Query RE possible warping of oak doors...

[Krome10]

Hi all (and thanks for having me on the forum)

We had some oak ledge doors hung at the beginning of March. They were unfinished and for various reasons we have not got around to finishing them until now. On looking at them earlier today it seems that a couple of them may have warped. I can't be certain that this has happened since they were hung and that they were not like that beforehand. But I think that's the case.

There's a couple of things I was wondering:

1. Is it possible that they have warped because we have kept them untreated/unfinished for 10 weeks or so?

2. Is there anything we can do about it? Any methods to straighten them? I thought I would ask now in case there is anything which is best done before finishing.

Many thanks

Max

 

[Teckel]

Hello Max
You can check this by opening the door and looking from the lock side to the hinge side. Close one eye..line up the lock stile with the hinge stile and check that they are in line with each other. If not they are twisted.
How are the braces fixed? If they can be removed you can put the door down on a bench and pull the door the opposite to the twist with clamps and and a couple of blocks. Pull the door an extra 1" and refix the braces. Then remove clamps.
Are they not closing properly?

Teckel

 

[Krome10]

Many thanks for the reply. I'll check them with the method you suggest, but can you tell me what you mean by "stile" please?

The ledges are fixed with screws (with oak plugs for the holes). There are three ledges and no braces.

They are closing properly, so there not too much of a bother in that sense. It's just that they were quite expensive for us and so we want to try to keep them in good nick. Stupid of us not to finish them earlier. We'll get it done asap, but did not want to do it only to later be told we should have done something else first...

I'll get back with the results of the sight test.

Cheers for the help.

 

[Teckel]

On a standard 4 panel door the stiles are the vertical boards that hold the top rail lock rail and bottom rail via mortice and tenon joinery.
In your case the boards are all running vertical. It's the two outside vertical boards on each end.
A lock is fixed to one and the hinges are fixed to the other.
This is an easy fix. Just bore out the plugs,unscrew the ledges and then do what I said. It would be better to stick an extra couple of screws in aswell.
The ledges will have to be clamped down onto the door when your screwing them back down.
ATB
Teckel

 

[Chrispy]

Sorry to be thick but if the door closes ok now surely if you "flatten" it (with great effort) it won't then fit or close? :?

 

[twothumbs]

You can get twists in doors which have cold and a warm sides. ie a living room to cold utility room or cold corridor.