Hardwood Door expansion/contraction problems

[peca27]

Afternoon all

Had a pair of hardwood doors fitted a few yrs back, have had constant problems with them unfortunalty.

The latest is with the rear stable door, the door expanded over the winter (again) but maybe more than last yr. The door jams shut every winter. Over the few yrs of expansion + contraction the cill screws are now failing + the cill is coming off.

I want to take the door off, put the cill back on etc.....but is there a way of 'hitting' the door back into place? so all the gaps between the stiles + bottom rail close up.

I have tried hitting it before, but the gaps never close up visually. It just seems the heat / direct sunlight only have an effect of slightly contracting the door.

I was hoping to close up the gaps, maybe use these

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/16034...ing-Plates-Zinc-Plated-75-5-x-16mm-Pack-of-10

to then 'hold' it all together. Then re-varnish + seal the cill etc.

Any other ideas most welcome.

 

[crank39]

Well i'd pull apart as much as you can and put some pva in the joint and close up, assuming you can get the joints to close up fully i'd then drill through the face of the door through the tenon joint(assuming its a M&T door not dowelled) and knock some hardwood dowells through then sand flush and stain or paint

 

[peca27]

Cheers for that crank39

Never even realised that was an option.....any idea where I could pick up hardwood dowels? Or could i just use any dowels?

Sounds like a much more 'professional' finish than I'm proposing also. Just not sure if I can smack the joints back together enough. I'm gonna use a block of wood against the door before hitting it with the hammer........hopefully it works.

 

[crank39]

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Light-Hardwood-Dowel/invt/128316

Just cut off what you need, but make sure you have a mortice and tenon door not a cheap dowelled door, take a look along the edge of the door and you should see the end grain of the tenon joint if not then its a cheaper dowelled door and this method wont work

 

[peca27]

Again many thanks for the advice crank39, I'm pretty sure it's M & T joints.

I'll pick up the dowel tonight, I presume PVA wood glue is suitable for the joints? what about a filler (hopefully not required if my drilling is accurate enough).

How many dowels should a put in each side? I was thinking 2no. each joint. 1no. in the stile + 1no. in the bottom rail.......therefore 4no. in total along the bottom of the door?

 

[crank39]

Id put 2 dowells in each joint, id also drill right through and knock the dowell right through not one from each side. Filler id used a two part brown filler for hardwood if the door is stained, if its painted then any would do i guess.

Pva glue would be be more than enough, i've spliced many a frame and they say the glue is stronger the the surrounding wood.