Dealing with damaged door frames should come as no surprise. They endure constant use and endure the impact of slammed doors, often for decades before showing any signs of damage. A shifting or settling foundation is also another common cause of dealing with damaged door frames. Then there is the all-too-common kicked-in door, with the frame taking the brunt of the impact.
The door itself is quite easy to diagnose because it’s fully exposed. However, much of the frame is concealed by trim, and beyond that, the interior framework the door is connected to is often contributory to the problem. In the best scenario, the damage to the frame will be on the surface and plainly visible and will be minimal. In this case, some glue and simple carpentry will often suffice. But if the damage is more severe or caused by a shifting foundation, the door and the frame often require removal and a higher level of expertise. In older homes, careful removal of the door trim when dealing with damaged door frames is also important. This is due to the fact that matching trim that blends with other trim, such as baseboard, may no longer be available.
Styles change as the years pass by, and that includes trim styles on homes. Another thing worth noting is that if you are dealing with damaged door frames as a result of shifting or settling foundation issues, chances are that windows will also be jammed, prone to being sticky, or having developed uneven gaps on the edges when closed. In the end, though, the most important thing in dealing with damaged door frames is that early treatment is important so the damage can be addressed. Particularly with pocket doors and French doors, slamming or forcing a damaged door with a minor issue or problem can cause the level of work required to escalate. Then in the case of a kicked-in door or dealing with damaged door frames where there is breakage, don’t throw the pieces out. This is because they can often be glued together and incorporated in a repair.
DIY REPAIR KITS
Thanks to the internet and the cost of professional services, DIY repair kits for all areas and components on a home or building are now available at your local big-box hardware store. So given the number of doors in and on all the homes in a given area, it should come as no surprise that DIY repair kits for doors are among the most popular sellers. So is it just that easy to do your own door repair work with a DIY repair kit? The simple answer to that is yes in some instances, particularly if the damage is minor. Also, in many instances, with a little knowledge and experience, DIY repairs don’t even require a DIY repair kit. For example, for minor holes in a door, I have found that a two-part epoxy patch works great. That’s it.
Follow the instructions for a proper blend, then smear it on or in the offending hole using a plastic spatula. It sets as hard as wood in about an hour and doesn’t shrink. Common wood patches can take days to set solid in some instances, and that can be a problem on a door that can’t be taken out of commission for that long. Another thing I found is that on cold days, a common hair dryer works great to speed up the cure time when epoxy is used. I also use fast-setting epoxy to repair stripped-out screw holes. Small slivers of wood dipped in freshly mixed epoxy crammed into damaged screw holes work great to facilitate and hold new screws, and once again, it only takes about an hour.
A pry bar is another tool for DIY repair kits for doors. In cases of heavy usage or doors that are sticking due to wall or foundation shifting, I have found that oftentimes a nice flat pry bar is all that it takes to force that door back to its original place. Another thing worth mentioning is that as often as I can, I take clear pics or bring along any parts to be replaced with a DIY repair kit when I head out to the hardware store. Hinges and screws, in particular, come in a wide range of styles and sizes, and it’s so easy to get them mixed up. Then for chips and scratches in doors, even cabinet doors, and even furniture, a set of common felt pens are often all that is needed when it comes to DIY repair kits. Just a well-placed strategic dab is often all that it takes to convert a glaring flaw into something that is hardly visible. I have found that DIY repair kits for door frames, in particular, can make all the difference for expediting a quick fix in most instances.
PROFESSIONAL DOOR REPAIR SERVICES
Door damage comes in a wide range of types and levels of severity. At the bottom are minor, annoying sticking, dings, dents, and door hardware that have seen better days. Then, at the other end of the spectrum, is more severe damage as a result of forced entry or damage caused by a shifting foundation or faulty original installation. So, when is it time to call for professional door repair services and when is it time to tackle the job on your own? It turns out that one of the top overriding considerations here is how long a door can be taken out of commission. Is it a front door or a bathroom door in a commercial building or the only bathroom in a home? In these cases, professional door repair services can and often are the best choice.
Then, from experience, I can tell you that for French doors, pocket doors, and in most cases, sliding patio doors, professional door repair services are, for sure, the best option. Alternatively, though, I have found that for most people with rudimentary tools and skills, changing out a door knob is something that can be done without the help of professional door repair services. Simply use your phone camera to take pictures as the old door knob is removed, then use those pics to repeat the process in reverse to install the new one. In cases when the damage is extensive enough to require complete door replacement, professional door repair services are definitely required. Door installation is a specialized craft, so it’s unreasonable to expect professional results on a DIY project involving complete replacement or initial installation.
Then, on larger jobs involving French doors, sliding doors, pocket doors, or delicate doors with a lacquered finish, trying to do the work yourself can easily end up being the most costly option when all is said and done. I might remind you that a new door needs to be transported to the job without being damaged, and the old door being removed needs to be taken away. Transporting new doors in a DIY job is a recipe for disaster. The good news through it all, though, given that so many repairs and replacement tasks are relatively straightforward jobs, it shouldn’t be hard to reach out to professional door repair services in your area that can give you at least a ballpark estimate of what the final cost will be. In cases where a new door is going to be retrofitted into a wall that currently has no door opening, professional door repair services are in order. The best reason for this is building codes that stipulate the maximum space that can be dedicated to doors and windows in a wall. Then there are bearing walls and the issues they present that call for the expertise of professional door repair services.
