lol..I like 'ghetto'…I tried wood filler last year, but that didn't hold. I will try the caulk method. The old door has such character, it's worth try.

My first thought was to wonder if this is a seasonal problem caused by humidity/temperature changes. Caulk sounds like a good idea, klem1... more flexible, yes?

The door does suffer extreme temperatures! It bakes in the sun and freezes in winter. My house faces west. I do have a storm door.

"more flexible, yes?"

Yes

The panel is supposed to "float" in the frame to accommodate seasonal movement. Someone probably painted it in, effectively gluing it to the frame. When the humidity went down the panel shrank and since it couldn't move, split. Removing the panel, repairing the split and then putting it back in so that it can again move as it needs to will solve the problem.

The door was painted on the other side years ago. I was planning to paint it again this year.

Removing panels sounds like a costly job for professionals. I am not gifted with repairs. Is that worth the trouble for an old, common door? Or should I just bite the bullet and replace with a new security door?

"Removing panels sounds like a costly job for professionals. I am not gifted with repairs. Is that worth the trouble for an old, common door? Or should I just bite the bullet and replace with a new security door?"

Truer words were never uttered but before you go off to purchase the new door enlighten me if you will please. I injoy helping people and am constantly trying to improve on analyzing their problems by what they say. Practical or not,what did you invision might be done when you put this before us? And at how much effort,useing what level of skill? My reason for asking revolve's around the caulking remedy. It's as simple as falling off a log and IMO,done with just average care the cracks all but disappear. I wager that out of the first 10 people through the door,8 never notice , one of the other two is a woodworker/finisher and the other is someone who just looks for things in friend's homes. I'm simply wondering how simply the solution must be and how good it must look to be "worth the trouble". Thanks for reciprocating.

Your climate might dictate different considerations. If you are someplace warm then caulking will be fine. If you are someplace cold and this is an exterior door, as it appears to be, then you might want to consider a better insulated replacement door. Even in the -10 degree weather we're enjoying right now caulking will be better than a gaping hole!

With regard to difficulty, I've had doors made two different ways; if the panel is trapped in a dado in solid wood then taking it out and fixing it is a fairly sophisticated task. If it is held in with a molding that is nailed to the frame on one side, then not so hard.

I have a door like that. I filled in the cracks with a close match of silicon exterior caulk.

You are correct on difficulty level being proportional to dado vs molding holding panel in place. I'm not so sure climate make's much difference with this repair. Any"whoo",in hopes someone walk's away with something they can use some day. Unless a door came off Daniel Webster's boyhood home or is falling apart anyhow,here's how I usually handle dadoed if customer want's it undetectable. First make certain there are no metal fastener or nails. Set guide for top bearing router bit and remove as few sides as required to remove panel. Reglueing panel is something any woodworker know's so I'll skip those details. Long ago I bought a contraption from Sears that fit's a 10" radial or table saw to cut molding profiles. It's near worthless and dangerious but just the ticket here. I can cut any profile desired as long as it's 1&1/2" or less wide. I transfer profile to steel blanks then grind on an old key machine. If you have one you can do the same on a bench grinder useing a carbide cutter wheel in place of the stone. Cut profile on edge of a board then rip it off. Again at this point any woodworker know's the rest of procedure. I suppose one could have the profile custom ground in a router bit if they desired. If you were lucky a bit from a door kit might be the same but I have never been that lucky. Maybe that will come in handy for someone faced with a similar job.

I like the simple solution of silicon exterior caulk. I will do that this spring. Thank you, lazy_gardens and klem1. I tried 'wood filler' last year but that just didn't get it.

Someone had suggested that I have the panels removed and re-glued…that was just too much effort. I figured that someone would have a 'trick' for my problem instead of replacing the door!