Bespoke Timber Doors and Window Frames in Co. Louth, Made by Setanta Woodcraft
The door is the first piece of joinery a visitor touches. The window frame is what defines the character of a room as much as what is outside it. Both are worth getting right, and neither should be bought from a catalogue if the house they are going into has any character of its own.
Setanta Woodcraft & Carpentry designs, builds, and fits bespoke hardwood doors and timber window frames across Co. Louth, South Armagh, and the Dundalk-Newry corridor. John McShane makes each piece in the Carlingford workshop to the exact dimensions and specification of the opening it will fill. No off-the-shelf standard size. No compromise on the detail.
What Setanta Makes
Bespoke External Hardwood Doors
A front door in solid hardwood is one of the most visible design decisions on the exterior of an Irish home. A well-made hardwood door in oak or idigbo, correctly finished and hung, sets the tone for everything inside it. It also lasts decades longer than a composite or uPVC replacement, provided it is maintained.
John makes external doors to the exact size of the opening, which matters particularly in older Co. Louth and Cooley Peninsula properties where doorways are not standard modern dimensions. The door is designed with the client: panel configuration, glazed or solid, hardware specification, and finish. Every detail is agreed before any timber is cut.
Bespoke Internal Hardwood Doors
Internal hardwood doors are one of the most underinvested elements of Irish home renovation. Most homes that have been updated in kitchens and bathrooms retain original hollow-core internal doors that undermine the finished quality of every room they open into.
A solid hardwood internal door, made to the exact opening, sits correctly in its frame, closes with the right weight, and holds its dimension over decades. John makes internal doors in oak, ash, or painted MDF over a solid core depending on the brief.
French Doors
French doors are one of the most-requested commissions, particularly in properties that have been extended toward a rear garden or that have an existing opening suitable for bifold access. A set of French doors in solid oak with double glazing, made to the exact opening width and fitted with quality ironmongery, is a very different product from a standard-size French door set ordered online and modified to fit.
John makes French door sets with matching frames and cills. The glass units are specified for energy performance and fitted as part of the completed door unit.
Timber Window Frames
Window frames in older Irish homes are often the single biggest source of heat loss and draught. The original frames in properties across Carlingford and the Cooley Peninsula are frequently past their usable life, yet replacement with uPVC changes the character of a period building in ways that many owners find unsatisfactory.
John makes timber window frames in hardwood or softwood depending on the specification, fitted with double-glazed sealed units and appropriate draught and weather sealing. The frames are made to the existing opening dimensions, meaning no structural modification is required in most cases.
Heritage Door and Window Restoration
For period properties where original joinery is worth preserving, John assesses existing doors and window frames and advises on whether restoration or replacement is the correct approach. Where the original timber is sound, restoration of the existing frame combined with upgraded glazing and weather sealing is both more cost-effective and more sympathetic to the building.
Materials
Oak: The standard external hardwood in Ireland. Dense, durable, handles the Irish climate well when correctly finished. Takes paint or hardwax oil equally well.
Idigbo: A West African hardwood widely used for external joinery in Ireland. Very stable, naturally resistant to rot, lighter than oak. Often used for external doors where weight and stability are priorities.
Accoya: Acetylated softwood with hardwood-level durability and exceptional dimensional stability. An increasingly common choice for window frames in Irish conditions, particularly on exposed sites.
Painted MDF over solid core: For internal doors where a painted finish is the goal. The visible surface is paint; the door itself has a solid timber core that gives it the weight and solidity of a real door.
Service Area
Setanta is based in Carlingford and works across:
- Carlingford and the Cooley Peninsula: heritage properties, period homes, new builds
- Dundalk and Co. Louth: the main domestic and developer market
- Newry and South Armagh: cross-border commissions for homeowners and developers
- Wider border region: by arrangement for the right project
What Bespoke Doors and Window Frames Cost
Every project is priced after a site visit. Realistic 2026 ranges for the Louth and South Armagh market:
| Item | Typical Range (supply, make, and fit) |
|---|---|
| Bespoke hardwood external door | €1,800 to €4,500 |
| Bespoke French door set, solid oak | €3,500 to €7,000 |
| Bespoke internal hardwood door | €400 to €900 per door |
| Timber window frame, hardwood, double-glazed | €1,400 to €2,800 per unit |
| Heritage door frame restoration | €600 to €2,000 per opening |
These figures cover design, making, and fitting. Finishing such as painting or oiling can be included or quoted separately.
For a full breakdown of what determines the cost of a bespoke hardwood door in Ireland, the 2026 door cost guide covers the main variables.
The Process
Step 1: Site visit John visits the property, takes the exact opening measurements, assesses the frame condition and any structural factors, and discusses the design brief.
Step 2: Design and quote A design drawing and written quote follow within a week. All dimensions, species, glass specification, ironmongery, and finish are confirmed before any work begins.
Step 3: Workshop build The door or frame is built in the Carlingford workshop. Bespoke external doors typically take two to four weeks. Window frames take a similar period depending on quantity.
Step 4: Fitting John fits the completed door or frame. An external door fitting runs half a day to a full day. A full set of French doors with new frame takes one to two days.
Step 5: Finishing Paint or hardwax oil applied as specified. Hardware fitted and adjusted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make a door to a non-standard size? Yes, and this is exactly why bespoke joinery exists. Older homes in Carlingford and across Co. Louth have doorway dimensions that no standard-size door will fill correctly. John makes every door to the exact measured opening.
How do bespoke hardwood doors compare to composite on energy performance? A quality hardwood door with a properly specified sealed glazing unit and appropriate weather stripping performs comparably to composite for thermal efficiency. The honest difference is maintenance: hardwood requires periodic painting or oiling; composite does not. For clients who value the material and are prepared to maintain it, hardwood is the more enduring choice.
Do you supply and fit the glazing in French doors and window frames? Yes. Double-glazed sealed units are specified as part of the commission and supplied with the completed door or frame. John fits the glazing units as part of the installation.
Can you restore rather than replace original timber window frames? Often yes, if the frame timber is structurally sound. John assesses the original frames at the site visit and advises honestly on whether restoration or replacement makes better sense. For heritage properties in Carlingford village and across the peninsula, restoration of original joinery is usually the preferred approach where it is viable.
Get in Touch
For bespoke hardwood doors, French doors, or timber window frames in Dundalk, Carlingford, Newry, or across Co. Louth and South Armagh, contact John directly.
Phone / WhatsApp: 083 003 3268 Email: johnmcshane144@gmail.com Based in: Carlingford, Co. Louth