Raised panel door problem

[Jeff Stampes]

I've been working on replacing the junky doors in the house with nice-looking raised panel knotty alder doors. I didn't build them, but I'm finishing them: Stain, a couple of coats of a Tung Oil/Varnish/Turpentine rub, and a final coat of polyurethane. They look gorgeous, but I have a problem. My shop (garage) is always a little cold, even if I warm up with a heater. Apparently the finish ran between the panel and stile, and acted as glue on one side, so when the door warmed up, I now have a very small gap on the other side of the panel. It's embarassing, and makes my heart fall when i see it.

So i know what i did, and I need to work in a warmer place. But what can I do about the existing door? Are there any good tricks to fix this?

[Jerry Miner]

When you say you have a gap, do you mean a section of unstained wood showing (known as a "painter's smile") or an actual gap where you can see right through the door frame?

I'd be surprised to see the latter. The former is pretty common---fixable by applying stain and finish to the exposed raw wood.

If it's an actual gap, then the panel shrunk enough to pull completely out of its groove? Must not have been engaged very far (1/4" would be normal, and a LOT of shrinkage)--you can still fix it, though if you can overpower the adhesion of the finish and push/pull the panel back to centered in the frame. (Try thumping the door on edge onto a solid surface like a workbench). Then put a small brad through the back of the frame in the center of the rail, capturing the panel and keeping it centered so any future expansion/contraction will be centered.

[Peter Quinn]

Take a block of soft wood and gently knock the panels back to center, repair any exposed raw wood as necessary. By soft I mean edge grain of a softer species than your doors, so maybe pine or cedar, and a wide enough block to throw the force of knocking over several inches so you don't make dents. Careful work with a razor or feeler gauge might help break the bond too. No guarantees but its worked for me in the past. When I build doors I go back about 10-15 minutes after clamping and knock the panels around to free any minor bond from squeeze out that may have occurred, this may be advisible for next time, though on a delayed schedule due to longer dry times. Finish... Wait... Tap the panels loose before bond becomes permanent.

[Jeff Stampes]

Thanks for the tips. Yes, it's a real gap....it's pretty unsightly. I'm going to see if I can follow your combined tips to get it recentered, but it's still going to look terrible, since there will be new exposed wood i need to finish to match. This door is in the front entry, where everyone can see it....fortunately, it's the same as my closet door, so I think it is going to get swapped in the future :)

[Mark Rakestraw]

You do have a legitimate complaint to make to whoever made the doors. If a gap accurs on one side when the panel shifts to the other then panel is undersized. The advice to try to break it free so you can recenter and pin it is good and it may look fine in the end. But a properly sized panel and some means of keeping it centered, either space balls or pinning, should have "come with" the doors.

[J.R. Rutter]

You do have a legitimate complaint to make to whoever made the doors. If a gap accurs on one side when the panel shifts to the other then panel is undersized. The advice to try to break it free so you can recenter and pin it is good and it may look fine in the end. But a properly sized panel and some means of keeping it centered, either space balls or pinning, should have "come with" the doors.

Agreed. Someone messed up on panel size and/or the groove is too shallow.