door security wrap around plates

[m beezo]

I have a customer who had a door kicked in last week. The door is original to the house, is 42 x 84 by 1 3/4 thick oak. The door cracked at the lockset about 15 inches down. Instead of replacing the door they were looking for some sort of mending plate. About all I have been able to find are the Mag style that wrap around the door and over the lockset. Trouble is the ones I have am familiar with are not long enough.

Anyone know of who else makes something similar or am I looing for a metal fabricating shop to bend me up some metal and do it that way?

[tjbnwi]

Re: door security wrap around plates

beez,

I had to repair a stile on a 4 panel door due to someone kicking it in. I used GRK screws through the door edge.

I counter bored with a Fostner bit then pre- drilled from the edge into the stile, make sure the hole is a smaller diameter than the screw, spread the crack, injected Tite Bond 3, clamped and drove the screws. Wiped off the squeeze out. I was able to get 2- 14" long screws through the stile and into the rail, the rest were 3 1/2 or 4 inches.

You do not need to pre-drill with these screws, I just felt better doing so. In the oak, with its grain I would highly recommend it. Lube the screw, I just use a toilet wax ring (unused preferably) stick the screw in it and you're good to go. Plug or fill the screw counter bore. Worked extremely well.

The screws;

http://www.grkfasteners.com/en/RSS_1_2_information.htm

Tom

[hdrider_chgo]

Re: door security wrap around plates

Are you talking about these?

http://www.don-jo.com/catalog/pdfs/w...und_plates.pdf

Kind of ugly, but they do work. Tom's suggestion is a good one, and I have used that approach as well.

[m beezo]

Re: door security wrap around plates

HD,
That is what I was talking about. I had only seen them in 9 and 12 inch lenghts. They seem to have a pretty wide variety. Funny but I had never heard of these guys. Mag seems to be the big brand here.

I agree that they are not the best looking thing. I may try to screw and clamp it togehter first. Part of why I was thinking about doing the wrap around plate is that the door has had the locks changed on it several times it appears and is fairly worn from getting scratched up by keys and hands and I thought the plates might cover the cracked area as well as hide some of the abuse.

Thanks.

[dave_k]

Re: door security wrap around plates

You can alway have that style of wrap around reinforcing plate made up for you. A custom stainless shop will do it for you and it isn't an unusual request. They aren't always elegant but they offer pretty good protection from a boot to the lock stile which is the weak link in securing a traditional wood door. You could always make up a couple of steel plates, through bolt them and paint them if stainless sticks out too much.

I guess what it comes down to is what you are trying to achieve with this repair. When you drill a couple of big holes for cylinder locks in a 6" lock stile there isn't much meat left to provide security. If you're aim is to provide security without changing the door then there will have to be some compromises because the only way to add any security is to reinforce the door with metal. Any repair to the wood alone isn't going to do much.

If you are trying to repair the door so it looks good and don't care about security you can get in there with carpenters glue or epoxy, some cauls and clamps. Then lots of sanding and touchup and good as new. At least until the next guy puts a boot to it.

One other option that I've used is to take a couple of those MAG saddles and cut them so the holes line up. You have to repair the wood under it first of course. It's not the prettiest solution but it works on a budget.

If you can't find a stainless fabricator try a commercial door and hardware supplier. They'll either supply it or send you on the right path

[sawdustaddict]

Re: door security wrap around plates

Personally I wouldn't sully the beauty of an old oak door, but repair it.
Spread the crack as much as possible and inject some west system epoxy. Stuff is bulletproof. Just bluetape off around the crack and all the way down the face of the door to protect against any squeezout. depending on the crack you may not even need to fix the finish.
Like tjbnwi said, counterbore some GRK screws and then plug 'em.
I predrill almost everything no matter what the screew says, I never want to be in the .001% where the work splits or cracks cuz I didn't

[m beezo]

Re: door security wrap around plates

looked at the door again the other day after I started this thread. the idea of trying to repair it is my first choice. However, the door used to have a mortise lockset in it and someone has taken that out and added a Kwickset handle and deadbolt to the door. The mortise lock hole was patched with styrofoam and wood putty. So that was already a weak spot in the door. I am now looking at trying to repair it although the guy has seen the plates and says he does not think they look that bad. Says they remind him of a large push plate. I guess it is up to him to make the final decision based on the numbers I give him for a repair versus a plate install.