I am thinking about purchasing exterior french doors. I am definitely on a budget and have to go with Home Depot’s Steel Clad door for $299. A friend turned me onto this option, so I went to take a look today – it looks good. Real good for $299.
Question is, can I paint them? It looks to be whiteish, but I want it real white.
What do you think of this cheap fix?
– Lady Rehabber
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Dear Lady,
Is it me, or does ‘Steel Clad French Doors’ sound like an oxymoron? ‘French doors’ elicit orange nasturtiums, iron balconies, and skittish canaries in wooden cages. The only ‘steel’ associated with French Doors is the steely resolve of the woman in slender black heels who picks up her leather valise and crosses through those doors and out onto the twisty streets of Arles. Kind of reminds me of those steel clad doors they have down at the Home Depot. Maybe you should go ahead and buy jail cell doors? The Pxdirect website lists their customers as Correctional Facilities, Production Companies, oh yeah – and the General Public. Not sure of the exact price, but they brag that no field welding is necessary – always a concern for woven-rod jail doors in baked enamel. On the other end of the spectrum is architectural salvage – I lost a few hours perusing those websites, which are like hard porn for the home renovator. So many beautiful doors, so few banks to rob. And in actuality, you’re right, the Home Depot doors you are considering aren’t that bad when viewed after a few glasses of Cotes du Rhone. And the good news is the steel surface is totally paintable and provides great insulation. Just try not to be put off by the repair caveat: Dents must be fixed with Auto Body Putty.
