Repairing Exterior Door Joints

[Todd Pretty]

I just received a call from my painter, he's working on a high end home that has a 40" wide x 1-3/4" front door. The door is only 5 years old, but he has been asked to repair the cracks that have developed in the joints between the rails and styles. He apparently has already attempted this 5 times, using several types of filler, from regular spackle to autobody filler. Each repair has cracked and apparently they crack within a day after the door being repainted. The paint is an extremely high sheen black autobody paint, so it's showing every imperfection.

He has asked that I screw the joint back together. I've told him he's crazy. The rail and styles are both about 7" Wide, so I would either have to use a fairly long screw from the edge, or pocket screws, through the face, and fill the resulting damage. I haven't been by to look at the door yet. My concern is that the original glue has probably failed. Would thin Cyanacrolite glue and screws fix this problem? Is there something else that I could offer to the client? I dont usually offer solutions to clients unless I'm very certain that they will work, and I'm just not sure what would help in this situation.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Mike Hollingsworth]

I'd try some half inch dowels.
You'll need a long drill bit.

[fred marcuson]

black paint on a wood door = problems ..
it is just too much wood movement from the black paint causing the wood to heat and cool ; expand and contract .
imo nothing is going to cure it, outside of changing the door color or putting a fiberglass door in .

[Mike Archambeau]

Perhaps the glue has failed and the parts are loose? If that is the case, you might consider taking the door down, separate the loose parts and glue it back together with some waterproof glue.

Before I did this, I would investigate if the door is solid wood or if it is laminated. A solid wood door is worth the time to fix. There are a lot of laminated doors that don't hold up very well if they are not well protected with a porch or storm door.

[Peter Quinn]

So I'd guess the glue joints have begun to fail, wood movement exacerbates the problem and high gloss black paint highlights it. Best fix...leave the door in a dumpster until someone takes it away and order another. Seriously, everything else is dubious at best.

What glue was used originally? No way to tell, but if it were a water resistant Pva it's non repairable from a reglueing the joint perspective. You could try dowels through the stiles into the rails assuming clamp pressure can close up the joints, but you have still lost your shoulder joints or cope and stick depending on construction, and now your friend has loaded the gaps with every manner of finish and filler, so the hopes of reglueing this critical intersection are nill.

If I were presented the same situation, I'd offer to help chuck the door in a dumpster and not much more. If it were my own home and I could be realistic in my expectations I might try using fasten master lags through the stiles into the rails, maybe a long ledger lag, like 8"' but for a paying client?

[Thomas love]

Auto body paint , your answerer is in your question. I wonder if their car is painted with latex, some how I doubt it. 5 years and 5 attempts at repair, I see a pattern a seasonal one.
I would try to explain to him or the owner that black high sheen auto paint belongs on cars and to look at metal doors if they desire this type of finish.
If the joints where actually failing I think the door would be a bear to open and close at 40" wide and I am guessing a minimum of 96" tall therefore causing a racking and out of square with the jamb condition as well. Good luck Todd.
tom