Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to a weather resistant wooden door and methods for manufacturing and assembling the weather resistant wooden door. The weather resistant wooden door includes at least two stiles, a bottom rail, and a top rail configured to form the door assembly. A moisture resistant overlay is attached to either the aforementioned door components before assembly into a door or to the door assembly itself. The overlay is bonded to the underlying member by placing the overlay and member into a press where the pressure in the press is elevated for a predetermined amount of time. The overlay inhibits the infiltration of moisture from the environment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present description generally relates to wooden doors designed to resist moisture and methods of manufacturing the same.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Exterior doors are often used as an architectural feature in a home, business, or other building. In many applications, architects request wooden exterior doors to impart a high quality, sophisticated appearance to a structure. Wood doors, for example, can be stained to use the natural wood grain in the exterior design of a structure. The exterior doors can be of various styles such as French doors. The exterior doors can also be located in different areas of a home, for example front entry doors, patio doors, or side garage doors.  
         [0005]     Exterior wooden doors are often assembled from various frame module components that may include left and right wood stiles, top, lock and bottom wood rails extending between the stiles, and wood mullions extending between the rails to separate the wood panels. Wood panels or glazing components can be used to fill the openings between the frame module components. These doors may also utilize engineered components that include a veneer on one or more surfaces.  
         [0006]     Although exterior wooden doors are often architecturally desirable, architects, builders, or owners often select metal and fiberglass doors because exterior wooden doors can experience moisture damage if they are not properly treated before installation and not properly maintained thereafter. For example, exterior wooden doors can absorb moisture in the open-grain ends of the stiles at the bottom of the door, moisture can travel up the joint between the bottom rail and stile modules, and moisture can also infiltrate through the surface of the wood over time. In either situation, the moisture is eventually wicked into the joint locations.  
         [0007]     Because moisture cannot readily escape from the joint locations, rotting can occur in the lower and upper ends of a door, but most commonly in the lower end of the door. The moisture in the wood can further cause the rails and the stiles to warp or swell, which results in the door not maintaining a proper fit within the door frame, the deterioration of the appearance of the door, or both.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     In one aspect of the invention, a moisture resistant wooden door includes a number of door components joined together to form the door; and a moisture resistant overlay bonded to at least one surface of the door for inhibiting the infiltration of moisture into the one surface of the door covered by the overlay, the overlay substantially covering the one surface.  
         [0009]     In another aspect of the invention, a method of constructing a moisture resistant wooden door includes assembling a number of door components into a door assembly; adhering a moisture resistant overlay to at least one surface of the door assembly; inserting the door assembly with the overlay into a press; applying at least a pressure to the door assembly and the overlay; and removing the door assembly from the press.  
         [0010]     In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of constructing a moisture resistant wooden door component includes obtaining at least one assembly-ready door component; adhering a moisture resistant overlay to at least one surface of the door component; inserting the door component with the overlay into a press; applying at least a pressure to the door component and the overlay; and removing the door component from the press. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify similar elements or acts. The size and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements are not drawn to scale, and some of these elements are arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility. Further, the particular shapes and the elements are not intended to convey any information regarding the actual shape of the particular elements, and have been solely selected for their ease and recognition in the drawings.  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is an exploded front, left isometric view of a build-up door assembly and moisture resistant overlay according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is an exploded, front, left isometric view of door components having an overlay adhered to one surface according to another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of a method for assembling a moisture resistant wooden door according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is an exploded, front, left isometric view of door components having corresponding overlays according to another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a method of assembling a moisture resistant wooden door component according to another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of a moisture resistant wooden door in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is an exploded, front, left isometric view of the component parts making up a stile according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  is a front, right, isometric view of the stile of  FIG. 7 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 9  is an exploded front, left isometric view of the component parts making up a rail according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 10  is a front, left isometric view of the rail of  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]     The following description is generally directed toward exterior wooden doors and methods for fabricating exterior wooden doors. In all of the embodiments discussed below, a moisture resistant overlay can be adhered to a completed door assembly, or to each individual door component before assembly. The purpose of the overlay is to inhibit or resist moisture from penetrating the exterior surface of the door assembly. In some embodiments, assembling the door with moisture resistant end-caps, also referred to as performance blocks, and then applying the overlay can further augment the moisture inhibiting characteristics of an assembled door. Each of these features and variations thereof are discussed in detail below.  
