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5 Door Repair Lessons Learned From The Pros
Door Repair Basics

Repairing the door can be a simple and cost-effective project, but it could be more complicated depending on the extent of damage the door has suffered. The most common areas for damage to doors are hinges and locks.

When selecting a company to do your door repair make sure you do some research. Find references, services offered and licenses as well as insurance.

Repairing Cracks

When you see hairline cracks appearing on the door frame, it could be alarming. This is because it may be your first sign of structural issues or you could be at risk of losing a door to the elements. There are simple fixes that will aid in stopping cracks from forming and getting worse.

First, you must thoroughly clean the crack. This will ensure that the crack is free of dust and dirt that could interfere with future repairs. The crack should then be left to dry completely. This typically takes 30 minutes.

There are many solutions to fix cracks in your door frame. Filler or wood putty are the best options for small cracks. These materials are easy to use and relatively inexpensive. However, the most effective method to repair a damaged area in a door is to use real wood. This is because the result will be a stronger, more durable repair that is less likely to break over time.

After you've selected the appropriate material, apply it to the cracks on the door frame. Spread the compound with a putty blade around the inside ridges. Use just a tiny amount at each time, making sure you completely cover the surface of each ridge. Once the filler has dried, sand the surface until it is smooth.

Paint over the repaired cracks to conceal them if you prefer. However, this is not always required, particularly when the cracks aren't too large. When fixing cracks in your doors the most important thing you should keep in mind is that you want the results to be completely invisible. The goal is to get a an unmistakable finish that is not visible up close.


You will likely find a quality product at your local hardware store to fix the cracks in your door frame. If the cracks are large, you might need to make use of wood glue and splines to repair the cracks.

Patching Hollow Core Doors

Hollow-core doors cost less than solid-wood doors and are much more common in homes. They can, however, be quite fragile and prone to damage. If it's caused by a powerful knock or an accidental punch, a hole in a door is a serious problem that must be repaired as soon as possible. Not only is it ugly but it could also have a negative effect on the effectiveness of your home. It's easy to patch a hole in an hollow-core door with common tools and materials.

Gather the following items to begin:

Utility knife

A utility knife is necessary to scrub the edges of the hole to allow the patching material to adhere. Cut a small bevel using the knife to the hole's edge. This gives the patching materials more area on which to adhere and will prevent them from peeling in the future.

Refinishing a door

Even the best-made wooden doors can exhibit signs of wear as they get older. Exposure to fluctuating temperature and humidity, the sun's harmful UV rays and other environmental elements can all harm a door's finish. Refinishing wood doors is advisable if the finish starts to peel or blister. Before you can refinish the door, you'll need remove all hardware and store it in a secure location.

After you have removed the old finish, you'll need sand down the wood to make it ready for staining. You can use a palm sander or an orbital sander for flat surfaces, but you will have to scrape carefully any details and moldings. To avoid gouging wood, it is best to sand in the direction of the grain. Apply gentle and steady pressure. After sanding use the tackcloth or microfiber to clean any dust. This will ensure that the surface is ready for the stain you want to apply.

It is essential to choose the right color for renovating doors. Some people choose to use gel stain to cover imperfections. However, this type of stain can peel off the exterior wood within a year.

It is crucial to allow your door to dry over the night after you have chosen the stain. You should also sand between coats of varnish to smooth the surface and ensure that it is clean of residue and oil. Additionally, you should use a natural-bristle brush to apply the spar urethane varnish and to create a smooth, even coat.

Once the varnish is dry, you can reinstall any hardware that you have removed. After the door has been installed, you can polish it with an oil-based or polyurethane polish. This will protect the wood from water damage and extreme weather conditions. Your door will look beautiful for many years when you polish it regularly.

Replacing Hinges

Door hinges are among the most crucial components of a door, however they could be the cause of sagging or other problems. If your door is sagging or is difficult to open it is possible to replace the hinges to aid. You can replace the hinges without having to remove the door from the frame. Simply remove the hinges that were in use and replace them with the new hinges.

Start by taking off the screws from the hinges on the door jambs and hinge leaves. Then employ upvc window repairs near me as well as a chisel to create an mortise in the wood in which the hinges will be able to fit. The thickness of the mortise should be roughly the same as the thickness of the hinge leaves. Check the hinges after forming the mortise to ensure that they fit snugly and securely. If the hinges do not fit make a new chisel hole until it's the proper size.

Mark the screw holes on the new hinges on the jambs and the doors with a pencil once you have the hole prepared. You can also use a screw guide in order to keep the screws straight as they are driven into. Then, drill pilot holes that are small through the markings. Finally, insert the new hinges and secure them using a drill or screwdriver.

It's not necessary that the screw holes on the new hinges align exactly with those on the jambs of the door, but they should be close enough to match. If the holes don't line up precisely, it won't matter much because they'll be concealed behind the hinge plate.

Place the hinge pins on the hinges to join the door. If the door is shaky, use blocks of wood to help it support it while you work. Remove the blocks and test the door to ensure it opens and shuts correctly. If it does, you're done!

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