I'm not in Boston but what I suggest is true for most locations. Most large cities have one or more door manufacturing plants supplying builders in their region. Those local plants can build higher quality for the price than one who ship's cross country. Secound in line as it apply's to bang for the buck is big box.

Any idea of New England or Boston door manufacturing plants? I can find doors I like fro Jeld Wen, Simpson etc but who is the best of the big makers, or is there a mid sized on that does quality?

Both those are available at big box and I wouldn't give preference to one over the other. Big box likely will not have in stock the door you like so patience will save some shipping cost if they have your doors shipped with their regular order.

I'm not in a rush. It's too cold to do any major work right now. It'll all happen in the Spring. I just want to learn about good quality doors and make sure I get something good installed well.

I something wrong with the current doors? Very unlikely you'll get anything near the quality of your old doors. What I have done is start with spring bronze weatherstripping. Then I installed wood storm doors and on the inside I made and hung portieres with heavy linings. It's amazing what a difference that has made.

How chic is that? Sorta like entering an Arabian Desert beit al-sha'r.

Raye,

My doors have had many lock sets over the years and the jams have been hacked around a fair bit. Several of them have panels that have split and they all have single pane glass. I can get a pre-hung Douglas fir or mahogany door of very similar design from someone like Simpson. I'm trying to learn what are the best door makers so that I can install something of excellent quality. I already have curtains and weather stripping on my doors but it's a bandaid over the real problem of ill fitting old leaky doors with single pane glass and when its -3F the charm of the old isn't so charming.

If you do change out the doors please save the originals. A future owner may choose the take the doors apart and replace the damaged parts. Fortunately mine weren't damaged, just air leaks. Another option would be to check salvage stores, many of the exterior doors should have the jambs included.

I got a Simpson oak door to replace my 100 year old Craftsman door. It was expensive but well worth it. They have every possible design and are super well made--just like the original. I bought it unfinished from a local lumber company and finished it in place.

Physically they may be well made if with pegged mortise & tenon joinery but it's impossible for manufactures to use the higher quality, old-growth wood that was used in older doors.

Hi Raye,while your suggestions are probably well intended,they may not fit op's situation. Although op desire's something nice,he may subscribe to the idea of "form follow's function". At some point,repairing old homes will cross the line between "design and art". Google those terms for perspective on repairing old homes.

Most of the posters here believe in preserving the integrity of their old homes. There's a big difference between the "just throw out the old" and "preserve the original" mind set. Many posts are about how to restore what a previous owner unfortunately destroyed. That's why I recommend that if you chose to tear out something original save it for a future owner that could restore the item. Look at the posts about replacement windows, it's almost always cheaper and aesthetically better to repair originals than to tear them out. I consider myself more a preservationist than an owner of my almost 200 year old house.

This is great site to understand this concept: http://www.oldhouseguy.com/aesthetics/.

Could you add a storm door? I'm in Milton, right outside Boston, close to 100 year old house, OP. If you go to your local big box for a look see, they probably have an installer quite familiar with the old houses in your area. For example South Bay Home Depot works on a lot of south end brownstones.I've been looking at Andersen and Emco.

I second the notion of considering adding Storm Doors, A single solid glass door may leave the view of the original door but add the energy efficiency desired.

I have used Larson Storm Doors - hardly notice them from the street.

Larson Storm Doors

I have storm doors on all but 3 of my exterior the doors, I'm getting some storm doors for those 3 and I'll re-evaluate the actual doors this summer. They will be wood with a single large glass panel to match the ones I have on my existing entry doors.

I third the storm door idea. There are wood doors with glass insert that can be removed to have screen only.

Here's one similar to what I've used.

Raye....link?

Well that's strange, the pic just disappeared so here's a link:

https://columbuswoodworks.com/