Abstract: A panel door includes a pair of compression molded plastic door skins that sandwich a core therebetween, the skins each having a plurality of panels and each panel bordered by integrally formed, raised trim. By cutting along the raised trim and removing the panels associated therewith, on both sides of the door, an opening is formed through the door. The opening is peripherally bordered on both sides of the door by a raised lip left over from the uncut, raised trim. A pair of door light rims sized to fit the opening are connectable from opposite sides of the door to grip a door light within the opening. The rims have outer clamp perimeters that seat outboard of the raised lips, which serve as in-situ locators for mounting the door light rims.

Abstract: A panel door of composite construction includes a pair of stiles and top and bottom rails which cooperate to define a rectangular frame, a plastic foam core bordered by the frame and an opposed pair of molded fiberglass skins which sandwich the frame and core. Each skin has an edge located rim portion which overhangs the outer corner edges of the stiles and rails, and each of the stiles and rails has an outer corner edge with a profile complementary to and mating with the inside of the adjacent rim portion. Along the side edges, the skins have innermost and outermost rim portions, and the stiles have complementary profiled outer corner edges.

Abstract: A cost effective method for realistically simulating a wood grain appearance on a door skin used to form a panel door includes compression molding a fiber reinforced polyester door skin having an outer surface with "closed" areas dense with deep grains and "open" areas with a generally lesser concentration of deep grains, the surface further having a predetermined surface roughness. The outer surface also has shallow grains in trim areas that are steeply angled with respect to the substantially planar door skin. A mixture of artist's oil cut 1:1 with mineral spirits on a fluid ounce basis is then sprayed onto the outer surface after molding. After twenty minutes, the mixture is rubbed in, and the door skin is dried vertically in a forced air oven for one hour at about 120.degree. F.

Abstract: The fire resistance of a metal skin covered door wherein the stile on the lock side projects between the skins for on site trimming purposes is more than doubled by directly connecting one leaf of each hinge to one of the skins and by directly connecting the skins to each other with a metal strap positioned on the top of the door close to the lock side edge thereof.