How to Fix a Wooden Door Warped by Summer Heat

It’s hard to beat the classic look and feel of a solid wood front door, but they’re not perfect. Wooden exterior doors are especially susceptible to warpage caused by heat, which can be a major inconvenience. Warped doors allow air to come into your house or get out of your house. It also can let in things like rodents and bugs.

But the good news is that there are ways that you can fix a door that’s warped. This will help you with saving the frustration of putting a new door in, not to mention the money and time. With some elbow grease and patience, you can quickly fix the warped door.

What Causes Warped Doors?

Improper sealing, excessive moisture, and heat can cause cracks, warped doors, and the issue usually involves two or more of those factors.

Warped doors may return to their proper shape once the pressure is no longer applied, but by and large, warped doors stay warped until you fix them.

What’s Needed for Fixing Warped Doors

• 2 sawhorses
• Something heavy, like a 50-pound bag of sand
• A screwdriver
• Sandpaper
• Big blanket or heavy towels
• Paintbrush
• Varnish

Fixing a Door that’s Warped

Once you’ve gathered the above supplies, fixing your warped door is easy. Before removing the door from its hinges put both of the sawhorses anywhere from 4-5 feet apart, somewhere covered. Remove your door using the screwdriver and lay the door across your sawhorses. Make sure that the door’s bowed side is facing up. Once the door’s put on your sawhorses, take the sandpaper and sand the door’s bottom and top.

Steps to Repair & Flatten the Warped Door

Once you have taken the door off its hinges and it’s been sanded, check and see the amount it’s been warped. After you’ve decided on its damage level, you will know the methods to use. If the door’s only warped a little bit, take your heavy item and place it across the warped area. Leave it on your door for around 24 hours or long enough for the warp to be totally gone. If the door’s warped badly wet the blankets or heavy towels, then lay them only on the area that’s warped. Every day, wet them again and add 5-10 pounds to your door until it’s totally straight once again. Once you’ve chosen the method for flattening your door, it’s necessary to wait until the door’s dry and then put 1-2 coats of varnish on your door to ensure the warp’s not going to happen again.

There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing that your beautiful wooden door has been warped. But the good news is that you can usually fix it yourself, as we have shown you above. It just will take some time, some good old-fashioned work and some patience. But it’s also going to save you a lot of money since you don’t have to worry about replacing the door. So, if you notice a warped door, don’t fear. You can fix it yourself and have it looking as good as new. Just follow our steps above and you’ll have your door looking great in no time at all.