Stable Doors

Classic rural charm with modern durability

Stable doors suit real life – dogs, kids, deliveries, cooking smells – and they look right on cottages, farmhouses and plenty of modern homes too. Top open, bottom shut, or both locked up tight when the weather turns.

JM Joinery manufacture bespoke timber stable doors in our workshop in Callow, Herefordshire. They’re built as proper external doors, not two flimsy halves chopped out of an internal blank.

Why choose a JM Joinery stable door?

  • Made to measure – built to your opening, not forced into it

  • Top and bottom leaves that actually line up and lock together

  • Traditional look, modern performance – proper seals, ironmongery and construction

  • Choice of timbers and finishes to suit the house and budget

  • Supply only or supply & fit within our installation area

How a stable door works

A good stable door should be flexible and secure:

  • Top leaf can open independently for light and ventilation

  • Bottom leaf can stay locked to keep children and pets in (or out…)

  • Both leaves can be locked together and into the frame for bad weather or when you’re out

  • Options for internal bolts so you can run it as a single leaf if you want

We design the lock and bolt positions so the door is easy to use day to day – not a wrestling match every time you open it.

Styles & designs

We can keep it simple or dress it up, depending on the property:

  • Boarded / cottage-style stable doors

  • Glazed top leaf to bring light into dark kitchens or boot rooms

  • Panels and mouldings to match existing exterior doors

  • Traditional or more modern detailing depending on the house

Send a photo of your property or something you’ve seen online and we’ll tell you what’s sensible in timber.

Timber options

As with any external door, material choice matters:

  • Accoya – very stable, great for painted finishes, ideal in exposed locations

  • Hardwoods (e.g. oak, iroko, sapele) – for a more natural or stained finish

  • Quality softwood – for painted doors where budget is tighter

We source timber from suppliers who support sustainable forest management, with traceability available where required.

Construction & performance

Stable doors work hard – they’re usually in and out all day. So we build them accordingly:

  • Proper jointed construction, not just cut in half and braced

  • Engineered or laminated sections to help control movement

  • Full weather seals around frame and meeting rails

  • Appropriate thresholds to cope with wet boots, dogs and daily traffic

  • Toughened or laminated glass in glazed sections where required

On glazed stable doors, we can provide U-value information if you need it for building control or spec.

Security & hardware

Done properly, a stable door is as secure as a standard external door:

  • Multi-point lock or good quality mortice lock/latch setups

  • Locking between top and bottom leaves so they act as one door when needed

  • Shoot bolts and internal bolts as required for your layout

  • Hardware options in various finishes – black, stainless, brass, etc.

If security is a concern (isolated locations, street-facing doors, etc.), tell us and we’ll spec hardware and glass accordingly.

Finishes

We can supply your stable door:

  • Fully factory painted – any RAL or a colour to match existing joinery

  • Stained or oiled – especially common with oak and other hardwoods

  • Primed only – if your decorator is taking care of top coats

Factory finishing is strongly recommended for stable doors, particularly in exposed positions.

Typical locations

Stable doors work well for:

  • Kitchens and boot rooms

  • Side and rear entrances

  • Utility and back doors where you want light/air but still some separation

  • Cottages, farmhouses and barn conversions

If you’re not sure whether a stable door is the right choice or a standard door would be better, we’ll give you a straight answer.

Supply Only or Supply & Fit

Supply Only

  • Suitable if you have your own fitter or are outside our fitting radius

  • Door can be supplied with frame, hardware, glazing and seals – ready to install

  • Collection from our workshop in Callow, HR2 8BP (delivery can be discussed depending on order)

Supply & Fit

  • Installation service within roughly an hour’s drive of our workshop

  • Old door and frame removed (as agreed), new frame fitted, leaves hung and adjusted

  • Locks, bolts and seals set up so the door actually works properly before we leave

What we need to quote

To price a stable door properly, we’ll need:

  • Approximate opening width and height

  • A photo of the existing door and surrounding wall

  • Any style preferences (boarded, glazed top, panelled, painted/stained, etc.)

  • Whether you want supply only or supply & fit

  • Your postcode

We’ll then give you a clear, itemised quote and realistic lead time.

Thinking about a stable door?

If you’re planning to replace a back door, side door or kitchen door with a stable door:

  • Use the Get in touch form

  • Attach a couple of photos

  • Tell us roughly how you’d like it to look and work

We’ll tell you what’s sensible, what it will cost, and when we can do it – no fluff, just straight answers.