How To Replace Wood Door Panel

While a solid style door will often need to be replaced a panel style door can simply have a new panel inserted.

How to replace wood door panel.

To repair rotted door frame first remove rotted wood with a 5 in 1 or other sharp tool. Some blank doors have a specific swing direction. Open the door and stand with your back to the hinges. If the doorknob is on the left you need a left handed door.

How to fix cracks in door panels without taking the door apart wooden doors will develop cracks over time especially if the panels aren t free to expand and contract. Depending on the location and extent of wood damage you may or may not have to disassemble the door to carry out a repair. If the knob is to the right select a right handed door. The strike side the side with the lockset of these doors has a beveled edge so the door can swing freely.

Wooden panels were typically fitted into grooves plowed in the door rails and stiles and left to float so they could expand and contract without binding and splitting for a primer on making wooden panels see my last post however varnish wax and dirt can build up over the years and stick the panel in place so it isn t able to expand. While they add character and aesthetic appeal to the door their real benefit comes in the ease of repair. Wood replacement is my first choice when the damage involves a joint or threatens a door s structural integrity. Then coat the rotted door frame area with wood hardener as shown.

A common problem with older wood doors is split panels. Sometimes door panels fit into a recess and have a piece of molding covering one side of each edge like a picture frame. Mix polyester wood filler or bondo wood filler and press it into the recess with a putty knife.