Doors, Doors, and More Door Repairs | Killay, Swansea | Handyman Near Me

An old door, starting to separate.

Last year, I helped an elderly couple with a few small jobs, and fortunately, I was able to do the work with no charge after learning that the 87-year-old wife was a full-time carer for her husband.

They contacted me again recently to take a look at a door or two at their home in Killay; a lovely old Georgian house.

In total, we counted seven doors that needed attention in one way or another. The biggest problem was one of the bedroom doors had started separating …

You can see the extent of the damage here.

Other problems ranged from an outside shed door that was starting to rot, a few misaligned latches and security bolts, and a gap between the door and frame that was large enough to fit my fingers in! (And believe me, I have fat sausage fingers!)

It’s worth saying at this point that we didn’t want to replace the traditional and original doors with new; this was all about originality and doing the best to make them work and fit as they should.

Door Separation

After removing the bedroom door and lugging it downstairs to the garden, where I had my portable work stands setup, I was able to properly assess the damage, and figure out a solution.

Over the years, the door had dried out and started to bowing and warping, which had led to the door components starting to pull apart.

I cleaned the joints and removed any loose debris, old glue, and dust, then used an adhesive that forms a bond stronger than the wood itself.

Using two sash cramps to pull the gaps together, I then drilled two holes at an angle and inserted a bespoke 8mm wooden dowel in each hole, with a liberal coating of adhesive.

Two wooden dowels, inserted at an angle.

I left the door until the last job, just to allow time for the adhesive to cure properly, and then refitted.

Aside from the two wooden dowels in the spine of the door (which of course had been cut flush), you wouldn’t know it has been repaired. A repair which will last for another decade at least.

20 minutes of hoovering later (with my good old trusty Henry hoover), and the property was left clean & tidy, with the only sign of me being there is seven doors that fit and work as they should!

Contact Me

If you have doors that don’t fit, problems with your plumbing, or walls that need painting, why not [contact me] for a free, no obligation quote.