How to fix this old door

[Tom Bender]

This door has been hanging here for several years but it is sagging. Planed the bottom but it just sagged a little more. It's on a garage so it doesn't have to be real tight. How can I save it?

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[Kevin Jenness]

I can see tapered gaps at the rail to stile joints indicating that the tenons or dowels are loose. Best case, dismantle, clean up the joints and reglue. If doweled, they could be replaced with spline tenons. If you know the joints are true mortise and tenon you could square up the door and drive pins through the joints. Or clamp the door square and drive timber screws through counterbored holes in the stiles and into the rails.

[Tom M King]

I have drilled a hole through the lower hinge corner, as long as you can, and used a threaded rod with nuts on both ends.

[Cameron Wood]

Rack it back to square, clamp, and fasten on a plywood panel over the lower section.

If anyone asks who did the repair, feign ignorance.

[Mel Fulks]

Notice the hinge-side stile with the crazy-funky grain will be ; constrained by the hinges. Don’t see that much any more.

[Rob Luter]

I can see tapered gaps at the rail to stile joints indicating that the tenons or dowels are loose. Best case, dismantle, clean up the joints and reglue. If doweled, they could be replaced with spline tenons. If you know the joints are true mortise and tenon you could square up the door and drive pins through the joints. Or clamp the door square and drive timber screws through counterbored holes in the stiles and into the rails.

^^ This ^^

[Bruce Wrenn]

Ever hear of turn buckles? Find them with screen door hardware in BORGS

[Maurice Mcmurry]

It is a cool old door. If you decide to take it apart for a proper fix you might have to steam the joints apart. I have a homemade rig that sends steam through a large animal size hypodermic needle or a ball inflator. Doing multiple joints at once would be epic! The door might be laminated. If it is, using steam would be risky.

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Here is a door I cut assuming it would have mortis and tenon joints. It is constructed with dowel's.

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[Tom Bender]

Guess when the weather turns nice I'll give it a proper rebuild. Full disassembly, correct any joinery issues, refinish and reinstall. It'll be a nice project in the sunshine.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I think it's worth the effort. It looks like a 100 + year old door.

I am little worried about the glass being un-tempered in the 70 year old one I am working on. I put plexiglass in its predecessor. A few clients have had me change glass in doors and low windows to tempered.

[Dan Hahr]

If the glass made it 70 years...let it ride.
Dan

[John Kananis]

If you're going to wait until the weather is nicer, I would take the door apart now. It's more likely to come apart easier in the cold.

[Mel Fulks]

Since the gaps are only at the bottom rail, I think that is “compression ring-set “ not a loose joint. I would measure across all the rails.
If they are equal , then I would only take it apart if it easily wracks. Fill the weather -made spaces with glued shims.

[Nick Lazz]

Rack it back to square, clamp, and fasten on a plywood panel over the lower section.

If anyone asks who did the repair, feign ignorance.

🤣 perfect 👍🏽