# Carpentry repair for water damaged doors



## andrewr (Oct 9, 2013)

I had several doors (craftsman/shaker style) for my remodel in my basement when it flooded. The doors only got wet briefly on the lower 1-4" of the door and the frame is still good.

The doors have a solid wood core but have a mdf veneer about 1/8" as can be seen on the bottom of door and that's what warped when it got wet. The doors are manufactured by Orepac/International Millwork Products. http://www.orepac.com/imp_interior_primed.html





















I'm looking at about $1100 to buy new doors so I'm very interesting in finding out if there is a carpentry solution to repair the door. If it can be repaired, is this something a reasonably handy person could do or do I need to find a woodshop?

My initial idea was to plane off the damaged veneer 1/8" and glue/nail a new 1/8" mdf veneer. Then patch and prime. But I'm not sure what tools I would need.

I came to this forum to find out if there are carpentry methods that can be used to repair the doors. Thanks


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## Bill White 2 (Jun 23, 2012)

Homeowners ins. wouldn't cover the flooded area?
Bill


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

a horzontal repair/replacement is very difficult to pull off seamlessly. you may consider accentuating with a kick plate?!? 
there may be mold under the veneer.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

If it is just the skin that is damaged you could replace that section by cutting off the damaged area with a hand held circular saw, use a chisel to free it from the frame. In all probability the core is not solid so a spacer would have to be put in at the joint. Once the joint is filled and painted they will be good as new.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Bill White said:


> Homeowners ins. wouldn't cover the flooded area?
> Bill


A lot depends on how much his deductible is. It might be cheaper to not involve the insurance company.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

andrewr said:


> I had several doors (craftsman/shaker style) for my remodel in my basement when it flooded. The doors only got wet briefly on the lower 1-4" of the door and the frame is still good.
> 
> The doors have a solid wood core but have a mdf veneer about 1/8" as can be seen on the bottom of door and that's what warped when it got wet. The doors are manufactured by Orepac/International Millwork Products. http://www.orepac.com/imp_interior_primed.html
> 
> ...


 There really isn't a easy fix. The door just has a piece of wood about 7/8" thick around the parameter and the inside is strips or circles of cardboard separating the inside and outside skin. It appears the door skin you have on your doors is veneered mdf so the majority of the door is paper. Having gotten it wet the door is badly weakened structurally. I think if I were fixing those doors I would sand as much of the damage out of it with a belt sander and use a lot of bondo. When you go back with the paint an oil based enamel will give you more protection. Just be sure to paint the bottoms of the doors. Most people don't paint the top and bottoms of the doors. 

At one time I lived in a house that had a basement. It was pretty much an annual thing for the basement to get flooded. I think I would make the doors out of pressure treated wood and use a waterproof adhesive to put them together. The problem is building with pressure treated wood you have to let the wood dry very well or the components will shrink a lot.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Are they really solid core?*



TimPa said:


> a horzontal repair/replacement is very difficult to pull off seamlessly. you may consider accentuating with a *kick plate*?!?
> there may be mold under the veneer.





FrankC said:


> If it is just the skin that is damaged you could replace that section by cutting off the damaged area with a hand held circular saw, use a chisel to free it from the frame. In all probability the core is not solid so a spacer would have to be put in at the joint. Once the joint is filled and painted they will be good as new.


I have some exterior metal foam filled doors that got rusty. I sawed off the rusty part, hollowed out the core up into the door several inches and put a planed down 2 x 10 " pressure treated "core" back in. Then I put a 3/8" thick rough sawn kickplate on the out side. So.... what I'm getting at is, there could be a repair made that will deal with your issue.

I would investigate the door to see if it's a solid or hollow core first.
Then see if you can remove the skins as you suggested. A circular saw and guide will give the straightest cut necessary for a "seamless" repair. Finding a suitable 1/8" thick skin may be difficult, but even 1/8" Masonite may work. If not, 1/8" Birch plywood would be my next choice. If you can't get a seamless repair by sanding, then a kickplate may be in order, depending on the look you are after.

