Cracks in old Wooden Front Door

[Mark Carroll]

This front door is over 80 years old. It was white until last last year when I repainted it blue. It seems like the heat is now being absorbed more due to the colour ( I had some issues with knots vaping gas and bubbling the top coat.. Sanded them back.. shellac etc and solved that. But now there are cracks appearing. They look like they are mainly between the panels and the frame) I wonder if the door is exapnding in all this heat?

I applied wood filler and repainted and the cracks appeared again after about 6 months.

Any advice out there??

Not sure about filler again. Maybe wood glue? or something flexible like an exterior caulking?
Anyone know the best way to deal with it?

Cheers

 

[opps]

I am a decorator.

I too suspect that the blue paint is getting hotter than the white paint.

Wooden panels (in theory) can float in the door to deal with expansion and contraction.

You could use a sharp chisel to remove the old paint seal where the panel meets the moldings and then use a flexible, paintable sealant such as CT1... but that too might crack.

Image #3. The crack between the rail and style- you could use a soft filler such as Red Devil Onetime (after you chisel out the existing filler). It is more flexible than two pack fillers, but again, it might crack.

Sorry.

I wish I could give you a definitive reply. The failure rates of the above products are lower but they may well fail after a year or two if the door is absorbing too much UV light in the summer.

I guess that it is a mortise and tenon door, you could have it dipped and taken apart/put back together but a new door might be cheaper.

Again- sorry.

 

[Mark Carroll]

Thanks for your suggestions!

I am a decorator.

I too suspect that the blue paint is getting hotter than the white paint.

Wooden panels (in theory) can float in the door to deal with expansion and contraction.

You could use a sharp chisel to remove the old paint seal where the panel meets the moldings and then use a flexible, paintable sealant such as CT1... but that too might crack.

Image #3. The crack between the rail and style- you could use a soft filler such as Red Devil Onetime (after you chisel out the existing filler). It is more flexible than two pack fillers, but again, it might crack.

Sorry.

I wish I could give you a definitive reply. The failure rates of the above products are lower but they may well fail after a year or two if the door is absorbing too much UV light in the summer.

I guess that it is a mortise and tenon door, you could have it dipped and taken apart/put back together but a new door might be cheaper.

Again- sorry.