How to Fix a Badly Warped Pine Door

Pine is a soft wood. If it has not been sealed correctly, water will seep into the pores or grains in a hewn piece of pine, creating a warp in the wood. Warping is a common problem for unsealed pine doors. If a pine door's warp is less than a half-inch off of center, it can typically be fixed. However, if the warping is more serious than that, you'll need to replace the door. Once you are done fixing the door, the final step -- sealing the wood -- will prevent future warping.

Screwdriver
Wood planer
Level
Polyurethane
Paintbrush

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the door from its hinges, using a screwdriver. Turn the screws counter-clockwise to loosen them. Place the hardware aside in a safe place so you will not lose it. Put the door on a flat work surface.
- 2
  Plane the warped area of the wood with a hand planer. You will be taking only a small amount of wood off at a time -- do not gouge the wood. Run the planer over the warped area smoothly to get even cuts.
- 3
  Check with a level to see if you've removed the entire warp. Lay a level on top of the area you just planed. It may never read exactly level, depending on the amount of damage to the door, but it should be close. If it is still off, plane the wood again and continue checking until it is as close to level as possible.
- 4
  Seal the door with polyurethane. Apply at least one coat of polyurethane to the bottom of the door. Let this dry for four to six hours or until it is no longer tacky to the touch.
- 5
  Rehang the door on its hinges. You may need to have a friend help you hold the door in place while you reattach the screws. Open and close the door to make sure it does not bind in the threshold, at the top or on the sides. If it does, tighten or loosen the screws accordingly.

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