When you remove rotted wood, you’re doing yourself and your home a favor: rotting wood creates inefficient door closures that let in air (and let out a/c) and you’re also making the area where the wood-rot is prettier when you repair it.
How to Begin Your Rotted Wood Repair
Removing all of the rotting wood is the first step to repairing a door with wood-rot. To do this, you will need a utility knife and/or screwdriver. Dig into the area where the rot is and eliminate all of it no matter how deep it goes — leaving any behind can cause the wood to continue rotting even after you have done all the extensive work of removing the visibly rotted wood and the makeover process (discussed below). Once you have carefully removed every single bit of wood-rot from your door, use a high-powered Shop-Vac to get into the nooks and crannies you couldn’t reach and vacuum out any leftover debris. Make sure to remove all rotten wood from the area so you have a clean workspace, as the compounds you are about to use will stick to anything and then… never unstick. Once all wood rot crumbs and fragments have been vacuumed from the door and workspace, you’re ready for the next phase.
Applying the Compounds to Fill Holes and Areas Where Door Rot Leaves Behind Empty Space
Give your entryway a facelift with epoxies and compounds that will fill the areas that are left misshapen by removing the rotted wood. Wearing nitrile or latex gloves, you’re going to apply a product called LiquidWood, which is a super-strong epoxy that comes in two separate containers: one is a resin and another is a hardener. Mix the two together in the container that comes with the product in equal parts (it is critical that you ensure the hardener and filler are mixed at an exact one-to-one ratio). Keep in mind that any liquid wood, epoxy, or other wood fillers and hardeners used are extremely difficult to remove: that means you always wear gloves when handling, and you must make sure your placement of these compounds is as near to perfect as possible. After allowing the mixture to sit for five minutes, apply it to the area with a disposable or old brush you don’t care about (because you’ll never be able to use it again) generously. Make sure you get as deep into the area as any holes go. Once you have entirely soaked the surface with the LiquidWood, allow it to sit for 10–20 minutes. Next, You will use WoodEpox, which also comes in two separate containers and should also be mixed at a perfect one-to-one ratio to Press the WoodEpox into place so that the layer of LiquidWood beneath is pushed deep into any cracks and crevices. Coat the area entirely with the well-blended WoodEpox and leave as-is — it’s okay to leave plenty behind, as you will sand it down once it is dry.
Finishing Your Wood Rot Repair
The final step of this process will have to wait 24 hours after you have applied the coat of WoodEpox. Use a handheld belt sander to sand the area down until it is flush with the rest of the door surface. Next, prime the area and allow the primer to sit for about two hours. Finally, coat with paint or stain to match the rest of the door, and your door is now as good as new.
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