How to Repair Rotted Wood Door Jamb

Scrape away as much of the damaged and rotten wood as possible with a wood chisel. You may be surprised how deep the damage actually goes. Stop scraping once you reach dry, undamaged wood.

Hold a moisture meter up to the damaged area. Dry the wood with a heat gun if the moisture reading is more than 17 percent.

Drill 1/8-inch holes into the damaged area to allow the wood filler to penetrate more deeply. Place these holes from 2 to 3 inches apart. Make sure not to drill all the way through the door jamb.

Mix a wood consolidant according to the manufacturer's directions. Allow the mixture to sit for about five minutes. Use a paintbrush to apply the consolidant onto the door jamb's damaged area. Continue to paint on the consolidant until the wood no longer absorbs it. Make sure consolidant has gotten into all the 1/8-inch holes you drilled.

Knead together the two parts of a wood epoxy, according to the manufacturer's directions. Use your hands to apply the epoxy over the damaged area. Mold the epoxy with a putty knife to match the undamaged door jamb. Try to mold the wood epoxy as close as possible, but perfection is not required because you will sand the epoxy once it dries.

Allow the wood epoxy to fully dry. This normally takes about an hour. Sand the dry epoxy with 120-grit sandpaper to smooth the surface and blend the epoxy into the surrounding door jamb.

Paint a primer onto the wood epoxy and surrounding area. Allow the primer to dry before painting the area a color to match the rest of the door jamb. Many wood epoxys also offer you the option of using wood stain. Paint the wood stain on with a sponge brush and wipe off the excess with a rag.