Fixing rotting exterior door frame

[EddieWalker]

Since several of you suggested the exterior filler, I think I will give it a try first and keep a close eye ont the repair afterwards. I'll probably spray some wood preservative in for added protection and then fill much of the void with hardware cloth ( and attach it inside the void with a nail or two) to give the filler something to hold onto.

I will definitely caulk it first thing after I get it filled so this doesn't happen again!

It sounds like you have a good understanding of what happened and how it could have been prevented. Rain comes at a house from every angle, and it there is a place that is holding water, it will cause problems.

I don't know this for a fact, but I wouldn't take the chance of mixing chemicals in a simple repair like yours. Putting a wood preservative might, and I say 'Might' cause the Bondo to not adhear to the wood as strong as it would if it was just plain wood.

Using hardware clothe,(not sure what this is exactly) can only create a void or cavity for future problems. For the Bondo to work properly, it needs to fill in every little nook and cranny of space you are filling. Only when the wood is in full contact with the Bondo, can you know that moisture will never be a problem again.

Use screws instead of nails. They are stronger, offer more surface area and you can control how deep they go in. If you need to adjust them, it's very simple.

There's no reason to caulk Bondo as it's stonger and even more impervious to the elements then caulk or silicone. If you still have some exposed wood at the threshhold, then caulk that, but there's no reason to caulk the Bondo.

Be sure to buy real Bondo. Walmart sells a cheaper version, but it's not as good. Spend the $10 for a small can or $20 for a big gallon can at Home Depot and you'll be much happier with your results.

Eddie

 

[KYErik]

Thanks for the warning about the generic bondo- I had some walmart stuff in the garage and was going to use it this afternoon. I'll be sure and buy some Bondo brand before I start.

I'll also leave the wood preservative out.

I will definitely use screws. Probably drywall screws since they have the phosphate coating that drywall mud can adhere to. Hopefully bondo can stick to the coating just as well.

This is what we call hardware cloth over in these parts:

http://unexco.com/hwrcloth.jpg

Its pretty much just heavy duty screen wire.

One last question- is it OK to paint bondo with latex paint? Or will I need to use oil based paint?

 

[EddieWalker]

Bondo can be painted with just about anything. It holds paint extremly well. One of the big advantages to it over replacing the rot with another piece of wood is ther eis no seam. Bondo sands perfectly smooth and there is no seam from where the wood ends and the Bondo begins.

Just about any screw should be fine. The idea is to give the Bondo more areas to hold onto when building it up. The thicker you put it on, the easier it is to break off. I've never seen it break off, but I've always used screws, as that is how it was shown to me.

Seriously, there are ALLOT of older homes that are patched this wall all the time. There are also special wood filler products that are made for wood restoration and are marketed to older home owners for just this reason, but it's expensive and no better then regular Bondo.

Eddie

 

[Coyote]

One little piece of advice. It can be tough to get a smooth finish on the filler material. Luckily you've got a painted surface there and not stain. Caulk and paint are a carpenters friend! I say all this because I had a similar issue. I was never happy with the filler repair and ended up tearing it out and replacing the entire piece of wood, but I'm picky and plan to live in this house until they carry me out!