Repair of wet rot in hardwood exterior door

[tc71]

Hi there

I'm a newbie DIYer and saw that the window bead on my back door was rotting.

When I peeled off the beading - the rot had gone into the body of the door.

I'm going to treat the wood with wet rot and use stabiliser.

My question is should I

- fill the hole with some wood after straightening out the edge of the hole and attach with epoxy resin
OR
- fill the hole as is with epoxy resin using a bead as a straight edge to work to
OR
- get a professional in

thanks for any advice

 

[jj4091]

Depends how particular and thorough you are. You should be able to do a reasonable job with your first suggestion and some filler to make good the left had beading.

 

[accelerator]

I would be inclined to cut out the rotten wood in a rectangular section, then replace with a new bit of wood that I glued in, and use a filler to cover the gaps.

Alternatively, you could gouge out all the rotten wood, then use epoxy to make good, but you'd need some sort of mould to make it look nice, see:

 

[accelerator]

It looks like what has happened on your door is the window putty has failed, and you would also have to redo that.

 

[tc71]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Great service

That video makes it look so easy!

It wasn't puttied in - there was a wooden bead that had been attached with sealant and steel pins.

The sealant didn't do a good job and the pins also corroded so probably took moisture down

What's the best tool to straigten out the hole? would it be one of those multi tools?

Is it worth spending a lot on those or just go for a budget model. Happy for it to be corded

 

[accelerator]

Yes, an oscillating multi tool would be a good choice.

If you want something cheaper, then a small Japanese saw should work.

 

[LeonUk111]

It looks like the rot has spread into the body of the door, so you definitely want to make sure it's treated properly. For the repair options you're considering, both of the ideas could work, but it depends on how deep the rot goes and how much strength the door needs.

If the rot hasn't spread too far and you're able to clear out most of it, using a wood filler or epoxy resin can be a good option. The first method of filling with wood after straightening out the hole and then sealing with resin can work well, especially if the rot is more on the surface. It would give the door more structure and you wouldn’t need to rely entirely on the resin for filling.

The second option of just using resin with a bead to create a straight edge could work too, especially for a smoother finish. But if the rot is deeper, it may be better to go with a more solid wood repair, and use the resin just for reinforcing the structure.