Rot in front door

[fernicarry]

Started picking at the front door this afternoon with the intention of giving it a quite patch up before the winter weather arrives and ended up with this....

Is it even worth attempting to repair with hardener and filler?

Suspect the other leaf has the same problem, but resisting the temptation to prod it.

-Alan

 

[Abi Cott]

Ouch!

My bottom rails had some serious issues but not to that extent. On the plus side that moulding looks easier to replicate. I would think it is repairable. You may need to remove the moulding and replace the panels. Which I think is possible. How old is the door and how pretty is it?

 

[plasticpigeon]

Ah, that's bad. I don't see any point in patching with filler. Plywood panel. Interesting, I wonder when that was first used. I would get another door personally!

 

[fernicarry]

I guess its not very old. A previous owner from the 70's/80's remarked on the 'new' front doors when she visited a couple of years back.

I take it the panel is rebated into the rails/stiles? The rot seems to have been caused by water getting past the moulding and sitting in the rebate.

Kind of regretting getting into this. I may carry on with the plan to fill it for now and leave a proper solution for a later date. Need it to at least look like its secure.

-Alan

 

[88v8]

For some reason can't see your pic, but being as I am in the throes of bodging a window that turned out to be more than a little rotten, I feel your pain. Especially now the season is against us.

Panelled doors used externally can be problematic unless protect by a porch. The water tends to get in the bottom rail and from there it's all downhill.
This one is handsome, but once the planted mouldings start to peel away from the panels..........
https://www.directdoors.com/doors/exterior-victorian-nightingale-made-measure-5-pan/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInoiisYDP1gIVFo0bCh1gyAUfEAYYAyABEgLe6PD_BwE

This one is inherently better as there are no horizontal ledges on which water can sit.
https://www.directdoors.com/doors/exterior-victorian-nightingale-made-measure-5-pan/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInoiisYDP1gIVFo0bCh1gyAUfEAYYAyABEgLe6PD_BwE

Or this where there are no planted mouldings.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=victorian+external+door&tbm=isch&imgil=o0KusLlyxZ9wHM%253A%253BCnceaYF5MaulzM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.victoriandoorsuk.co.uk%25252Fvictorian-doors%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=o0KusLlyxZ9wHM%253A%252CCnceaYF5MaulzM%252C_&usg=__yQyLjdCH6iHpP8nFEgCR5BBRswg%3D&ved=0ahUKEwinpJ6xgM_WAhUDa1AKHVkLA24QyjcIeg&ei=3abQWefBF4PWwQLZlozwBg&biw=1260&bih=775#imgrc=cqQQu9POg7EzYM:&spf=1506846859147

Take your point about security. Perhaps panel it over with plywood, paint it, leave for next year.

Ivor

 

[Feltwell]

Pretty much any timber joinery is repairable, the question is if it's worth the time & effort to do so. In your case I'd say no, especially as it's clearly not the original door anyway. Rot at the bottom of the bottom rail is easier the repair by splicing , yours being mid-rail will be much trickier.

I guess your choices are:-

- Bodge it for now with ordinary wood hardener and filler. I don't reckon it'll last more than 12 months at most.
- Fill it with a better epoxy based system such as Timbabuild. That might give you 3-4 years, but it's not cheap stuff - is it really worth it?
- Stick a plywood panel over for now as Ivor suggests, quick coat of paint, come back to it in spring and put a new door on then
- Get a new (or new to you) door now.

Ebay is worth a trawl, I picked up a good pair of hardwood French doors to replace my rotten softwood ones a while ago for £25, someone who was ripping them out to put in UPVC :roll:

My (formerly very rotten) bay window is nearing completion, the bottom foot or so is pretty much all new timber now! Next one to do is the front door, I *hope* it's not as bad as yours.....