What are my options

[rs6mra]

During the spring I planed this door and painted it. It closed almost perfectly.
Now just look at the state of it. The bottom half just doesn’t meet the jam.
I don’t want to take anymore off the door but if that is the way forward then so be it.
I just can’t figure out where I went wrong.

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

I plan on replacing it next spring/summer

 

[niall Y]

If I understand correctly , the door touches the base of the rebate in the door jamb ,at the top but not at the bottom. If this is the case then the door has developed a twist, The usual way to accommodate this is to remove a section from the rebate ,parallel with the door face. The door will then close fully into the rebate. You will have to do this on the top of the frame as well as the jamb against which the door closes

However if you are replacing the door, later on , you will then have to put this material back. Probably your best bet is to screw on a temporary door stop for the time being, for the door to shut firmly against and to keep things wind and water tight.

When you start looking around old properties, it's quite striking just how many doors are twisted, and how many sloping door-stops, and out of parallel rebates there are.

 

[johna.clements]

It could be that the door has expanded a little bit over the last few wet weeks. especially at the bottom which gets wetter.

 

[Jacob]

Could be the paint has stuck the panels in their slots so as the weather gets wetter they expand and force the frame apart a bit. Are there any cracks showing?
In your photo it looks as though the panel is coming apart - maybe the gap got fixed open with paint or filler, effectively making it too wide for the slots to accommodate movement.
Or if it's supposed to be T&G the tongues have got stuck in the grooves. Not a good design to start with they'd form a water trap with the bottom rail.
Oddly enough I have similar problem with a door which had been trouble free for years. Looked all over for the cause and eventually noticed the top rail M&T was coming apart due to damp and expansion of the T&G boards.

 

[rs6mra]

It’s a stable door and the door just about meets the jam at the top but not at the bottom
I’m not sure how well it shows in the attached photo
No cracks showing

 

[Jacob]

It’s a stable door and the door just about meets the jam at the top but not at the bottom
I’m not sure how well it shows in the attached photo
No cracks showing
View attachment 147535

Gap showing where lock rail joins stile?
Paint cracked in your first photo, at bottom rail, which is where water gets in?
I guess it's expanding wet T&G not moving in the grooves due being stuck by paint, or a combination of things.

 

[Richard_C]

A not-very-stable door then . If you are replacing it anyway and just want to keep the wind out for winter. how about a bit of stick on draft excluder, a good shove to close and a simple bolt near the bottom? Next year you mend it with a new one.

 

[Bingy man]

The bottom right of the door looks extremely swollen including the weather bar -water ingress into the joints and as others have already said it’s caused significant movement within the door ( stiles rails and panels) tbh and in my opinion it’s looking like a new door as this will only get worse. You could end up spending hours of your time and money trying to patch it up . Draft proof it for now and replace in the dryer/ warmer weather.

 

[HOJ]

I would look at hinge side, maybe re adjust/align them, I wouldn't be taking off any material of either the door or frame, unless a last resort, It may also not be the door, could be the building moving as well with the dry of the summer and now wet.

and in my opinion it’s looking like a new door as this will only get worse

Bold statement, not a cheap option, I favour repair and restoration over replacement, some times with no choice.

 

[Jacob]

A not-very-stable door then . If you are replacing it anyway and just want to keep the wind out for winter. how about a bit of stick on draft excluder, a good shove to close and a simple bolt near the bottom? Next year you mend it with a new one.

Maybe plane off enough to get it to shut, then reposition the catch to keep it tight in?
Then do remedial work in late spring when it's dried out, if we should be so lucky!

 

[Bingy man]

I would look at hinge side, maybe re adjust/align them, I wouldn't be taking off any material of either the door or frame, unless a last resort, It may also not be the door, could be the building moving as well with the dry of the summer and now wet.


Bold statement, not a cheap option, I favour repair and restoration over replacement, some times with no choice.

I guess if the op is doing the repairs then it’s only his time that he loses , tbh my perspective is from a customer pov, by the time the door has been repaired several times the labour costs outweigh the cost of replacing the door should the previous repairs fail . I’m not supporting the throw away attitude a lot of people advocate but sometimes you end up throwing good money after bad . Also looking at a picture compared the actual door can be misleading. The damage in the photos r h s at the bottom does imo look bad enough to consider replacing but I certainly take your point regarding the cost .

 

[Doug71]

Plane a bit more off so it closes, it's never good having to kick a door when you want to open or close it.

I always try to avoid stable doors as there is too much to go wrong with them, everything has to line up perfectly for them to work properly.

A word of warning, 99% of new wood doors you buy off the peg are rubbish, they are generally veneered and only last a few years unless protected from the weather by some kind of porch or canopy.

 

[thetyreman]

it's normal to have to plane off wood with doors if it moves, don't forget to allow for paint, if anything take off a mm more than planned.

 

[cowtown_eric]

I would be tempted to try a shim under the hinge on the bottom left that would raise the bottom right side of the door, and maybe endsure that the bottom of the door(s) is painted to avoid moisture absorption. Many painters seemingly avoid this essential detail for expedience!

 

[clogs]

u can see why UVPC took over....
either make a new door *plenty of Cedar in Canada* or replace with steel or the above.....
that door cant be saved......
as kid *London* I can always remember the outter doors always needing a kick in winter....
and we had good paint in the old days.....!!!!!!!!
My front door n frame is Vynal coated steel with the better security all surfaces locking system....
it takes all the bad weather facing NW with no probs anytime of the year.....
a replacement does start at €1500 tho........

 

[Richard_C]

not a cheap option, I favour repair and restoration over replacement, some times with no choice.

OP has already said he plans to replace it next year, so I think he is looking for a simple temporary fix.

 

[HOJ]

OP has already said he plans to replace it next year, so I think he is looking for a simple temporary fix.

Understood, do what a guy did to a door I was asked to go and "fix" after he'd tried to , he used a hatchet and took great big lumps out of it.

Decent quality timber door & frame north of £2500.00.

 

[rs6mra]

I think I’ll plane it and paint it as I just want to keep the draught out