Here is a door style that has peaked our interest for a new front door. But need some advice regarding the "panel". Solid seems like a potential problem.
So advice would be great.

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Are you a commercial woodworking operation or a home owner? Are you looking to build doors like this or find out how reliable this door would be for your own home?

BH Davis

I am a finish carpenter/woodworker and this will be for our home

Tom - First off, buy a copy of my book. Maybe two - one for the shop and one for the home.
I am no longer producing, but a few years ago, the door only in H Mahogany would be about 1900.00. Another $1700 or so would get the frame and two sidelight sash. Includes 5" ball bearing hinges. Excludes - glass finish, and transport. About $6,000 to your door. So to speak

We are a door factory in China. From our production and project experience, for exterior doors we usually do not recommend full solid wood panels. While solid wood offers a premium and natural appearance, it can be sensitive to temperature and humidity changes, which may lead to warping or cracking over time.

To ensure better long-term stability and performance, we typically suggest more stable structures such as engineered wood core, steel doors with wood grain finish, or WPC (wood-plastic composite) doors. These options can achieve a similar visual effect while providing improved durability and weather resistance.

Monica - You apparently don't have the skill required to make split-proof panels for wood doors. A 5 or 7 ply panel, reasonably made, will not split.

Why doesn't somebody answer the man's question. He didn't ask for a price or info on Chinese doors. His occupation does not matter nor does he need someone pushing the sell or their book. Advise him on how to best fabricate the panel.

Dave - While multi-layered structures can indeed mitigate some of the internal stress in wood, the edge banding process and the weather resistance of the adhesives are often crucial in outdoor environments exposed to UV radiation and direct rain.

Our cautious approach stems from the need to ensure the product remains unchanged for decades across different latitudes. Do you have any unique insights into edge banding and waterproofing for multi-layered exterior doors?

Thanks to Wally for the reminder. Returning to Tom's focus on solid wood door construction, besides the multi-layered structure Dave mentioned, these three points are crucial for ensuring stability:

1. Moisture Balance: The moisture content of the wood must be treated to match the average annual moisture content of your local area.

2. Floating Panel Structure: Physical expansion joints should be included in the door panel design.

3. Comprehensive Edge Sealing: Not only the surface, but also the top and bottom of the door panel must be rigorously waterproofed to prevent moisture from entering.

Feel free to add your suggestions.