         [0023]     The description commences with a discussion of wooden door assemblies having a moisture resistant overlay and then follows with a discussion regarding methods of installing the overlay on a variety of door assemblies. The description closes with a general discussion on the various ways to assemble a wooden door. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the invention may have additional embodiments, or that the invention may be practiced without several of the details described in the following description.  
         [0000]     Wooden Door Assemblies Having a Moisture Resistant Overlay Material  
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a wooden door  10  where the door includes a built-up wooden door assembly  12  and a moisture resistant overlay  14  according to one embodiment of the invention. The built-up wooden door assembly  12  includes stiles  16 , rails  18 , and a glazing  20 . The glazing  20  is an industry term that refers to a glass insert used in a door  10 . For purposes of clarity, the manufacture and construction of the stile modules  16  and rail modules  18  and details on the various methods of assembling built-up doors  12  are described in more detail below. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the door assembly  12  has both stile modules  16  and rail modules  18 , each bounded by edge strips  22 . In addition, the illustrated door assembly  12  has performance block members  24 , a first exterior surface  26 , and a veneer  28  attached to the interior surface (not shown). When the overlay  14  is attached to the built-up door assembly  12 , overlay  14  covers and is coextensive with the first exterior surface  26 , such that an exterior surface  30  of the overlay  14  becomes the exterior surface of the finished door. The overlay  14 , after attachment to the built-up door assembly  12 , provides the door  10  with a smooth and seamless appearance.  
         [0025]     The overlay  14  is made from a material that can be primed, painted, and resists the infiltration of moisture through the thickness of the overlay  14 . Overlay  14  may also be pre-primed. One type of overlay material found to have good moisture resistant characteristics is made from a phenolic resin-impregnated paper having a thickness in the range of 0.010 inches to 0.040 inches, with an average or typical thickness of 0.020 inches. The industry name for this type of overlay is Medium Density Overlay (MDO). In addition to the moisture resistant properties of the overlay  14 , other attributes of the overlay  14  are that it masks imperfections in the door  10  and if pre-primed, the overlay  14  may be painted without any preparation. Moreover, the overlay  14  can be easily and cleanly machined, for instance when making the cutout in the overlay  14  to display the glazing  20 . It will be understood that the overlay  14  may be a solid sheet, for example when used on a door that does not contain a glazing component.  
         [0026]     As an alternative to the phenolic resin-impregnated paper—MDOs, the overlay  14  can be made from vinyl or laminate material comprised of melamine, phenolic plastic, polyester, or other thermosetting plastic. Overlay  14  material is typically produced in extruded sheet form, for example similar to vinyl, or in rolls. The overlay can be opaque or transparent. The overlay  14  can also be pre-coated with a chemical activated or heat activated adhesive, as this would eliminate the need to use a separate adhesive to attach the overlay  14  to the door assembly  12 . Using a pre-coated overlay  14  provides the manufacturer the advantage of not having to store adhesive in inventory, which can reduce the cost of the finished product. One manufacturer of overlays  14  is a Finland based company called Dynea Overlays with a manufacturing plant in Tacoma, Wash.  
         [0027]      FIG. 2  illustrates another embodiment of the present invention where the overlay  14  is affixed to each of the individual, wood door components  16  and  18  before these components are assembled to form the door  10 . Although the door modules are joined and aligned using part profiles and dowel pins, these features are not shown in the illustrated embodiment for purposes of clarity. Affixing the overlay  14  in the described manner results in the exterior surface  30  of the door  10  having visible seams at the locations where the stile modules  16  and the rail modules  18  are joined. The methods of affixing the overlay  14  to the component parts  16  and  18  are essentially the same as the methods for affixing the overlay  14  to the built-up door assembly  12 . The prominent difference, as discussed in more detail below, is that a smaller press can be used to affix the overlay  14  to the component parts  16  and  18 .  
         [0000]     Methods of Attaching Overlay Material onto Wooden Door Components  
         [0028]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram illustrating one method  100  for assembling a built-up door assembly  12  with an overlay  14 . The first step  102  of the illustrated method involves obtaining assembly ready stile modules  16  and assembly ready rail modules  18 . The distinction between an assembly ready stile module  16  and raw stock components are discussed in more detail below. The assembly ready stile modules  16  and assembly ready rail modules  18  are typically stocked with part numbers in inventory. The assembly ready stile modules  16  can be built up from raw stock components that may include edge strips  22 , a performance block  24 , and veneer  28 . Likewise, the assembly ready rail module  18  can be built up from raw stock components that may include edge strips  22  and a veneer  28 . In one embodiment, both the stile module  16  and the rail module  18  can have veneer  28  attached to both sides as part of the build-up process ( FIG. 4 ).  
