I've got this pesky issue with the bottom two inches of my exterior garage door frame—it's rotted. I've stumbled upon some YouTube videos showing how to cut out and replace the wood, but the problem is, I don't own an oscillating saw or a miter saw. I'm thinking maybe I could just use a wood hardener to prep the area and fill in the gaps with wood epoxy, then sand it down and paint over it. Is that a smart move, or should I steer clear of epoxy for my door frame since it's on the outside and doesn't actually touch the door?
3 Answers
Hey, think of this as your excuse to up your tool game! You could find a decent miter saw or even rent one from a hardware store like Home Depot. They often have rental options which are super convenient. Doing the epoxy and sanding might save you a temporary fix, but it's going to be a messy situation you might regret. Just cutting out the rotten wood and replacing it is the better long-term solution.
I actually work with Abatron epoxies a lot. First, start with the liquid epoxy and thin it a bit with acetone. This helps it penetrate deeper into the wood. Just make sure the wood is super dry before applying it. Once the liquid’s almost set, come back with the paste to fill it up. You’d definitely need some power tools to make the surface nice and smooth afterward though.
Honestly, just slapping on wood filler isn’t going to cut it if you want a long-term fix. The rot is due to fungus degrading the wood, so you need to address that first. Covering it up will just make it worse down the line. You could consider a wood hardener first, but don’t skip out on replacing the rotted part if it’s significant—trust me on this one!