Stile and Rail Doors
Ever notice how older buildings often have great doors with a lot of character? We’ve noticed, too. Chances are those doors were built with time-tested stile and rail door construction – the same technique we have modernized at TruStile today. Dating back to 1760, stile and rail doors are built with separate components that are designed to fit and work together.
Helpful definitions
- Stile
- The vertical pieces of the door
- Rail
- The horizontal pieces of the door; includes top, bottom and sometimes lock rails
- Panel
- The pieces that fit within the surrounding stile and rail frame
- Muntin
- Intermediate vertical pieces that can be used to create smaller panel sections
Why you should care about stile and rail door construction
Our authentic stile and rail construction gives our doors several important advantages.
Ultimate design flexibility
Stile and rail construction offers limitless door styles, configurations and panel and sticking profiles. Take a look at our Product Catalog – you’ll see we take design variety quite seriously.
More precise details
Stile and rail door construction offers distinct 90-degree joinery and better depth and definition. This results in crisp, clean lines that are architecturally-correct – something you won’t get with simulated, stamped or hollow-core doors.
Maximum stability
Because stile and rail doors are built with separate components, the door parts can naturally contract and expand with ambient humidity changes without warping or bending. This is a significant improvement over door manufacturing that involves routing out or stamping a solid piece of wood that is prone to warping. We think your doors should look and perform great today and 50 years from now.
Get more detailed information about the advantages of our MDF and wood door construction.
