Expert: Dan Griffin - 1/17/2010

Question
QUESTION: I have a set of french doors going from my kitchen out to my deck.They have 2 /2x10's as a header laying vertically. Both outside corners are buckling on the door panels, why is this happening?

ANSWER: Tammy, I'm confused.  Is the header buckling or are the doors buckling?  If it is the doors, what about them is "buckling"?  Are the top outside corners of the doors being crushed? Is the header sagging in the middle and pushing down on the doors? I assume the header is hidden on the outside by siding or brick and hidden on the inside by drywall.  If the header was framed properly, it has king studs going up to the top plate at each end of the header and one or more jack studs under each end of the header.  All kings and jacks go down and rest on the bottom plate which will bear on the slab or floor framing.  If the bottom plate or wood in the sill area is getting wet and rotting, it could be the cause of the settlement.

Without more information, I can't diagnose much without seeing it.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY.IT IS THE OUTSIDE CORNERS OF THE DOOR PANELS THAT ARE BUCKLING. THE KING AND JACK STUDS ARE IN PLACE PROPERLY.THERE IS NO MOISTER ON BOTTOM PLATE AND THEY ARE ABOUT 4 YEARS OLD.IF YOU LOOK AT THE DOORS IT IS THE TOP OUTSIDE CORNERS THAT ARE BUCKLING TO YOUR RIGHT AND LEFT.TAMMY

ANSWER: Tammy, make sure the doors are an exterior grade door. All edges and exposed faces need to be sealed and protected.  It sounds as if water is getting into the structure of the door somehow.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dan,my husband just told me that all out side corners are buckling even the bottom outside corners. They are exterior grade and its the interior part that is buckling. Could the bottom plate be swelling from excess moisture this winter? Its been the rainiest winter i have seen in a long time and has gotten down to freezing several times.Tammy

Answer
Tammy, it sounds like a "raised panel" door.  The panels are swelling larger than the reabbets in the frame.  This is a common problem with raised panels.  Contact the door manufacturer.  The panels shrink and grow with the moisture content, your panels don't have enough room to expand to their fullest size.  This is not necessarily a problem with the sealing or the finish on the doors, though it can certainly increase or accelerate the problem.  If these are fairly new doors, the manufacturer should replace the doors.