Author Archives: Ed Wright

Hard Maple is a very strong hardwood with a closed, subdued grain and a uniform texture—a beautiful and durable species for doors. The sapwood is a lovely creamy white, while the heartwood ranges from creamy white to light reddish brown. Unless otherwise specified, figuring such as curly, birds-eye, quilted, or fiddleback is slight. Due to… Read more

A “muntin” is the narrow rigid strip of wood between adjacent glass panes on a door or window. Muntins can divide individual panes of glass (called True Divided Lite, or TDL), or may be manufactured as a grid overlaying a large single pane of glass (called Simulated Divided Lite, or SDL). Sun Mountain’s muntins are… Read more

One of Sun Mountain’s custom door design options is arched rails, including arched lock and mid-door rails. (Rails are the door’s horizontal members.) Sun Mountain offers three “standard” arched rail styles: flat arch, cathedral arch, and circle arch rails. Arched rails provide near endless design opportunities, especially when used in multiples or combined with mullions… Read more

Exposed wood beams are a beautiful way to add dimension and character to a room and—depending on design, wood species, finish color, and distressing—can complement a variety of architectural motifs, from Traditional to Rustic to Industrial Chic. Box beams are hollow wood beams—three- or four-sided structures built to replicate solid beams. Sun Mountain manufactures custom… Read more

The right doors are a key element in achieving continuity in your home’s design style, and a beautiful arched wood door may be exactly the right thing to accentuate your style. Arched doors are a defining feature of Tuscan, Mediterranean, French Country, and Mission Revival architecture—the Old World styles that incorporate stone, stucco, tile, terra… Read more

Sun Mountain can “distress” new wood, giving it an antique, time-worn look and feel. Using traditional and specialty tools and techniques, skilled artisans at Sun Mountain can produce different levels of distress. Standard distress options are: While distressing is especially dramatic on rustic (knotty) wood species, it can produce equally interesting effect when applied to… Read more

The Dutch door—a door divided into upper and lower halves that swing independently of each other—has been around since the 17th century, coming to the U.S. via its Dutch-settled colonies of New York and New Jersey. While it may seem a peculiar deviation from a door’s typical single slab construction, the Dutch door served a… Read more

“Crossbucks” are diagonal “braces” placed on the panels of a stile and rail door, creating an “X” pattern on the face of the door. The crossbuck is most familiar as a feature of the iconic barns that dot the American landscape. When a single board is placed diagonally on the door, it is known as… Read more