How to fix interior door?

[Jim Caldwell]

One of our bedrooms has a 32x 80 door which was damaged by our chihuahua dog. He scratched at the inside bottom of the door until large pieces of the veneer were peeled off. Don't know what wood it is on the damaged veneer, it looks like pine (same light color), but there are no knots, and it is varnished. The outside has the same finish. Can I get a new veneer large enough to cover the whole door? It would have to be the size of the entire door, so I wouldn't have to match the door color. It doesn't matter if the inside is different from the outside. Or should I replace just the door itself, or knock the whole door including the jamb out, and install a new pre-hung door?

[WasteNotWantNot]

Repairing the damage is time consuming, difficult, and iffy at best. You can take a blank door, which is cheap, and duplicate all the fittings exactly and put it right in. A plane may be necessary to trim it in tight spots. You will be more pleased with the results.

[Terry]

Jim: You'll probably have to take down the door and reinstall it after gluing a new veneer to it! The new veneer may, ever so slightly, thicken the door so you might have to adjust either the hinges or the door stops as you reinstall. If the veneer glue has to dry over night you may be doorless for 24 hours or so! Therefore a new door may be a quicker fix and cheaper! Obedience training the dog is likely to cost more! Depending on at what height the dog damage is maybe one of those metal 'kick plates' sometimes used on commercial doors might be the answer? But, if for example, brass are expensive, costing more than a typical interior door. Use of a prehung door/box suggests ripping out the existing and adjacent wall refinishing, another cost and time/repainting? Build a dog kennel? Leash the dog?

[peter]

I disagree with other responders. I have put new veneer on doors. It is not that hard a job.

There is an easier fix, however. Get a piece of wood large enough to cover the damage, perhaps cut it in a pleasing shape, finish it nicely, perhaps put molding around the edge or router the edge, and install it over the damaged section. Make it look like it belongs there. If you use oak, the dog will have to work a lot harder to damage it again.

Good luck,

Peter