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Sometimes splits develop in the panels of old doors.

The solution varies according to whether the door is painted or natural wood.

Painted door

On a painted door, fill the crack with a two part epoxy filler and paint over it.

Natural wood door

On a door where the filler will show, you must drive dowels into the edge of the door to press against the edges of the panel and close the crack.

Method

1 First clean out any old paint and filler from the crack.

2 Using an auger bit, drill two or three 6mm diameter holes through the edge of the door stile to line up with the edge of the panel. Measure the thickness of the stile and mark the auger bit with a piece of tape to avoid drilling too far.

3 Cut some 6mm dowels about 19mm longer than the width of the stiles.

4 Inject PVA wood glue into the crack in the panel and into the holes in the stile. Drive the dowels into the holes so they press against the edge of the panel and close the crack. Sash cramps can be used to squeeze the dowels inwards.

5 Clean off surface adhesive with a damp cloth, and leave the protruding dowel until the glue has set, then trim it off flush with the door.