New wooden door swelling...

[roxburd]

The old garage door was rotten and so in April I fitted a new one. Actually, this one:

https://www.diy.com/departments/2-panel-clear-glazed-shaker-white-wooden-pine-veneer-swinging-external-panel-back-door-h-1981mm-w-838mm/1957389_BQ.prd

Fitted it and then put two coats of paint on it.

All done, all good.

Then winter came and, basically, it has swelled up so badly that it no longer even opens. It is the cross-bar at waist height that has swollen - you can see by eye as the vertical bar is bowed out where the cross-bar has pushed it out. And the vertical on the handle side has also swelled a bit - enough to make contact with the door step/sill when it's closed.

I was careful to paint the top edge and even under the bottom edge. But clearly, the damp has got in. Given that it's the waist-height cross-bat that's swollen, I guess the rain hit the window and run down between the glass and the moulding.

I have covered the entire door with a tarpaulin to stop it getting any more rain falling directly on it. Now can't use the pigging door at all.

My question are:
1) Did I miss something? How are you supposed to seal the gap between the glass and the moulding? Over-paint? Sealant?
I remember the days of sealing the (single) glazing in with putty - seemed to work much better.
2) If I leave it covered, will it dry out and return to its previous size? I don't want to plane it down and then get a huge gap when it dries out!

Grrr. I was so pleased with it and then it goes and does this. Grrr.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Did you not read any of the reviews? 73% of the reviews say it's terrible, it's a wonder anyone would ever buy it give the reviews. Or that B&Q even publish the reviews.

 

[johnny2007]

All wood swells outdoor, no matter how well it's treated.
That's why it's good practice to leave 5/6mm gap around the door and a bit more at the bottom.
A good trick is to fit the door in winter after having left it to acclimatise for a couple of weeks (or longer.
Then a smaller gap can be left and it will open up in summer.
For reference, I built a garden gate last summer, left 8mm all around and 20mm at bottom.
It's now down to just about 3mm gap.

 

[foxhole]

If it’s in an exposed position softwood will swell and rot quickly , exterior door needs many coats of paint. A door canopy would help but only if it prevent rain hitting door .
Did you fit drip bars?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Then winter came and, basically, it has swelled up so badly that it no longer even opens.

All timber naturally swells up in winter's humid weather. Just trim it down, and repaint.

 

[mrrusty]

All timber naturally swells up in winter's humid weather.

except Accoya.... Having made several external doors and windows for our house, I can confirm you can make them with tiny clearances and they don't change winter and summer.

 

[roxburd]

Well, there's a result! B&Q gave me a 100% refund so it's a free door. It was annoying that it was jammed shut for a few months but it has already shrunk back down enough that it can be used easily again now.

I'll let it continue shrinking through summer and then in September, I'll pull all the beading off, seal behind them with silicone sealant and then pin them back in. I reckon that, with several coats of good paint will seal it right. Proper Job.

It had a good gap around it when I fit it - it just wasn't made right for external use. The rain was getting between the glass and the beading and then into the wood.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Well, there's a result! B&Q gave me a 100% refund so it's a free door. It was annoying that it was jammed shut for a few months but it has already shrunk back down enough that it can be used easily again now.

I'll let it continue shrinking through summer and then in September, I'll pull all the beading off, seal behind them with silicone sealant and then pin them back in. I reckon that, with several coats of good paint will seal it right. Proper Job.

It had a good gap around it when I fit it - it just wasn't made right for external use. The rain was getting between the glass and the beading and then into the wood.

No matter how well you seal it, it will still swell to some extent, in winter, due to the increased humidity. Even were the door protected from the weather indoors, it would swell. Part of the job of door fitting, is to make allowance when fitting, to allow for winter swelling.

 

[roxburd]

No matter how well you seal it, it will still swell to some extent, in winter, due to the increased humidity. Even were the door protected from the weather indoors, it would swell. Part of the job of door fitting, is to make allowance when fitting, to allow for winter swelling.

Cheers Harry.

This is a door that was sold for exterior use but is unfit for purpose. Due to the way it was manufactured, regular painting would fail to seal it against water pooling on top of the waist-height bar, under the beading. The product reviews show that clearly. And that's also why B&Q gave a full refund - the product, as sold, was unfit for purpose as an exterior door.

When I fit it, I left a good 6 to 7mm gap and that was all used up and more when it got wet in October.

I am sure that disassembling the door, sealing it properly and reassembling it will make it perform much better. It will still swell but only by a few mm, which the original fitting last year took account of.

Well, we'll see - if I can still get in and out of my garage in December then I'll be happy.

 

[johnny2007]

I built many garden gates in my life always in summer and sealed them properly.
12 mm gap on sides and top, 25mm bottom.
In winter the gap on the lock side is reduced to 5mm.
Keep that in mind.