In terms of general construction - The vertical wood parts are called stiles. The horizontal parts are called rails. If the door is divided into multiple panels, it would have additional vertical components in the middle called mullions.

If all of the pieces are intact but just shrunk or shifted slightly over time, you can just take it apart, glue glue up the stiles and rails, clamp it back together until the glue sets, and you'll have your permanent repair. If you don't want to glue it, an alternative is to clamp it up square and then replace the damaged mechanical fasteners in the corners. The fasteners themselves probably didn't fail and have probably just shaken loose over time and damaged the wood immediately around them. You would have to remove the fasteners, fill the holes with epoxy, re-drill and replace the fasteners.

If one of the "tonges" from the rail is broken off in the stile, repair ranges from relatively easy to "complete pain in the butt" depending on their shape. If it is a standard rectangle, you are in luck. You can route out the rectangle that was originally there in the stile and then route an identical one in the rail. Then cut a piece of wood that is twice the size of the original "tongue" so they fit together like [-]. This will provide plenty of surface area to glue everything back together.

If you are comfortable will basic woodworking, you can repair a door. You'll need to take your time taking it apart so you don't damage any other pieces and you'll definitely need to take your time squaring it up when putting it back together. Before you attempt any repair though, I'd head to the library and pick up a book on cabinet making. The principles are exactly the same for making a cabinet door as they are for making a door for a room.

You can also go to an architectural salvage place. Most that I've been to have tons of doors in various shapes and sizes. If you aren't comfortable with the repair, how about a recycled door?

I'm working on two old door repairs right now. I've never done this in my life and have had to do research as well as learn via trial and error. My doors have water damage in addition to loose stiles and joints and inches of various paint compounds. I'm repairing the doors, then shellacing.

It's time consuming, but not as difficult as you may think, but it may take longer than you anticipate. Be sure you have a back up plan to the door (ie: if it's a front door for example) as you may not finish it with your preferred time frame.

Below are some links that I found helpful.

http://www.oldhouseweb.com/how-to-advice/how-to-fix-old-doors.shtml

--pictures of step by step repairs to old door repair

http://www.am-wood.com/joints/joints.html

--basic woodworking tips (for us weekend warriors...)

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/step/0,,20182964_1096365,00.html

-helpful how to stain an old door

http://www.advancedrepair.com/architectural_epoxy/ART_system_faq.htm

--info on wood repair using epoxy; has lots of good info beyond the product info

If all else fails, you can probably buy a replacement via a salvage yard or eBay.

Good luck!

The doors all have two solid wood panels with decorative pyramid shaped bevelling that runs from top to bottom. So there are two stiles with a mullion in the middle, and one rail at the top and another, the wider one at the bottom. The problem appears to be that every one of the tongues on each rail (the top one has one tongue and the bottom one has two) are broken off in the stile at the side of the door that has the knob and latch.

Thanks. That gives me an idea of what needs to be done to make a full restoration. If I can't round up the woodworking tools to do it at home, at least I can take the door or the parts to a woodworking shop and tell them exactly what I want done.

The best wood filler I have come up with is to take "Liquid Wood" epoxy wood consolidant and mix it with fine sawdust until a thick pasty consistency is formed, and use it like plastic wood. The problem I have had with commercially prepared fillers is that when a large void is filled, the compound tends to shrink and leave a crack around the original hole, sometimes even allowing the entire piece of hardened filler to fall out.

I would never even attempt to find identical doors at a salvage yard. I suspect these doors are unique to the house, which was built just before or just after the Civil War.

Hi Don,

Wow! I agree...that would be tough to find identical doors from the Civil War era, especially inexpensive ones.

Can you post a picture of your doors? I'd love to see them.

I think with any restoration project, you sometimes have to let go of restoring an item to flawless perfection which is difficult to do. Sometimes, it helps to remind yourself that while it won't be 'perfect', it's a beautiful architectual piece that has survived this long.

Its generally possible to make permanent, structural repairs to damaged wood joints with dowels and epoxy glue. I think that you will have to disassemble the doors to see exactly what needs fixing. We have wooden storm windows with mortise and tenon construction, and I have repaired several of these by drilling out the damaged or rotted part, and fitting appropriate sized dowels, with plenty of epoxy.

When she was a teenager and first lived with us our foster daughter kicked one panel door and punched another, making holes and splinter wood. Even for our 1920s house finding something near the right size that is as nice isn't too likely, at least not here in the hinterlands (I did check the one architectural salvage place, lots of doors, no matches.) My dh repaired them with an epoxy product made by Abatron. It cost about $90 at the time, which was almost 15 years ago. Taking the doors apart would have been a huge job. Because they are painted doors, you can't see the damage at all.
Good luck
kathy

Don't glue the panels into the framework of the door.

That's a recipe for the panels splitting as they expand and contract.