large gaps in Victorian frontdoor panels

[Anonymous]

There are quite large gaps between most of the panels in a Victorian front door. If anything the gaps seem to be getting larger and the door is warping quite badly at the bottom at one side.

The door seems to be a fairly unique 5 panel design and all but one of the neighbouring properties have identical originals - that look in much better condition !

After stripping some paint back I'm pretty such it is pine. Although there are a few layers of paint I am starting to suspect it has been dipped in the past like all the internal pine doors - which also seem to be getting increasingly warped.

Should I even consider trying to dismantle the door into the original sections and fixing back together - without gaps.

Or is it unlikely this wood be successful ?

If I have to fill the gaps what would be most suitable - would a linseed putty for example be likely to stay in situ in daily use.

 

[Anonymous]

It might be possible to glue the joint and shift the panels back into position. This techinique is often used by furniture restorers. When frame and panelled doors are constructed the panel is slotted in the grooves and left dry (ie unglued) so that as it expands and shrinks with changing humidity levels it can move. Over the years paint builds up and this freedom to move is restricted. If you are intending to strip the paint off the door, you could try this technique. To grip the panel in order to shift it you may need to dig into it a bit with a chisel or similar ogject. Any holes made in this process can be filled afterwards with putty.

Alternatively you could fill the gap by glueing in a strip of wood. If you decide to use this method, only glue the strip on one edge. If you glue both sides, and the gap decides to open some more in future, you can end up with the glue failing on different sides down the length of the panel, giving a curious snake like effect which is a lot harder to correct than a staight crack.

 

[Anonymous]

It certainnly sounds as though this door has at some point been dipped in caustic to strip its paint. This is very bad for the wood and can often cause the effects that you are seeing.

As Nigel has suggested, I would set about trying to reglue the frame joints, using cramps and PVA wood glue. But DON'T glue the panels into the frame - as Nigel explained, they need to be free to "float" in order to accommodate their expansion and shrinkage as the the weather changes.

I reckon the best kind of filler for wide gaps is the two-pack kind where you mix a small amount of hardener with a lump of paste, and then have about 5 minutes before the stuff goes hard. It's the same stuff as car body filler, in a different range of colours.

It has the benefit of being easily sandable flush with the existing surface, and it doesn't stick very hard to the edges of the gap, so it won't cause additional cracking if the wood continues to move. It works better if you tap some very fine pins into the edges of the crack, with their heads protruding into the gap a few mm. This gives it something to hang on to.

This kind of wood filler comes in a choice of colours - none of them very authentic. But if you're painting the door that won't matter.