How to Fix Dryrot Around a Front Door

Flaking or peeling paint exposes bare wood to water that leads to damage, namely dry rot. Porous wood absorbs the water and becomes a breeding ground for wood fungus, which eats away at the wood and causes the wood to become weak and crumble. Dry rot-affected wood feels soft and spongy and may change color. Removing the rotted wood is necessary to keep the wood fungus from traveling to adjacent, unaffected wood surfaces.

Wire brush
Grease pencil
Wood chisel
Mallet
Paintbrush
Dry rot-inhibiting treatment
Epoxy-based, penetrating wood sealer
2-part epoxy repair paste
Thin-bladed putty knives
Plastic plate or wax paper-covered board
Rag
Denatured alcohol
Exterior-grade latex paint

Instructions

- 1
  Brush the area around the door with a wire brush to remove the existing paint, primer or sealers and expose all of the bare wood. Remove the paint or sealer 10 to 12 inches past the rot on adjacent wood surfaces to inspect and treat the wood.
- 2
  Examine the area around the front door for signs of dry rot. Circle the areas that feel soft, spongy or appear discolored with a grease pencil.
- 3
  Hold a wood chisel 1/2 to 1 inch away from the dry rot with the tip of the chisel pointing toward the rot. Strike the wood chisel with a mallet to chip the rotted wood from the area around the front door. Move the chisel 1/2 inch further away from the obvious dry rot if the wood is soft, spongy or discolored 1 inch away from the dry rot. Continue to chip away the rotted wood until you reach solid wood.
- 4
  Dip a paintbrush into a commercially available dry rot-inhibiting treatment. Coat the wood surfaces around the door and 10 to 12 inches past the removed dry rot. Continue applying coats of the dry rot-inhibiting treatment until the inhibiting treatment no longer soaks into the wood. Let the dry rot-inhibiting treatment dry for 24 hours.
- 5
  Submerge a paintbrush into an epoxy-based, penetrating wood sealer. Coat the surface around the door and 12 inches past the door with the sealer. Let the penetrating wood sealer dry for three to four hours.
- 6
  Pick up equal amounts of two-part epoxy repair paste on separate thin-bladed putty knives and place the both pastes on a disposable plastic plate or wax paper-covered board. Mix the two-part repair paste until the epoxy is uniform in color and thoroughly mixed.
- 7
  Scoop up the repair paste on a putty knife. Press the epoxy paste into the chipped out area around the front door. Continue to add epoxy paste to the chipped area until it is flush with the undamaged wood. Allow the epoxy paste to dry and set for four to six hours.
- 8
  Wet a rag with denatured alcohol and wipe the epoxy surface to make it smooth.
- 9
  Paint two coats of exterior-grade paint over the dry rot repairs and exposed wood.

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