         [0029]     In the illustrated method, a determination is made as to whether the stile modules  16  include performance blocks  24 , step  104 . If performance blocks  24  are attached to the stile modules  16 , then extra steps must be performed in order to insure that the overlay  14  properly bonds with the built-up door assembly  12 . More particularly, if performance blocks  24  are used, the performance blocks  24  are surface treated and preheated, steps  106  and  108  respectively.  
         [0030]     Surface treating the performance blocks  24  is done to create a more secure bond between the performance block  24  and the overlay  14 . One treatment method is to sand the receiving surface  32  ( FIG. 1 ) of the performance block  24  to which the overlay  14  will be bonded. A somewhat coarse sand paper, for example 50-80 grit sand paper, has been found to sufficiently roughen the receiving surface  32  and thus establish a sufficient bonding surface. However, one skilled in the art will appreciate and understand that a variety of surface roughening methods as well as different grades of sand paper can be used to improve the bonding surface of the performance block  24 .  
         [0031]     Preheating the performance blocks  24 , in step  108 , has been found to further enhance the bond between the performance blocks  24  and the overlay  14 . One method of preheating the performance blocks  24  is to blow hot air onto the performance blocks  24  to raise the temperature of the performance blocks  24  to a point where they are hot to the touch. An adequate temperature for the performance blocks  24  prior to applying the bonding agent has been found to be in the range of 140 degrees Fahrenheit to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, with a preferred range of about 160 degrees Fahrenheit to 170 degrees Fahrenheit.  
         [0032]     However, if the exterior surface of the stile module  16  has received a raw stock veneer component  28 , then the steps to prepare the surface of the performance block  24  for bonding can be eliminated.  
         [0033]     To attach the overlay  14  to the stile module  16  or rail module  18 , a bonding agent is applied to at least one face of the respective stile module  16  or rail module  18 , step  110 . The receiving face  26  that receives the bonding agent can be either a veneered surface or a non-veneered surface, depending on how the component  16  or  18  was built up. Referring back to  FIG. 2 , the component parts  16  and  18  do not have any veneer  28  attached to their exterior side  26 , thus their exterior side  26  is also the receiving surface  26  for the bonding agent and thus the overlay  14 . In contrast,  FIG. 4  illustrates the component parts  16  and  18  with veneer  28  attached to the parts&#39; exterior side  26 . The exterior surface  27  of the attached veneer  28  becomes the receiving surface  27  for the bonding agent and thus the overlay  14 . Alternatively and as discussed above, the overlay  14  can be pre-coated with a glue line adhesive, which makes step  110  unnecessary. If the overlay with the glue line is used, the exterior surface of the stile module has to include a raw stock veneer component  28 .  
         [0034]     The bonding agent may be an adhesive such as polyvinyl acetate (PVA) or some other suitable adhesive. PVA adhesive is a curing adhesive that can be applied by rollers, wheels, extruders, ball pen applicators or a spray system. The rate of development of the bond strength will depend upon ambient temperature, applied pressure, substrate type, porosity and moisture content. In step  112 , the overlay  14  is placed onto the receiving surface of the component that was wetted with the bonding agent. The component parts are then placed into a press, step  114 , and subjected to an elevated pressure and temperature, step  116 .  
         [0035]     In one embodiment, the pressure in the press is set within the range of about 100-200 pounds per square inch (psi), the temperature within the press is elevated to be within the range of about 200-300 degrees Fahrenheit, and the modules  16  and  18  are treated in the press for about two to four minutes. In an alternate embodiment, the pressure in the press is set within the range of about 100-200 psi, the temperature within the press is maintained at ambient or room temperature, and the modules  16  and  18  are treated in the press for about 25-35 minutes.  
