I had a handyman install a pre-hung Jeld-Wen steel door on my garage about three years ago, and everything has been fine with the door itself. However, I recently noticed that the bottom of the jamb on the exterior side is rotting out on both sides. I'm trying to figure out why this is happening so soon. Is the jamb too close to the threshold? Should it have been painted at the bottom edge before installation? I suspect the wood is wicking water that's causing the rot. I'm also aware that the Hardie trim is too close to the ground and plan to fix that. I'm considering cutting out the rotten part of the jamb and replacing it with composite material like PVC. How feasible is this without messing with the hinge and lock areas?
2 Answers
It sounds like end grain wicking is likely to blame for the rot. To fix this, you'll want to cut out the soft wood and splice in some PVC for the jamb bottoms, which shouldn't involve touching the hinges. Don't forget to epoxy consolidate any nearby wood, and make sure to add a sill pan and caulk the jamb joints well! Oh, and adding a drip cap can make a big difference too.
Hey! The direction your door faces and the local weather can really affect how it holds up. If the door is facing SSW, it might be taking on rainwater and pooling at the bottom. You might want to cut out the rotten part, and if you're looking for a long-term fix, consider using PVC trim to replace the jamb bottoms. Make sure to seal and paint all cut edges, plus caulk the joints around the threshold. Just raising that Hardie trim off the ground will help too!