In the post, Stripping Multiple Layers of Paint,  the paint is being removed off the old closet door in my office. After stripping the paint I am ready to begin repairing the door.  Old House Issue: Repairing Cracks in Wooden Door Panels. I realize that this might be a new house issue as well, however a door in a new house is a little easier to replace than one that is old and an odd size. 

I ran a sharp edge down into the cracks to open them up ever so slightly and to clean out any remaining gunk. Then I applied some Loctite glue made for exterior projects and forced it down into the cracks with a razor blade. I wanted to use something thin that would get down in there and seal the cracks. The Loctite is allowed to dry and then wood filler is applied with a putty knife to help cover and conceal the crack. After the wood filler dried I started sanding and realized that I could not sand all the way smooth because the cracks begin showing again. 

Then next step is to prime. Priming fills some minor cracks and imperfections and reveals spots that need additional filling/sanding. I realized that the wood filler had to remain a little higher than the surface of the door panel to hide the crack, so what to do?

Here is a close up of  the wood filler issue that needs additional smoothing in order to look it’s best when painted. I really didn’t like the way this looked.

Now, to let you know up front, this step was experimental. Time will tell how well it will hold up. After priming, the door still looked really rough. It needed something thicker added to it to fill in the imperfections. I have been using Patching Plaster to repair the patched plaster ceiling and the cracks in the plaster walls. I noticed that PP is thin enough to be applied with a brush. I started applying it to the door in long even strokes. After it dried I took a wet paint brush and smoothed it out even more. You can also lightly sand with a wet sander made for sanding dry wall. After this was all dry, I primed the entire door again and was very pleased.  These few extra steps really improved the appearance of the door. 

Some people might say, “You can’t apply patching plaster to a wooden door!”. Well I did and it worked. I see it sorta like a thick paint, something that covered imperfections. Not having to replace that door allows me to use money on another needed improvement that I can’t repair. Besides being able to experiment is one of the many rewards of Old House Issues! 

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