         [0036]     After the overlay  14  has been in the press for the preselected amount of time, the components are removed from the press in order to cool, step  118 . Any final trimming, machining, or sanding operations, if needed, for example routing the overlay material around the edges, can then be performed, step  120 . Finally, in step  122 , the stile module  16  and the rail module  18  are assembled into a moisture resistant wooden door  10 , which may or may not include a glazing  20 . Bonding the modules  16  and  18  is accomplished by applying adhesive to the dowel holes, the sticking, and the faces of the joining surfaces of the modules  16  and  18 .  
         [0037]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating another method  200  for assembling a moisture resistant door  10  with an overlay  14 . The present method mimics the operations of the previous embodiment, except that the stile modules  16  and rail modules  18  are assembled into a built-up wooden door assembly  12  before the overlay  14  is attached.  
         [0038]     The first step  202  of the illustrated method  200  involves obtaining assembly ready stile modules  16  and assembly ready rail modules  18 . In step  204 , the stile modules  16  and rail modules  18  are assembled into a build-up door assembly  12 . In step  206 , the built-up door assembly  12  is sanded to bring the outside surface within the flatness tolerance and remove any imperfections. In one embodiment,  50  grit paper can be used to initially sand the door surfaces, while 80-100 grit paper can be used to finish-sand the door surfaces.  
         [0039]     Steps  208  through  212  are the same as the corresponding steps discussed in the previous method  100 . In optional step  214 , a bonding agent is applied to the receiving surface of the built-up door assembly  12 . The receiving surface can be either a veneered surface or a non-veneered surface, as discussed above. The bonding agent may be an adhesive such as polyvinyl acetate (PVA) or some other suitable adhesive. Alternatively, the overlay  14  may be pre-coated with a glue line adhesive, thus making step  214  unnecessary. If the overlay  14  with the glue line is used, the exterior surface of the stile module  16  has to include a raw stock veneer component  28 . In step  216 , the overlay is placed onto the receiving surface of the built-up door assembly  12 .  
         [0040]     Steps  218  through  224  are substantially similar to the corresponding steps of the previous embodiment, except in the present embodiment, the door  10  is inserted into the press in step  218 . The time, pressure, and temperature applications discussed in the previous embodiment are equally applicable here. In step  222 , the door  10  is removed from the press to cool. Finally, in step  224 , any final trimming or machining can be done to the overlay  14 , the door  10 , or both. For example, even if the door includes a glazing  20 , the overlay  14  may be attached to the built-up door assembly  12  as a full sheet, thus covering the glazing  20 . Therefore, after the door  10  is removed from the press, the overlay  14  must be trimmed to expose the glazing  20 . The trimming of the overlay  14  is typically done with a router.  
         [0041]     In another embodiment, a hot roll laminating system uses a heat application to bond the overlay to the wooden door. The overlay and door are simultaneously fed through a series of pinch rollers that apply heat and pressure to the door surface. The heat activates the adhesive on the backside of the overlay, which creates a bond to the outer surface of the door.  
         [0000]     Wooden Door Assemblies—Generally  
         [0042]      FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of a wooden door assembly  10  according to one embodiment of the invention. The purpose of  FIG. 6  is to illustrate the primary components that are used to assemble a typical French style wooden door  10 . The primary components of the assembly  10  are the stile modules  16 , the rail modules  18 , an optional glazing  20 , and dowels  40  for securing the door components together. The basic construction of the stile modules  16  and rail modules  18  in preparation for assembly into the door  10  is described in more detail below. The discussion begins by following the construction of the stiles  16  and rails  18  as they would come from the raw material lumber supplier, and be subsequently built up into engineered, assembly-ready door components. In the illustrated embodiment, performance blocks  24  ( FIG. 4 ) are not shown. One skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that the illustrated door  10  of  FIG. 6  can include performance blocks  24 , but they are not necessary.  
         [0000]     Stile Construction—Generally  
         [0043]     The stile modules  16  are the structural side supports for the door  10 . The stile modules  16  are typically made from wood species such as Pine, Fir, or Hemlock, although other types of wood can be used. Additionally or alternatively, at least a portion of the stile modules  18  can be made from a composite material, such as the composite material used for the performance blocks described above, for example. Components for the stile modules  16  arrive at the door manufacturer as raw stock parts. A raw stock part is a wooden door component that has been cut to at least the approximate dimensions for assembly into a door  10 . It is often the goal of the door manufacturer to receive the raw stock parts in such a configuration that no further machining is required, but due to variations in humidity, tooling, etc., it can be necessary that the raw stock parts need to be machined upon arrival at the door manufacture in order to make the raw stock parts ready for the build up process.  
