Batten Doors, Ledged and Braced Doors.

The humble batten doors are sadly falling out of fashion, and yet for centuries they have done a good job. Simple to make out of basic materials they are now overlooked for more trendy options.  But if you want privacy from prying eyes then they are still a cheap option for positions that are in the full weather.

Batten doors - Construction sketch showing details.

Batten doors - Door in a garden wall. Photo thanks to Saffrodite and Morguefile

Above is a sketch of a batten door with a few details of how they are constructed.

• Always paint the inside face of the battens and at least the joints between the boards before assembly.  (It used to be red lead paint, banned from use now, take it easy if sanding down an old door).
• The nails that hold it all together(two to every board) are slightly longer than necessary, driven in and punched, then clenched on the inside.
• Bevels at least to the top edges of the battens.
• The braces are fully nailed to each board similar to the battens.
• The boards are normal tongue and grooved floor boarding, that have been "Veed" on a spindle moulder or with a router.
• There is an old joiners saying, "never less than half a board".   This means that if you finish up with say a quarter board when you are setting out the width, add an extra one and then cut the two to three quarters each.
• A basic but important point!  The braces always point down and into the hanging jamb.  Never away (apart from old western movies).

Here's the inside of a batten door, fairly modern, fixed into a lot older opening.  In this instance they have clear finished it, and used a different brace layout.

Leave batten doors and back to door basics page.