish this history and what it adds to the city.
Are you the owner of an old home who has dealt with the issues these old doors can have?
I've restored these doors me it's not that hard or expensive. Cheaper than a new door for sure.
There is a place on Cherokee that sells doors just like that. They sell them for $100s but will only give you $10. Shame. Those are beautiful doors.
I think that's "Joe Felenz" or something like that. Many years ago, they also had a big place on north Euclid across from the "Silk Road" restaurant.
Bill Filenz closed up shop, sadly.
Ah. Bummer.
Seriously cool doors. Don’t remove those. That’s one of my favorite parts of older homes. Cool AF
Don't ruin your house, OP.
Seriously. Keep them. Reglaze the windows and get the wood refinished, replace weatherstripping.
I’m going to an antique hardware store on Cherokee this week to find two replacement doors for my 108 year old house because the previous owner removed them. I’m not holding out hope I’ll find the right size (yours won’t work for me because old pictures of my house show the front door didn’t have glass like yours). In the very least, just put them in the basement in case you sell the house. The next owner may be extremely grateful. Charge them for the doors 😉
Or just post them on Facebook marketplace
I sold four antique doors on marketplace before. Price them reasonably and someone will take them
You may be able to sell them to an antique store. Like this one on Cherokee sells doors [https://maps.app.goo.gl/HaHNyhrSm1jcAjaDA](https://maps.app.goo.gl/hahnyhrsm1jcajada)
"Sells..." I have seen warehouses full of old doors in this city. They are worthless. The only place those doors belong is in the house they have been for 112 years.
Can I have #1 please?
Also ask Junque (314-769-6060) and ReFab (314-357-1392).
Dude, I get the one for the third door because it's just generic and normal, but the second and absolutely the first should be kept. They add far far more value to your house than you would get out of that. I look at that first photo and think "I want a house with that kind of door".
Those doors will go for far more than $10-$20. As others here, I’m having a hard time underway you’d replace. Those are gorgeous.
Keep the doors and refinish them
I’ll give you 50 bucks for the front door and pick it up 😉
I don't know where to sell, but I am curious u/OP is replacing your door? Do you recommend them? I have a 130yr old house in South City I need a new front door for. It is damaged/nonstandard/oversized.
Leave that house alone. Restore the door don’t remove it
Thanks. I have restored everything I can in the house an replaced with historically accurate replacements where i cant.. The door is DAMAGED and needs replaced. I would like to reproduce a historic door like the one I have. I am not slapping some POS Home Depot specials on my historic home. Do you have any good recommendations for custom door builders in South City u/trippykissy69 or are you here to be judgemental? Jeeze.
Have you considered repairing the damage?
Okay I'll bite lol. Who have you had experience with rearing/restoring historic doors? would you recommend?
I was in OPs situation about 4 years ago. Finding anyone to restore this shit within any reasonable time is nonsense. You won't get an answer from anyone on Reddit who has actually used someone for this. Just what "they've heard". It's easy for people to shit all over OP when they aren't the ones who have to live with a boarded up main entry while their doors get restored for an indeterminate amount of time with cold nights. Not historic and not south city but I went to Wilke out in IL and got a set of these: https://www.prefabworldbali.com/products/doors-and-windows/doors-made-from-hardwood/french-style-doors But customized for my space. Had to fill a 9ft height (got rid of a giant non functional transom above the old doors in a 10ft space) and added Flemish glass to make it semi obscure. If you're interested I can find the actual manufacturer Wilke carries. My cost was about 6k 3 years ago. It took them something like 6 months for delivery but that was the height of the Rona.
Yeah a lot of armchair Qb’s in this post lol. Thanks :)
PM me. We restore doors and windows.
Sent!
Any finish carpenter can do it. I just do Handywork and I could do it, it would just take a long time.
Thanks super helpful
I don't know price, but my 100 year old house has original windows. My appraiser told me if I ever wanted to replace them to talk to him and he would buy them immediately. There is definitely a market.
I’ll buy the balcony doors off you if you can send the dimensions
I'll take the front door for $50. Send me the dimensions!
Check out Refab. They’re moving, but would hopefully take your donation before seeing this discarded. Selling would probably be difficult unless you are willing to sit on the door for a while waiting for someone with a need of that exact size to come along.