# Patio Door Frame Rot



## DanPonjican (May 26, 2015)

I have some riding on the frame of my patio door. The house was built in 2006 and I am assuming the door is the original patio door that the contractor put in. The outside is not under any kind of awning or covering so it is exposed to all the elements.
What are your thoughts on repairing this? It's pretty well rotted through on the very bottom of the center portion of the frame. Is it worth repairing or should I look to replace the entire door?


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## nealtw (May 26, 2015)

You almost have to pull the whole frame to repair it and when you do you may find more on the sides too. I would also find the door people in your area that could build a new frme for your doors if it is beyond repair.


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## bud16415 (May 27, 2015)

The damage is most likely in the bottom foot or so. Replacing the door is one way to fix it and of course the most expensive. Removing the whole door and repairing it is the only way to know for sure how much damage has happened, but for me I would say if I went as far as taking it out I would end up replacing it depending how well it was installed. Having a new frame built as a custom frame may cost close to the price of a new box store door also IMO. 

As a DIY project I might try and fix it in place, knowing my repair might get me another 5 to 10 years out of the door. Knowing in advance once you start digging below the paint you may just be getting into replacing the whole thing if it&#8217;s worse than it looks. 

I would start digging out anything that&#8217;s moist and rotted and leaving anything that&#8217;s solid still. If the rot didn&#8217;t go to deep it could be filled with an automotive body repair product (2 Part) and the one I like is called duraglass auto body filler. You will have to remove the weather strip. The duraglass can be sanded and worked down after it hardens but I would be careful to not get it too high to start. You can always mix and apply more to a low spot easier than grinding down a high spot. 
If the wood damage is deeper or all the way thru you will have to patch in with new wood and use the body filler to fill smaller gaps. 
It is sometimes hard to find anyone to do a repair like this because at the hourly rates charged no one wants to mess around half a day and charge you almost what new would cost. As a DIYer you have the advantage of not paying for your labor. 
After you get all the rot out and repaired you can prime and paint. 

Whatever caused the problem in the first place will still be there. Keeping the paint touched up will help a lot.


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## Sparky617 (May 27, 2015)

I had that kind of damage on my last house before I painted.  I cut out the bad and replaced it with Azek cellular PVC.  If you have a table saw you can manufacture the replacement parts to match.  This is really common rot around my part of NC.  If the builders would prime the bottom of the doors before they install them it would cut down on this kind of rot.  Or better yet if the manufacturers would.  If you look at the bottom of most door frames there is a unpainted cut end of the jamb.   Some door manufacturers are now building their door frames with the bottom foot or so made of cellular PVC.  I've seen replacement jambs like this.  I've also seen and used vinyl replacement jambs, though not for the piece in the middle of door like that.  They may exist, but I haven't seen nor looked for one.


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## nealtw (May 27, 2015)

We have a few places where we just drop off the door frame and all and at the end of the day we can pick it up, new frame old doors, brick mold to fit exactly like old. We had one homeowner spend time in there shop and oil base primered ever peice of wood before it was assembled, but she had to waite an extra day, for the primer to dry.


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