Exploded Door Construction
A revealing look at our mortise and tenon construction.
The images at right show two views of our mortise and tenon door construction. The upper image shows most of the major components of panel doors. The rails (horizontal structural components - the bottom rail is shown) contain tenons (long, tongue-like projections), and the stiles (vertical structural components) contain mortises (hidden, pocket-like spaces sized to receive the tenons). When assembled, the tenons are glued into the mortises, creating a strong connection and ensuring a stable, trouble-free door.
The lower image shows a more detailed view. See how the raised panel edges fit the panel groove in the stiles and rails. And take special note of the black rubber spacers within the groove. These spacers play an important role. They keep the panel centered in the opening, yet allow the panel to move unrestricted as the wood expands and contracts due to seasonal fluctuations in temperature and humidity.
This image also shows the junction of the sticking (the positive profile on the inside edges of the stiles and rails), and coping (the negative profile on the ends of the rails). This is a feature found only in high-quality doors, and if done correctly, creates beautiful, sharp inside corners, not the ugly, rounded intersections seen in less expensive doors.
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