Restoring Poorly Repaired Doors
Un-Butchering Butchered Doors!
How We Rescued A Church’s Main Entryway Doors After They Had Been Improperly Restored
A Church’s Recently Repaired Door Had Already Begun Failing
The rector of the Episcopal Church of the Atonement contacted us a year after these doors had been “repaired” because the repairs had already begun to fail.
Given the shoddy workmanship we discovered, we were not surprised. The workers must not have known how to repair or rebuild mortise-and-tenon joints. So they pulled out their trusty sawzall instead, hacked through the stiles on either side, then pulled the bottom rail off with the bottom sections of the stiles all as one piece.
Stiles are the vertical members of a door or window. Rails are the horizontal members of the door or window that form the top and bottom of a door or window
Then they cut a single piece of oak that fit the size and shape of the piece they had removed.
Not knowing that the proper way to join members of a door together is with an exterior grade yellow glue, they hoped (in vain) that 4-inch drywall screws would do the trick. This is what we humorously refer to as “desperation-repair.”
When desperation does the repair work:
- Longer is better than shorter.
- More is better than fewer.
- Thicker is better than thinner.
But desperation is no substitute for skill and experience.
As we will demonstrate, the proper repair would have began with rebuilding the mortise-and-tenon joints, then securing them with high quality, exterior-grade carpenter’s glue. Such a repair is both durable and reversible. (Why not Gorilla Glue??? Maybe it’s okay if what’s being repaired is throw-away particle board. But historic architectural elements need to outlast any given repair. The preservation/restoration principle at work here is that, whenever possible, the repair should be similar to the original structure and should be reversible so that future repairs can be made without destroying original material.
We Began Preparing The Door For A Proper Restoration
After removing the failed repair piece, we dismantled the door completely. We then stripped everything down to bare wood. Scarf repairs were employed to rebuild the stiles.
To make a scarf repair, rotted wood is removed, the end of the solid wood is cut to a smooth, glueable edge, and new wood is spliced onto the original piece, glued tight, then held together with clamps until the glue cures. Why not replace the stiles with whole, rather than spliced pieces? The restoration principle at play here is that one should preserve as much original material as possible.
Despite Obstacles, Skilled Craftspersons Employed a Time-Honored Solution
Given the damage done by the previous repair, we were not able to rebuild a fully housed mortise-and-tenon joint. So we settled for joining the stiles and bottom rail with a blind mortise-and-tenon joint.
A Custom Stain Mix Enabled Us to Blend the New with the Old Wood.
After completing additional repairs, we stained the new wood to blend with the original wood, then refinished the doors and door frame and reinstalled the doors.
“It is with pleasure and sincere conviction that I write in appreciation for the restoration work of Oak Brothers!
Our Parish Church of the Atonement is a historical structure with aged oak doors that are now irreplaceable. Through the years they had received repair work that had eventually done more damage to the doors than the century aging and use.
Oak Brothers offered us the research to accompany their excellence in craftsmanship which lead to the full restoration and repair of our beautiful doors. They are, indeed, our legacy of the generosity of those who gave us this incredible landmark and gift. Oak Brothers not only restored our doors but offered the instruction and inspiration for the stewardship of the doors for yet the next generation. Thank you Oak Brothers!”
-Father John David van Dooren
Episcopal Church of Atonement | Chicago
Restore the Architectural Appeal of Your Doors
We use the highest quality materials on the market that are appropriate to the age of your building and doors. We integrate both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the door restoration process so that your doors are both welcoming and secure while simultaneously contributing to the architectural integrity of your historic building. And we offer enhancements that can turn drab doorway into grand entranceways!