Most of the time years of paint or caulking the seams around the panels will cause the wood to stick and not allow the panel to expand and contract with the weather.
Repairing a broken door panel.
Removing the old panels.
Repairing a broken door glass pane isn t a difficult do it yourself job if you follow some simple steps carefully and have all the equipment you need on hand before you start.
On some panel doors the moldings are routed in and can t be removed.
After some 200 years of hard knocks and spotty maintenance in the harsh climate of coastal maine our federal period home s frame and panel doors exhibited a range of problems from gaps and loose joints to outright rot.
If a panel in a colonial style door is cracked or split you may be able to reglue it without removing it from the rest of the door.
If you have to remove a panel or replace it completely try prying off the moldings that surround it and hold it in place.
Your garage panels are attached to each other and the track rollers.
A common problem with older wood doors is split panels.
If the damaged panel is not on top you will also need to remove the panel on top by sliding it up.
Even if your door has been binding for years we ll show you how to identify the problem and repair it quickly and inexpensively.
Wooden panels were typically fitted into grooves plowed in the door rails and stiles and left to float so they could expand and contract without binding and splitting for a primer on making wooden panels see my last post however varnish wax and dirt can build up over the years and stick the panel in place so it isn t able to expand.
Repairing them without compromising their integrity required patience and an understanding of their mortise and tenon joinery.
It can easily be done by one person.
Dribble wood glue into the crack and set a clamp against the blocks to pull the crack closed.
Putting in a new panel.
Unscrew the damaged panels to remove.
Doors that won t shut or latch properly are annoying but once you diagnose the problem the fix is usually easy.
Clean up any excess glue before it dries but leave the clamp in place for 24 hours.