We started with the doors, removing the weather board to reveal the full extent of the problem. The left hand, or slave door was in particularly bad condition and required extensive repairs including a full bottom rail replacement in Accoya. The right-hand master door was in slightly better condition.

Lastly, we turned our attention to the drip on the head of the frame. After some investigation, we chose to fully replace the head as the weather damage had worked it’s way well into the timber there too.

With the repairs completed, we just had to check everything opened and closed perfectly before giving a final coat of long-life primer ready for the decorator, knowing that these doors were ready to give many more years of service.

Firstly, the door is in an awkward position, behind a brick nib outside and a fairly narrow hallway inside, with a low threshold, all of which make weatherproofing challenging. Secondly, the lock was set deep into a narrow stile to accommodate the rebate and handle. The depth of the lock set had compromised the strength of the door, causing problems with opening and closing.

We strategically beefed up some of the components to accommodate the lock, handle and rebates and took advantage of the increased thickness to fit the latest super-efficient double-glazed units with Georgian glazing bars. We built the door in Accoya; firstly, for its stability and warp-resistance, secondly for its rot resistance. We didn’t want a repeat of what had happened to the original door.

Lastly, we finished the door with a 10 year life paint to ensure it gives many years of trouble free service.

It quickly became clear that the tongue and grove boarding (made from a fairly cheap and cheerful treated pine) was rotting but the frames of the doors themselves (much older elm) were in very good condition.

We removed the doors and took the boarding off the frames, setting the strap hinges to one side to be cleaned-up.

For the replacement planks, we chose western red cedar. Although not a native species, it’s very stable, available in good quality and has exceptional resistance to fungal growth, decay and insect infestation: All of which are common problems in barns or storage areas.

You’ll have heard of putting cedar balls or using cedarwood hangers in wardrobes and cupboards to stop moths from eating clothes. We once even made some draws for built-in dressing room furniture from cedar so the moth deterrent was built in. Cedar is also a great choice for garden furniture. It’s used in this butterfly greenhouse for a feeding table so these Glasswing butterflies aren’t tempted to make lunch out of the table once they’ve finished their fruit salad.

We turned our attention to the hinges, which got a few coats of rust-resistant paint and a top coat of black. For the frames, we used something more breathable than the old, pealing latex paint that was stopping the timber from drying out and the new cedar planks were oiled.