Unbowing a Front Door

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted User 298457
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Deleted User 298457

Deleted User 298457

Hi chaps. I've had a few quotes for a front door and in all honesty, my solid timber door is fine. It's just bowed at the bottom, and ideally it could open the other way.

Is there any tips to unbowing it? Presumably that'll be step one before attempting to switch how it opens.

Thanks
 
In what direction is it bowed? Twisted? Or warped?

Pic? I took an old wooden door off a few years ago, and dried it out in the sun with some weights over some trestles. Had the desired effect - luckily had a good week of sun. Think it was more luck than anything!

If it’s a proper solid timber door, trim the bowed section off and make up a new section, dowel it on / domino it on - good sand and fill and paint.

However, you’d not have a door for the duration.

As for flipping it round - you’d have to move all your hardware, remortise the hinges, - might be more of a ballache.

best of luck though!
 
itsallaboutyou said:
In what direction is it bowed? Twisted? Or warped?

Pic? I took an old wooden door off a few years ago, and dried it out in the sun with some weights over some trestles. Had the desired effect - luckily had a good week of sun. Think it was more luck than anything!

If it’s a proper solid timber door, trim the bowed section off and make up a new section, dowel it on / domino it on - good sand and fill and paint.

However, you’d not have a door for the duration.

As for flipping it round - you’d have to move all your hardware, remortise the hinges, - might be more of a ballache.

best of luck though!
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Just the bottom, I'd say by a minor amount. Pics below - thanks!

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gyezDGI.jpeg


I'm thinking I may just put a deadbolt on the bottom left and put it on each night?
 
Could be a solution in the short term that! Deffo. I estimate there’s about 4 bazillion layers of paint on that door?! A good chemical strip and a sand might just sort it all out! But again - you’d be without a door!

Deadbolt sounds like a good plan!
 
Dead bolt is a good call. Does it have a weather strip in the outside. If not you could add one made from a very dense hardwood and see if the fasters attaching it can provide enough force to remove the bow.

The dead bolt is the easiest idea. A few weather cycles with it routine clamped and the stresses might relieve.
 
:cry:

I haven't even got to the rear yet but that thing doesn't even open when it rains... :cry::cry::cry:

It makes the abhorrent margins that the door companies make on UPVC doors almost seem worth it :D
 
This nonsense is why wooden external doors are now banned in my life. Had loads of them, slowly replaced everything with composite or UPVC depending on how it needs to look. They come pre hung and complete so are a fairly easy DIY to swap in. :)
 
Jez said:
This nonsense is why wooden external doors are now banned in my life. Had loads of them, slowly replaced everything with composite or UPVC depending on how it needs to look. They come pre hung and complete so are a fairly easy DIY to swap in. :)
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This is already my feeling, having done a single one myself from a blank door. The effort in sizing, adjusting, fitting, decorating etc far exceeded the end result. And then the ******* thing changed shape when winter came :mad:
 
Yep, nightmare and not worth it. They are also far better thermally, never need painting, and with the added bonus (although moot where i live as we don't really need to lock up around here) is that they are far more secure.
 
Is it possible for a normal human to order a PVC door and self-fit? Lots of barriers to entry around here where you need to be an approved fitter etc...
 
dLockers said:
Is it possible for a normal human to order a PVC door and self-fit? Lots of barriers to entry around here where you need to be an approved fitter etc...
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yup - however, when I did our bifolds - I had to have building control come round to issue the certificate. Think it was about £250?

but definitely doable.

often worth doing a few BC bits and get them to do it all in one!
 
dLockers said:
Is it possible for a normal human to order a PVC door and self-fit? Lots of barriers to entry around here where you need to be an approved fitter etc...
Click to expand...
From what my father in law says it pays to know the right people i.e. go direct to PVC supplier. Can't remember if that was just for better prices though.
 
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