Door jamb repair

[Sailor]

Looking for a temporary fix for a rotting door jamb. The rotted area is about 3 inches long at the very bottom. It has been suggested that 'Bondo' be used to fill the gap;but, after reading the directions on the can it seems to me that 'Bondo' should not be used for that large a gap. Also, the rapid hardening time of 'Bondo' makes fast work essential.

Is there a product, perhaps an expanding foam or a wood putty, that could be used for this repair? There is adjacent structure that could be used to build a temporary form/dam.

[newbie2wood]

If your door frame is rotting, you should check for rot in the
structural framing as well.

The best way to deal with this problem is to remove the trim and determine the source of the problem. If necessary, repair the rotted framing with treated wood and galvanized fasteners. Replace the door frame using a composite wood or plastic, caulk, and paint with at least two coats of quality exterior paint.

An alternative is to cut out the rotted trim with a spiral saw and install a dutchman patch. After installing the patch, apply bondo to the seam, sand, and paint the trim.
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[bigstick509]

Wood Repair

A friend of mine uses this and raves about it.
http://www.abatron.com/home002.htm

[cabinetman]

Bondo works good for that type of repair. To slow down the dry time, use less catalyst. Durhams Rock Hard water putty also works good. Mixes from powder with water.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[dbuche]

Go with Epoxy for 10yr durability.

I made this repair 11 years ago and I may have to do it again so I am not 100% confident that this solution is permanent (but may be good for 10 years).

I went with epoxy as I was told by an expert in automobile restoration that Bondo sands nice but absorbs water. Same with the cheap wood putty. I removed all rot with a Dremmel tool with the biggest burr (1/4") that HD had. I then used pentrating epoxy (w smelly solevent) that soaked into the wood -- the stuff was expensive ~ $50. I then used epoxy to fill the void -- the stuff sands like a brick.

I think that this is the best solution but I just noticed part of the area adjacent to the epoxy is "soft" so sadly it is not permanent. I think wood rot may be a fungus and I may not have killed the spores in the adjacent area (?)

My door sill is roughly 6' x 24" x3" and is 137 years old.

[chrisNC]

I've repaired jambs a few times. Easist solution is to just remove and replace that piece entirely. You may have to rip a 1x6 down to make the flat part of the jamb, but check the lumberyard first, as they may have it already. It's easy to do, and you don't need to buy a bunch of filler.

[Tundra_Man]

+1 on the Durhams Rock Hard. I used it to fill in the voids left by carpenter ants in a sill plate after I killed the nest.