Wooden doors build up the style of your home. Wooden doors are especially favoured for period houses as they provide significance to the property’s history. However, the longer your door has been serving your property, the worse its condition may get, especially if not well maintained. Luckily, even a small repair to a wooden door can make it last for a much longer time. Find out what you can do to restore your wooden door to its former glory.
Filling in cracks or gaps
One of the most common issues encountered in doors is the presence of cracks. This is because the wood is constantly exposed to a changing environment, which may cause it to expand or shrink from time to time, straining the door. Some cracks can easily be fixed by wood filler. Fillers are used for filling in the gaps and then dried out to close it. Afterwards, the door can be sanded down and painted to match your door’s colour. You can also choose to paint over the whole door to give it a fresh look.
Rotten sections in the door
While these can also be remedied at home, contacting the proper specialist may go a long way. If the rot in the wood is present only in small sections, then these can be salvaged by wood fillers as well. Use a sharp chisel to cut out all the rotten parts of the door. Make sure you remove all the rotten sections to prevent dry rot from spreading. Afterwards, make sure to dry the adjacent sections with a hot air gun or hairdryer, to remove all moisture from the wood. Once this is done, wood fillers can then be used again to fill in the missing parts of the door. Dry the filler out and sand the whole door down for a smooth finish. Paint over the door for a uniform appearance.
Refinish the door
Refinishing is not exactly repairing, but this can ensure that your door can withstand the environment that it is constantly exposed to. After finishing the small repairs, sand the whole door down. For more protection, a varnish can be applied to the door. This is especially helpful for external doors that can obtain sun damage. Brush in the same direction of the wood grain for best results. Apply a second or third coat of varnish for better protection. This will be useful not only for extreme temperatures but from scratches that the wood may incur.
You might also want to check out: Restoring Your Old Wooden Doors Through Simple Cleaning Methods
Although home repairs can be quick and less expensive, contacting the right specialist can save you money in the long run. Fortis & Hooke provides these services and more, ensuring your doors can match the style of your home.
Pieter Boyce
Wooden Window and Door Specialist
This article was written on behalf of Fortis & Hooke by Pieter Boyce. Pieter has an intense passion for English Architectural history and has been specialising in the conservation of original wooden windows and doors for decades. His exceptional knowledge of timber windows and doors, both listed or non-listed, is attributed to his hands-on approach to learning all aspects of the complete restoration of original features as well as having personally surveyed thousands of items throughout his long tenure as a head surveyor for one of the largest window and door restoration companies in the UK. He now runs a boutique wooden window and door consultancy and fervently champions the retention of original windows and doors. To learn more of Pieter’s services, visit his website at www.boultonboyce.co.uk.