         [0044]      FIG. 7  illustrates an exploded isometric view of several raw stock parts, a stile core  16   a , veneer  28 , edge strips  22 , and a performance block  24 , about to be assembled into an assembly-ready, engineered door component, which is referred to as a stile module  16  according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0045]      FIG. 8  illustrates a stile module  16  assembled with the components identified above. The edge strips  22  are usually made from higher quality wood. The addition of edge strips  22  and the type of wood used for the edge strips  22  are often left to a customer&#39;s preference because the edge strips  22  are visible in the assembled door  10  and therefore must be capable of accepting certain types of stain or matching a customer&#39;s existing decor. Depending on the configuration of the door  10 , for example whether the door is solid wood or contains a glazing  20  ( FIG. 1 ), the stile module  16  can have no edge strips, one edge strip, or two edge strips. The wood species selected for the edge strips  22 , however, is typically, but not necessarily, selected from the same wood species from which the veneer  28  is made, or vice-versa  
         [0046]     Once the cut blank details are joined together, the top and bottom surfaces of the built-up components are then planed to make them flat and parallel. Veneer  28  can then be adhered to at least one surface with a bonding agent such as polyvinyl acetate (PVA) or other suitable adhesive. In the illustrated embodiment, the veneer  28  is applied to only the interior surface  42  of the assembled raw stock components.  
         [0047]     Referring back to  FIG. 6  briefly, the raw stock components, excluding the performance block  24 , can have an exposed end grain  44 . The exposed end grain  44  occurs on both the upper and lower edges of the various parts. Of particular significance is the exposed end grain  44  on the lower edge of the stile core  16   a  and the edge strips  22 . One common way for an exterior wooden door  10  to experience moisture damage is when water infiltrates through the end grain  44  of the stile core  16   a . The water eventually works into the dowel pinholes found in the stile modules  16  and the rail modules  18  and deteriorates the raw stock components of the rail module  18  over time. The resulting damage can be swelling of the door due to the increased moisture content, loosened joints, wood rotting, and a number of other phenomena.  
         [0048]     In order to avoid water infiltration through the end grains  44  of the stile core  16   a  and/or edge strips  22 , one embodiment of the present invention incorporates the performance block  24  to protect the end grain  44  regions the stile module  16 . Details regarding the various alternatives for performance blocks  24  are discussed below.  
         [0049]     Referring back to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the performance block  24  can be an extruded block or strip of a composite material. The composite material, in turn, is a polymeric matrix impregnated with small wood particles (e.g., a wood flour). The polymeric material, for example, can be a polyethylene or a polyolefin. One suitable wood/polymer composite includes approximately 30%-60% wood particles by weight and approximately 40%-70% polymeric material by weight. The performance block  24  can also be composed of other materials that have low moisture absorption or complete moisture resistant characteristics, expansion and contraction characteristics similar to wood, and can be glued to wood, painted, stained and/or machined. Suitable extruded wood/polymeric composites are manufactured by Crane Plastics Co. of Columbus, Ohio under their TimberTech™ product line. The performance block  24 , for example, can also be a block or strip of another type of moisture resistant material, such as a polymeric material without wood. Alternatively, the performance block  24  can be made from treated or impregnated wood where the wooden block is treated or impregnated to make it sufficiently impenetrable to moisture and/or wicking.  
         [0050]     The various styles of performance blocks  24 , methods of attaching the performance blocks  24 , and other purposes and advantages of the performance blocks  24  are described in detail in the following U.S. Patent: “WOOD DOORS AND METHODS FOR FABRICATING WOOD DOORS” U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,894 issued to Sisco et al, filed on Jan. 14, 1999.  
         [0000]     Rail Construction—Generally  
         [0051]      FIG. 9  illustrates a rail module  18  used in the construction of a door  10 . The rail modules  18  are the upper and lower supports for the door  10 . The construction of the rail modules  18  is very similar to the construction of the stile modules  16 , discussed above. The industry term for an assembly-ready, engineered rail  18  is a rail module  18 . The rail modules  18  are typically made from wood species such as Pine, Fir, or Hemlock, although other types of wood can be used. Additionally or alternatively, at least the entire bottom rail module  18  can be made from a composite material, such as the composite material used for the performance blocks described above, for example. Like the stiles module  16 , the components of the rail module  18  typically arrive at the door manufacturer as raw stock parts.  