A series of parallel cuts across the door will make remove the damaged area in narrow strips, a bit easier. They should just pop right off. :yes: If there is rot or damage on the frame or core that will mean more surgery. But, if they are ruined now, I guess they can't be more "ruined", or can they? What's to lose? :blink:
Photos of what you find will be most helpful.


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Semantics......yes,carpentry skills can make this problem disappear.


But,(had to be one).....there is going to be a direct correlation between the quality of the craftsmanship and the end result.So your expectations on the finished product really need to be decided(by you) before you even start cutting.

Hollow core doors aren't that difficult to work with.But they have their own set of rules.If you want to do it....start with the worst door,and preferably the cheapest(sm closet dr).Now inventory your equip and start the surgery.Sharp/new blades rule here.....whether it's a circ saw,router,even your utility knife should be new.Get a straight edge for a saw guide and some clamps.....this works for router or saw.Open up the "backside" wherever possible.Just keep thinking surgery....clean,sharp,professional.Have a little look see inside with a flashlite......see any carboard?

You are going to need some milled parts to get the patient back on his/her feet.So when you're deciding how to approach this....you really need to step up your precision "game".These parts need to be exactly fit.....don't want any bulging scar tissue now do we?There is a better than avg chance your "fix" will actually improve the door's structural element......that's a plus.Really buckle down on the precision,appearance,face side of it...thats what shows.Best of luck,and let us know how the doors turn out.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Depending on the damage, once they dry out, you may be able to just block sand the face area. If they got wet several times and became flakey and crumbly, they should be fixed. 

Lowes sells door skins that are ⅛" x 36" x 84". Their ad says they are Luan. I've bought them and found Birch panels in the stack that were very good looking. You could remove the face and replace if necessary, and repair any internal damage in doing so. Or if you just need a cosmetic repair, if you just add to the existing face. The door stop would likely need to be re-positioned.





















.


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## andrewr (Oct 9, 2013)

Lots of great suggestions here!

I like the idea of using the door skin from Lowes. The tricky part and what I'm not sure how to accomplish is how to plane off the mdf to 1/8". I'm quite certain the door has a solid pine core so assuming I can plane it, I would have a stable surface to apply the skin. Is there a tool I can buy to plane the doors or would I need to find a lumber yard/machine shop to do it?

I could try the other suggestion to saw to 1/8" and try and chisel up the mdf. My concern here is getting a flat surface so the skin will lay flat.

Also I'll try sanding the mdf but not optimistic about that approach.

If I can do this in under 20 hours, and under about $200 in materials I'll consider it a success.

I guess if I was to buy new doors I could try and sell these to someone who is skilled enough to repair them but what would I get $100?

BTW, I don't have flood insurance so not luck there


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*You will have to dig into it*

If you come up 12" and make a shallow kerf through the existing skin, and then attempt to peal it back, maybe applying some heat from a heat gun you'll soon find out what you are up against. A scraper and hand plane will remove any adhesive residue. You will see what sort of frame work there is to attach the new skins. Maybe it's a solid core door, if so you are in luck, since there is more surface to bond the new skin to.

The other approach would be to repair the existing skins...but without any photos showing the damage it's difficult to give advice. Overall pictures and close ups would be helpful. If they have completely delaminated at the bottom you may be able to reattach them by lifting them up, applying an adhesive and clamping or weighting them back down...who knows? :blink:


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I wonder if anyone else has removed the door skin from a hollow core door. I did it once and that was enough. It's a lot more work than you think. I would replace the door before going down that road again.


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## andrewr (Oct 9, 2013)

*Sanding off the paper?*

I took a utility knife to the door skin and started cutting. This is not the right tool but I wanted to get a feel for what I'm dealing with. It's basically pressed paper, not sure if that's mdf. It is solid wood under the skin, so can this be sanded off? Should I try a belt sander? I'm thinking the sander will make quick work of removing the paper/mdf.

