ext door frame rotting?

[luv2liv]

got this door from homedepot 5 years ago.
right side is rotting. if i press with a key or something hard, the key would go right through without much force!
left side is fine.

how to prevent this from happening further or to the left side?
and now, how to repair it? can i use elmer wood filler???

 

[Pick2]

That is water damage. You would need to first seal the outside to keep the water from causing even more damage, not much you can do to fix it except replace the damaged parts , or cover it up. You might might be farther ahead to just replace the whole door and frame. Make sure you see how the water got to the inside so you/they don't repeat the mistake.

I bought Menard's doors w/ frames and installed them 25 years ago. Still work and look fine.

 

[snoopy7548]

Same exact thing happened to me, and my house was built five years ago. The builder didn't caulk between the jamb and sill, so water got all in there and rotted just like your picture. Right side was the worst too. I'll bet there is some rot on the left side, but it's just not visible from the outside.

I highly suggest simply replacing the entire thing with a door with a fiberglass/PVC frame. I replaced mine with a pre-hung Masonite fiberglass door (with window) with their DuraPlast composite frame for ~$500 delivered and my dad and I installed it in half a day. This door should last the lifetime of the house as there's nothing that will rot. I would never go with a wood-frame exterior door again unless it was protected by a portico or screen door, but even then the DuraPlast frame didn't add any cost so why chance it? I caulked everything with silicone. Water doesn't stand a chance!

Before buying the new door, I tried repairing the rot using PC Woody's Wood Rot Repair Kit, which is awesome stuff, but I only repaired the bottom of the door before giving up. There was just too much rot in the frame that the only way to fix it was to splice in the bottom 6" on both sides with new wood/PVC. At that point, you really need to get all of the rot out and even if you do a good job of splicing a new bottom in, there's the inevitable chance it could happen again. $500 now vs. $500 and more headache later. You'll want to make sure the rot doesn't extend all the way into the framing.

 

[Greenman]

You can cut out the lower 8" and replace it with new material. Or you can dig out the rot, treat the remaining wood with preservative, and fill it in with bondo. The bondo is easy to shape as it cures, and you can add layers as necessary. I would also coat both sides with epoxy sealer.
https://www.amazon.com/Smiths-Origi...&qid=1503246409&sr=1-12&keywords=epoxy+sealer
Replacing the entire jamb is going to be the best option, but that requires some skill and a few tools that you might not have.

 

[C1]

If the rot is due to water getting behind the frame and thus the rot is too extensive, then replacing the frame is the best advice. Pulling the frame may revel that there is more rot than you think, including even in the structures linked to the frame.

As for me, I constantly have to repair wood rot around the home & have done some amazing "saves" using this phenomenal stuff: http://www.rotdoctor.com/

When rot is really bad (eg, deep), I'll first scrape all paint off, clean back the real soft rot, then clean the wood with a brush using a high concentration of "Moldex", then soak/saturate the affected area in pure liquid "TSP" then let that dry completely. TSP helps ensure death of mold/fungus. You will find that after the TSP dries that the wood turns white and sets up hard to the touch. I then apply the "Rot Doctor" system which involves application of the two part CPES then after that sets up then using the two part epoxy wood filler.

If you catch the rot soon enough and it is small and easy to access, then the steps involving applications of "Moldex & "TSP" can be omitted and the normal "Rot Doctor" application of just CPES & filler may used for the repair procedure.

 

[Greenman]

The rot doctor looks interesting. I think bondo is cheaper though.

 

[luv2liv]

i looked at the door and frame and honestly have no idea how water can get in. everything is sealed....well except now with the rotting gap.
cant believe the damage can be so costly for something so simple looking! ouch

 

[Humpy]

i looked at the door and frame and honestly have no idea how water can get in. everything is sealed....well except now with the rotting gap.
cant believe the damage can be so costly for something so simple looking! ouch

Water isn't necessarily getting in so much as moisture wicking up into the end grain from the masonry below.

Some door jambs come with a plastic cap that keeps the wood separated from the ground by a 1/2" or so. Still, some of the wood like white or sugar pine used in home center doors is so soft to begin with that failure is all but guaranteed within a few years.