Door repair how to help

[eclecticcottage]

So the doors have seen some better days. I have holes, I have damage...I don't really want to replace the damaged ones unless I can find matching doors because then I feel like I'd need to replace all the doors. And I REALLY don't want to do that. Like windows, there are a lot of them! I'm not sure how to even consider fixing these though. I think it's a pretty common style, I've seen them in gordon-van tine ads.

Here are two photos showing some of the worst damage:





All of them are scratched and scraped. The one with the extra hole (for a deadbolt, and yes it's an inside door) also has a damaged lower panel. I don't have a pic of it, but I think that can be put back into place (it looks like someone kicked it in or something).

I realize there's a good chance I'll have to paint these if I can't get wood that matches the originals-plus trying to stain them the same color might not be easy. I would rather keep all the original doors and paint them, then replace them with those ambigious raised panel specials. I was originally going to take one door from downstairs in the peach bedroom to swap with one of these (it has a door then another door because you walk through the closet) but now I also have a new closet I'm framing in, so I would rather use that door for that-again, so they all match.

This is the door into another door in the peach room:



I'd just leave the outside door and take off the inside one. It's kind of akward but it's just how it is.

[Mick_VT]

That lock hole is repairable but unless you want to paint it the repair will be visible. Unless you get creative by adding finger plates. That other damage is repairable too if you have good carpentry skills

[Al F. Furnituremaker]

I think they are all repairable. If mine, that's what I would do. The one with the top rail damages could be replaced with new. An exact color match is not required since rails, styles, and panels probably didn't match originally. They are likely shellac so the finish is easy to repair. The dead bolt hole could be filled but will be noticeable. Or....., remove the veneer on that style and replace with new.

Just my thoughts.

[eclecticcottage]

So I'm thinking the deadbolt hole would be repaired somewhat easily with a hole saw (to cut a "plug"), wood glue and filler.

Would these be glued together at the joints? I am not entirely sure how to duplicate the decorative edge on the top rail (where the panel is). My basic thought is separate the sides/rail, cut a new rail, figure out how to duplicate the detail, drill new holes for the dowels, and glue (?) it all back together. I'm not great with my wood species. I know oak and conifer (maybe not pine vs spruce, but that family in general), usually hickory and cherry. Are these pine? The pattern in the panels makes me think of heart pine floors (or plywood lol). If I drilled a hole into one I could probably tell by the smell of the freshly drilled wood.

Veneer?

There are screw holes all over (a lot of them had locks of some type installed, some had more than one, and they used big fat screws too) and other damage that will need to filled (I think there was a dog that scratched at the bottoms to get in/out). I am pretty sure I'm going to end up painting them just because of the amount of filling that's going to be required. At least all of the trim was/will be painted so it won't be mismatched looking. I've scraped at the trim and also looked at the back, it looks to be a soft wood that was paint-grade to begin with-there's no evidence of stain or other coatings, just paint layers.

[Al F. Furnituremaker]

I'm sorry for making it sound so easy. I forget that most people don't have all the tools, equipment, and experience necessary for custom work.

So I'm thinking the deadbolt hole would be repaired somewhat easily with a hole saw (to cut a "plug"), wood glue and filler.

Yep. Finding a hole saw that will give a tight fit may be a problem though.

Would these be glued together at the joints? I am not entirely sure how to duplicate the decorative edge on the top rail (where the panel is). My basic thought is separate the sides/rail, cut a new rail, figure out how to duplicate the detail, drill new holes for the dowels, and glue (?) it all back together. I'm not great with my wood species. I know oak and conifer (maybe not pine vs spruce, but that family in general), usually hickory and cherry. Are these pine? The pattern in the panels makes me think of heart pine floors (or plywood lol). If I drilled a hole into one I could probably tell by the smell of the freshly drilled wood.

Yes, most likely glued at the joints. Cut out the existing rail, trying to not shorten or damage the molding. Remove (cut off) the molded edge and tack on to the new piece which will be made to only have a square edge. I can't tell what kind of wood the rails and styles are from the pictures but the one panel looks like rotary cut pine plywood.

Veneer?

There are preglued (stick on veneers) made to make the job easier.

There are screw holes all over (a lot of them had locks of some type installed, some had more than one, and they used big fat screws too) and other damage that will need to filled (I think there was a dog that scratched at the bottoms to get in/out). I am pretty sure I'm going to end up painting them just because of the amount of filling that's going to be required. At least all of the trim was/will be painted so it won't be mismatched looking. I've scraped at the trim and also looked at the back, it looks to be a soft wood that was paint-grade to begin with-there's no evidence of stain or other coatings, just paint layers.

If the rest of the house has painted trim then I wouldn't worry about trying to save the finish. Lost of holes = lost of work. Big holes are best fixed with plugs of the same kind of wood. Smaller holes can be filled with wood filler (I use Famowood). Then some artistic talent to match the existing finish.

[eclecticcottage]

I'm sorry for making it sound so easy. I forget that most people don't have all the tools, equipment, and experience necessary for custom work.

So I'm thinking the deadbolt hole would be repaired somewhat easily with a hole saw (to cut a "plug"), wood glue and filler.

Yep. Finding a hole saw that will give a tight fit may be a problem though.

Would these be glued together at the joints? I am not entirely sure how to duplicate the decorative edge on the top rail (where the panel is). My basic thought is separate the sides/rail, cut a new rail, figure out how to duplicate the detail, drill new holes for the dowels, and glue (?) it all back together. I'm not great with my wood species. I know oak and conifer (maybe not pine vs spruce, but that family in general), usually hickory and cherry. Are these pine? The pattern in the panels makes me think of heart pine floors (or plywood lol). If I drilled a hole into one I could probably tell by the smell of the freshly drilled wood.