How likely is it I can get a lumber mill or wood shop to provide a veneer at a specific thickness? Thanks


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## Tilaran (Dec 22, 2012)

Yeah. Take that garbage to the dump and head to a sawmill for some lumber. 
$1000 ? How many doors were there ? 20 ?


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Bill White said:


> Homeowners ins. wouldn't cover the flooded area?
> Bill


You need flood insurance to cover flood damage.

George


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I have never seen a solid core door that is skinned with the cheap pressed paper or even luan. You say the doors are "craftsman/shaker" style. But then you say they are skinned. That seems a contradiction to me. You have me confused. Even a hollow core door will be solid wood up a few inches from the bottom.

George


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Tilaran said:


> Yeah. Take that garbage to the dump and head to a sawmill for some lumber.
> $1000 ? How many doors were there ? 20 ?


Good question.

George


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*solid core underneath?*

If there a solid wood core under all that crapola then you are in luck. Just find a sheet of material that's the same thickness as the old skin sand and glue and fill and sand again and paint. You need a level surface to attach your new skin material. I would use a hardwood veneer if you can locate some, but the important point is it must be very close or identical in thickness. A 5" or 6" wide veneer is NOT beyond the resaw capacity of a lumber mill or cabinet shop. There are online sources also:
http://www.constantines.com/116thickveneers.aspx
http://www.morganwood.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=128


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## harry nuckle (Feb 23, 2012)

If it were me I would just replace the doors. I know thats not the answer your looking for but its the proper way... especially in a flood situation. Any bacteria that was in the water is now soaked into the wood not to mention the potentential for mold growth. Just get flush slabs and do the milling/ fitting yourself just do one at a time if your worried about money. You will be much happier with the end result.


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## andrewr (Oct 9, 2013)

Ok, did some more scraping/sanding and yes, it does appear that they (Orepac) covered a solid wood door in a paper veneer.

I sanded about 5" up 










I also chisled down in the center of the door -- wood again!









Guys, I'm not giving up yet if I can save about a grand.

Someone asked how many doors? 7 at about $140 per door (pre-hung). If anyone can recommend a 3 panel craftsman shaker door (with square sticking) for less I'd like to know. I know Jeld-wen has one with particle board core but I can't see it in person and hesitant to order. These are the doors btw http://www.orepac.com/imp_interior_primed.html

So, belt sander? or is there a better way? I'm thinking it may be hard to keep a level surface with the belt sander


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*no belt sander*

Scraping is the best method to remove the corruption. Sanding will make a huge cloud of dust with MDF. Get it off as much as possible, then use a random orbital sander to get the glue residue off. It will leave swirl marks, but no gouges like a belt sander.
I would investigate the veneer availabilty issue before going to far on the clean up. It's a real shame they used the thin MDF as a skin in the factory. Depending on how difficult is is to remove, you may just want to "take it all off" as they say. Then you can use full size skins and have a much better result in the end. It will be a labor of love for sure and you will hate every minute of it, but save a few bucks. There is a possibility of taking them to a cabinet shop who has a wide belt sander and paying for the shop time to have them surfaced. I think you mentioned that in your original post. A phone inquiry would be in order. Last time I priced solid core doors they were around $120 a piece in Birch. These are cheaper:
http://absupply.net/wood-doors-residential-doors-oak-flush-solid-core.aspx

I just made a solid core door and skinned it with 1/4 Oak plywood:
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/door-build-2-xs-1-4-ply-55717/
It was really pretty easy to do and I had to plane and level both sides of the wood, but I didn't have 6 more to make. :laughing:


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

andrewr said:


> Ok, did some more scraping/sanding and yes, it does appear that they (Orepac) covered a solid wood door in a paper veneer.
> 
> I sanded about 5" up
> 
> ...


The last time I bought one, 3 or 4 years ago, a six panel, solid pine door was $73 at Home Depot. Of course I had to finish it.

George


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