[Shop-talk] Odd-shaped door?

[Doug Braun]

Hello,

My basement (pretty conventional 70's construction) has a set of steps going out to the back yard, which are topped with a set of "Bilco" steel doors.  They keep the rain out just fine, but they are pretty drafty and chilly in the winter.  I was thinking of installing an insulated door at the bottom of the steps.  The problem is that there is no built-in door frame, and the opening is about 4 feet wide by 7 feet high, and I have never seen doors of this shape being sold.

Has anybody ever seen a pre-built (or made-to-order) door that would be suitable?  Or would have to build the door frame and the door itself from scratch?  Looks, security, and weather resistance are not important, just sealing and insulating ability.

I guess I could build up something from lumber and plywood, but I am worried that it wold take a couple of iterations to get something that works reasonably well, is mechanically sound, and doesn't scream "Home Depot weekend project"...

Thanks,

Doug