On Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:53:12 -0500, dpb wrote:

As noted, I've done this numerous times over the years--it's not really
that hard; just takes some patience. It also doesn't take much to put a
tubafor on the edge of a piece of flakeboard or similar and mount the
hinges from the door to it to have a temporary working "door" to cover
the hole if can't dedicate the time to doing it in one session (or, if
this is your first excursion into doing something of the sort it'll take
a while to feel your way along).

Another poster mentioned driving long screws thru the stiles into the
rails--I'd recommend not but if push comes to shove you _can_ drill for
1/2" dowels after cleaning up and drawing back together and squaring up
and then glue them in. They'll hold much longer than the screw that
will tend to flex. BTW, here's the place for the Titebond III
"waterproof" glue--it's stand up to the dampness well as won't get wet.

The other thing I don't like about the screws in such places in repair
of doors (and replacing the bottom inch or so of a door is another
place) is that they're potential gotcha's if come back and need to trim
or plane that edge that the dowel isn't.

It's doable, just have to jump in and give it a go... OBTW, heat is
a help on many of the glues used and you can also likely do well enough
even if you can only spread the bottom and maybe the second rail
sufficient to get them apart and not break the full stile completely
free. How much you need depends on whether they used full or long
tenons or whether they're stub tenons only.

Sounds like good advice and is appreciated, but I'm working under
constraints. I'm in poor health, and we've recently been hit by
a vicious heat wave. Right now I'm looking for a Screen Door Turnbuckle
that'll make the door work for, say, 1-12 weeks, after which I'll
likely attempt the rework per your and others suggestions.

Thanks,
P

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."