Most of the time years of paint or caulking the seams around the panels will cause the wood to stick and not allow the panel to expand and contract with the weather.
How to stop wooden door panels from cracking after painting.
If the painted door is sticking to the frame because of climate changes the door will eventually contract and the sticking will be reduced or eliminated.
However when we build our own paint grade doors we apply plenty of glue and virtually never have any cracking problems at the stile rail joint.
An unsealed or old door can absorb moisture leading to drying and cracking of the wood when the door dries out.
If your cracks are larger you could use wood putty or a combination of glue or sawdust to plug the gap before painting.
How to fix cracks in door panels without taking the door apart wooden doors will develop cracks over time especially if the panels aren t free to expand and contract.
You can probably knock out painting a full panel in about five minutes less if you only have small cracks on a few sides.
Next whip out your paintbrush and paint the door.
Use a small razor blade to shave away the old paint and then use sandpaper to gently sand the area you ve cleared.
It is typical to have cracking at the panel frame joint.
How to clean wooden doors.
Painting a smooth door gives paint better contact.
Sand away bumps and lumps to allow the paint to dry smoothly lessening the chances of the freshly painted door sticking to the jamb.
If the door has been properly sealed moisture absorption shouldn t be a problem.