Yes, most likely glued at the joints. Cut out the existing rail, trying to not shorten or damage the molding. Remove (cut off) the molded edge and tack on to the new piece which will be made to only have a square edge. I can't tell what kind of wood the rails and styles are from the pictures but the one panel looks like rotary cut pine plywood.

Veneer?

There are preglued (stick on veneers) made to make the job easier.

There are screw holes all over (a lot of them had locks of some type installed, some had more than one, and they used big fat screws too) and other damage that will need to filled (I think there was a dog that scratched at the bottoms to get in/out). I am pretty sure I'm going to end up painting them just because of the amount of filling that's going to be required. At least all of the trim was/will be painted so it won't be mismatched looking. I've scraped at the trim and also looked at the back, it looks to be a soft wood that was paint-grade to begin with-there's no evidence of stain or other coatings, just paint layers.

If the rest of the house has painted trim then I wouldn't worry about trying to save the finish. Lost of holes = lost of work. Big holes are best fixed with plugs of the same kind of wood. Smaller holes can be filled with wood filler (I use Famowood). Then some artistic talent to match the existing finish.

Haha, no problem. Tools (or lack thereof) is a bit of an issue with more custom stuff. Unfortunately my uncle got all my grandpa's stuff (he was a carpenter) and there's never been space for a shop at any house we've owned anyway. It's been a lot of digging in my brain to remember stuff, since he never actually taught me anything (what with being a girl and all) but I hung around him all the time anyway so I did find I picked up some stuff.

Is there a better way to cut the plug? I know the hole saws are rather thick metal but I couldn't figure a better way to get a perfect circle.

I never would have thought to reuse the molding. Unfortunately it's broken down into it on the side that's broken (at the very far right side).

I'm not too upset about painting them, except it would have been nice to keep them as they were originally-unpainted. However given the condition they are in, painted is better than replaced!

I have one other option but I'm not sold on it. There's a door that leads upstairs from the living room. I could take it off and leave the stairs open, and use that door. I know there were originally doors between the kitchen and dining room, and dining room and living room that have been removed at some point too. The entrance to the dining room is next to the door for the upstairs, so it might flow better without the door since the other one is mia already. Also, I've had people over that didn't realize there was an upstairs because of the door. But in another way, it seems right.

Here, just imagine walls on either side lol:

[Al F. Furnituremaker]

Well, tools aside, I would make the plug on a lathe. Maybe you could find someone that would do it for cheap and get a tight fit.

As far as the door on the stairs. We have a door on our stairway, and I would never remove it. It provides a way of controlling the heat (and a/c) so it is more balanced between upstairs and down.

I hate missing doors. Everyone always asks us when we are going to remove the french doors between the living room and dining room. Our answer = never, even if we don't ever close them.

[eclecticcottage]

(OT)
Hey, I just looked at your location. My grandparents lived in Windsor. He helped build the sewage treatment plant in Binghamton!

I found their house on Zillow recently, it was an REO I guess: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6-Dun ... 4799_zpid/

(back on topic)
On a lathe? Hm. This is a tool we don't have so I wouldn't have thought of it, but it makes sense. *ponders searching CL for a used one* I like tools lol. Especially old ones. I don't know that I could get this down quick enough though. I know it takes a bit of talent to be able to get precise enough.

This is my thinking as well (as far as removing it). I am thinking of hitting up some salvage places this weekend so maybe I can find one or two that match, style wise at least. I need to go and see if I can find a front door and screen door (currently steel, yuck) and maybe the trim (see missing trim in photo above, and it's completely gone around the front door, they replaced it with plain pine boards for some reason-probably broke it taking it off to put in the ugly steel door). Then I can still paint them so even if they don't match stain wise it won't matter. I am thinking I might need to use oil based paint on these for some reason I can't place at the moment (long weekend-nieces were in town and they are 6 and 9, full of kid energy).

I can see these being removed just because it would seem a little closed off. I looked and it doesn't look like they were swinging doors which would have made more sense (at least the one in from the kitchen)-or at least pocket doors (which they definately weren't). If they were pocket doors I probably would have looked for replacements. I guess I could make them pocket doors, but there's wiring in the way now since I didn't think about it.

[Al F. Furnituremaker]

Hope you grandfather didn't work on the previous major upgrade. The walls to the tanks collapsed and the sewage all went into the river. They are rebuilding it now and the sewage still isn't 100% clean.

I don't have a big fancy lathe since I don't do a lot of turning, just repairs and replacements. It is an old Craftsman that was my uncles, probably 40s era, all cast iron. I extended the bed by buying another one just like it, and connecting the beds together. I think I picked up the second one for less than $100.

[eclecticcottage]

Haha, nope, the original structure. I have one of his notebooks that has some of the specs and measurements written in it for it. Not sure what part he was involved in though. He passed away about 10 years ago, he would be almost 100 now. I wish he was still here, I could certainly use his advice on this place-even though he was tough to work with since you either did it exactly his way or you were doing it wrong

He built the house I linked to above, at one point he was a GC and built houses (he built some up by Utica before he and my grandma met and married as well). He was a mason and carpenter, but once he retired one of his favorite things to do was recreate antique furniture in miniature. I don't know what happened to all of it, his niece had it last I knew. He had doll house sized sideboards, chairs, etc. The more intricate the better. WAY more patience than I can ever imagine having.

That sounds like a perfect tool, as I said, I like old tools. My favorite places to go in estate sales are the basement and garage-that's where the good stuff is