Can a Warped Door be fixed?

I have a door in the wall around my back yard that has become warped. It’s curved along the vertical axis, so that a straight board set across it leaves about a 3/4 inch gap in the center. It is exposed on both sides (toward the stree on one side, and toward the yard on the other), and one side get’s a lot of sun, the other, not so much.

Can it be un-warped? I really love this door, it looks great, and is only 8 months old or so.

IANAC but a couple of home fried suggestions come to mind…

Could you flip and rehinge the door so that it’s now light on the side where the sun didn’t shine before?

Could the frame stops be planed to fit the curvature?

Could you wet it and flatten it with weights against a flat surface?

These are just suggestion until someone in the know comes along and trust me, they will.

-Is this an interior door used for exterior purposes?
-Is it hollow or solid?
-If it’s hollow, are the interior members warped? or is it the entire door?
-Is it splitting on the convex side?
-Is it picking up moisture from the ground?

The thing is… you need to know WHY it’s warping so that you can un-warp it. Frankly, I think it’s doubtful.
My first thought is that it’s a door made for interior use and the moisture/heat/light/cold/etc of the outdoors has caused the wood movement. Most likely, the door has a color finish on it, but has not been sealed to keep moisture from seeping in.

If it CAN be un-warped, it would most likely be done by reversing the door and letting Mother Nature push it back the other way.
Then, once that’s done, take the door down and place it in a warm, dray area for several weeks. You want to dry it out. Lightly plane it flat. Sand it to 220 grit. Then seal it.
I’d recommend a marine finish. That way, it’ll look wonderful through all kinds of weather.

Thanks Grizz.
It’s meant to be a front door, I guess. Solid wood door, it seems as if the entire door has curved. No splitting noticible. It was stained with a combination stain/sealant. It is not in contact with the ground, and is hung over a tile/cement area. It rained a little bit last week, which is when the curvature became most noticible.

If it’s only 8 months old and an exterior door, could you have it replaced under warranty? Some companies have performance guarantees with their doors against fading, warping, or cracking (but usually with lots of fine print).

Yes, it should be replaced, wood usually can not be “unwarped.” With time, it may go back but during the “curing” stage after the moisture has affected it, it will still have some warpage to it.

Your best bet is to contact the manufacturer directly, have the reciept of who you bought it from, most door manufacturers have excellent warranties. If in eight months it has warped, they may have had a bad stock of lumber from their mill, not the right amount % of moisture content. Here in Colorado my dad’s company would mill their wood (and only accept it) if the % was between 14 and 17% because we are so dry here.

Your description of the door and the damage do not allow a proper diagnosis here.
More facts are needed.

The Door:
When you say the door is solid wood I think perhaps you mean solidcore.
Solid core doors are typically constructed of three different types of materials:
**1-**a core:two types of material are often used here
a-particleboard(the most common)
**b-**solid wood(laminated like a butcher block,i.e.in thin strips.This is called a “stave core”)
**2-**a solid wood edging around the core
**3-**a thin plywood glued onto each face of the door(This facing is 1/8" thick and is called “doorskin”.)

If you look at the edge of the door you will be able to discern the edge of the doorskin if there is one.

Next,you can determine the core material by looking inside the hole that was cut to insert the lockset.I am refering to the 2 1/8" diameter hole that is located approximately 36"up from the ground.(The doorknob is mounted here)

These pointers will help you better identify the door for those of us who are trying to answer you.

The Damage:
**1-**Did you write that the door was curved vertically?
**2-**Did you mean that the straight board used to determine the curve would be placed on the top and bottom of the door,revealing a gap at waist height or so?

Conditions not Mentioned in your OP:
**1-**Is there an overhanging canopy or roof of any kind?In other words,is the door exposed to rainwater directly?

Some Things to Know About Doors/Wood
**1-**Doors can aquire a lenthwise curve when stored improperly.i.e.leaned at an angle against a wall or something like that.
**2-**Wood will expand when exposed to water,particularly if the water is allowed to linger.
a-Picture a dried out sponge placed in a small puddle of water.As the water is sucked up into the cells,the sponge will grow before you eyes.That happens with wood as well,just not so quickly.
1-The greatest axis of expansion will be across the grain.
**b-**Particleboard will expand a great deal,and having no grain,it will simply expand outward radially from the source of the water.(This weighs rather heavily toward your door being particleboard,since the curve is lengthwise)
**3-**The dry parts will not expand.Dry is a reletive term here,but if one side is dry and the other side is wet,it does demonstrate why the door would curve.

You mentioned that one side gets more sun than the other.This may affect the dry/wet phenomenon that I am referring to.The wet side,because it has expanded,will be the long side,or outside of the curve.See if that’s what is happening.Free movement of air is another very important factor.If one side has stagnant air(encouraging water buildup)and the other side has a moving current of air(drying it out)this too can lend a clue.

I think your door is perhaps unsalvageable,but it’s hard to tell.The suggestions made to turn it around,or plane a curve in the stops are good ones if you decide to keep it.You will definately need to put a marine varnish finish on it at any rate.The stain/sealer type products are never going to offer that level of protection,and that’s what you’ll need.A roof of some kind to protect the top of the door from direct contact with falling rain and dew will help immeasurably as well.This can be as simple as a small board nailed atop the door itself with a pointed shape(like a roof)and a dripcap cut on each edge.

If you you do decide to replace it I hope my points will help you to better preserve your next door.

Thanks techchick.
Unfortunately the warranty basically says that it is void unless the door is kept in a temperature controlled vault. (Well, actually, it requires a 4 foot overhang, and doesn’t allow you to install it outdoors).