         [0052]     In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 10 , the rail module  18  is comprised of a raw stock rail core  18   a , veneer  28 , and edge strips  22 . The method of assembling the rail module  18  does not different to any significant degree with respect to the method of assembling the stile module  16  as discussed above. Similarly, the edge strips  22  are usually made from higher quality wood and subject to the customer&#39;s preferences. The rail module  18  can have no edge strips, one edge strip, or two edge strips. The wood species selected for the edge strips  22 , is typically, but not necessarily, selected from the same wood species from which the veneer  28  is made, or vice-versa.  
         [0053]     The rail core  18   a  and the edge strips  22  are joined together. The top and bottom surfaces of the assembly are then planed to make them flat and parallel. The veneer  28  can then be adhered to at least one surface with a bonding agent such as (PVA) or other suitable adhesive.  
         [0054]     As illustrated, the various raw stock components can have an end grain  44 . However, unlike the stile core  16   a , the end grains  44  of the respective rail core  18   a  and edge strips  22  are not exposed because the end grain  44  surfaces are abutted with the stile module  16  during the door assembly. However, one area of concern with respect to water infiltration into the rail module  18  is that the exposed surfaces of the rail module  18  can absorb moisture through longitudinal interstices  46  ( FIG. 6 ; lower right hand corner of door) in the exposed regions of the rail module  18  and through the joints between the rail module  18  and stile module  16  in the built-up door assembly  12 . The surfaces of the stile module  16  are also susceptible to moisture infiltration. However, with the application of the overlay  14  onto either the door components or the built-up door assembly  12 , the problem of moisture infiltration into the longitudinal interstices  46  is greatly reduced or even eliminated.  
         [0055]     Referring back to  FIG. 1  (lower right hand corner of the door), the dowels  40  are inserted into complementary holes to attach the stile module  16  and the rail module  18  with adhesive to securely bond the components together. One type of adhesive that can be used for joining the door components together is a Polyurethane Reactive Hotmelt (PUR) which is a moisture curing adhesive designed to adhere wood, metal, laminates, rubber, some plastics and many other substrates. On curing, carbon dioxide is released which causes the PUR adhesive to swell slightly. The PUR adhesive is non-flammable and the cured PUR adhesive has a good degree of flexibility. The assembly of a door according to at least one embodiment of the invention is described in detail in U.S. Patent: “WOOD DOORS AND METHODS FOR FABRICATING WOOD DOORS” U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,894 issued to Sisco et al, filed on Jan. 14, 1999.  
         [0056]     As previously mentioned, the center portion of the door  10  can be a glazing  20 , which is typically a glass insert, but can be any variety of aesthetic materials that would enhance the appearance of the door and/or allow light to be transmitted therethrough. The glazing  20  is typically affixed within the door assembly  10  with a sticking and glazing bead  48  ( FIG. 6 ). The sticking is a profile machined into the edges of the stile module  16  and the rail module  18  to accept the inserted glazing  20 . The glazing bead  48  is generally a small wood molding applied to the perimeter of the glazed opening to secure the glazing  20  with the door  10 .  
         [0057]     The descriptions provided herein where an overlay  14  is applied to a wooden door assembly, illustrate that the overlay  14  may be applied to various embodiments of a door assembly and provide numerous advantages. The overlay  14  can inhibit or prevent moisture damage, yet provide an aesthetically pleasing, smooth, door surface. In addition, application of the overlay  14  to a wooden door minimizes the amount of maintenance required, for example re-staining or re-painting.  
         [0058]     In the above description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the invention. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without these details. The U.S. patent referred to in this specification, U.S. Patent: “WOOD DOORS AND METHODS FOR FABRICATING WOOD DOORS” U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,894 issued to Sisco et al and filed on Jan. 14, 1999, is incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.  
         [0059]     Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.  
         [0060]     Any headings provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the claimed invention.  
         [0061]     One reasonably skilled in the art will understand that particular features of the various embodiments may be combined with other embodiments to create new embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the invention to specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, but should be construed in accordance with the claims. Accordingly, the invention is not limited by the disclosure, but instead its scope is to be determined entirely by the following claims.