Wooden front door has splits in panels- repair or replace?

[Amanda G.]

I was at my new project at the right time of day yesterday to notice daylight coming through the front door. It is a four panel wood door and two of the panels have splits in the wood. Can this be solved with wood putty and paint, or am I looking at needing to replace it? B/C neighborhood, so it isn't about high-end aesthetics.

[Bradley A.]

@Amanda G.

Hard to know for sure without seeing the severity of the check, but I’d suggest automotive bondo and exterior paint to repair. We’ve used this method for many similar exterior repairs with success.

If the check (crack in the center of a board) is severe, though, you may want to replace the door rather than deal with additional problems down the road.