COMMON QUESTIONS: IS IT SALVAGEABLE?
When presented with any door damage, the first step is to determine if the door is even salvageable. I can’t tell you how many times I have fielded calls from clients who were convinced that a damaged door wasn’t salvageable. Then, after the work was completed, saving them sometimes thousands of dollars, they were amazed by how undetectable the original damage and the repair work were, both completely undetectable. I like to use the analogy of a car that has been damaged in a wreck to the level that would seem to be a total loss, perhaps a quarter panel, door, or fender.
After a trip to a body and fender shop where skilled professionals ply their trade and the magic is done, the car is back on the road with nothing to show of the damage. It’s back like new again. Even dry rot, excluding instances where it is severe, can be repaired in most instances. Then, in cases where a door is sticking, dragging on a floor, or even stuck in place, the problem isn’t even the door. In those cases, it’s a shifting wall or settling foundation, and all that is required is for the door to be reset. I can tell you from personal experience, though, that in far too many instances, door damage can be avoided with proper timely maintenance. Delaying painting and caulking on and around doors can cost you big time over the long haul, particularly in cases where the caulking has reached its service lifespan on trim on exterior doors.
Putting off recaulking when rainwater is seeping past it to penetrate the wall is just asking for severe dry rot damage. Then, lawn and landscape sprinklers that are spraying doors and wood siding will very quickly lead to dry rot and even termite problems. But back to the question, is it salvageable? In cases where the damage is caused by a kicked-in or forced-open door, it’s important that no damaged parts of the door or trim be thrown out. This is because all too often they can all be epoxied back together like so many puzzle pieces to have the door looking like new again.
Then finally, when it comes to termite damage, an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. By the time you detect termites coming out of your walls, it’s too late. So, avoid excessive water up against your home. Use drought-resistant plants if you can. Termites need water to thrive, and they live in the ground around your home. Deny them water, and they can’t survive. They don’t nest inside a building. Rather, they only climb up into the walls to eat the delicious wood the building is made from. Then, faulty leaky gutters that dump water up against a home also contribute to door damage. Constant flooding in an area close to a home or building leads to foundation settling and, in turn, malfunctioning doors and windows.
PEST CONTROL SERVICES FOR TERMITES
If you live in an area plagued by the dreaded Formosan Termite, then you discount or avoid pest control services at your own risk. Normal termites and carpenter ants are bad enough, but Formosan Termites can reduce large swaths of a building to dust, all the while remaining undetected below the surface of the structure. So, what about DIY pest control for termites? In drier climates, that might be an option, even if it does carry with it some risk. For example, in cases where cement patio work is in place, such as a driveway or walkways, you may not be able to access all areas where termites dwell. A pest control service for termites, on the other hand, has the equipment and the pressurized injection tools to deal with these areas. I can tell you from personal experience that a home or building that is endangered by termites requires a complete encirclement strategy to be effective. That is, if an area is left untreated, that will be the pathway the termites will use to still enter to damage the structure. Brick and stucco homes are at particular risk for termites.
The underside of the materials provides an ideal habitat for termites. Then, if there are leaky pipes or a swimming pool where water splashes onto a patio that drains towards a building, then it’s pretty much a given that termites will eventually settle in to enjoy the accommodations. Termite-resistant materials for door frames are always a consideration. Redwood and treated lumber and fiberglass or steel doors are, of course, all not on the termite’s dining plate. The benefit of preventing door frames from being damaged by termites is that even if they are detected elsewhere in a home or building, the repair work excludes the doors and their frames, for sure keeping costs down if repair work is called for.
Plastic door trim is also great for preventing termites from finding a free lunch. In the end, though, if you plan to one day sell your home, pest control services for termites are for sure a great idea given all that is at stake. Never underestimate the level of damage termites can do to a home. You may have pushed the idea to the back of your mind and priority list. But when it comes time to sell, it will be right up front on the finance company’s bucket list as well as any prospective buyer. Then, lastly, something else worth mentioning here is wood shaving ground cover. It seems to be everywhere these days, and the reason is that it looks great and is a fast and easy solution to the problem of bare and open ground in a landscaping scheme. The problem is, though, that while redwood shavings work fine for termite abatement, plain wood shavings dyed red are, in fact, termite food. They love the stuff. I always advise clients to steer clear of the stuff. Genuine redwood shavings from real redwood trees not only resist decay to last longer, but termites steer clear of it as a food source.
COMMON QUESTIONS
How Can I Tell if My Door Frame Is Damaged Beyond Repair?
In terms of labor costs, a damaged door frame can often involve more work to replace than a damaged door. The frame itself may not cost as much as a door, but because everything around needs to be removed and the frame reset properly, it can be a sizable job if the plan is to end up with attractive and smooth-functioning final results. So the first step when approaching a damaged door frame in a home or building is to determine if the frame is even repairable. Is the repair going to take more time and money than removing it and replacing it with a new one? The first thing to consider and look for is how far or deep the damage extends beyond the actual door frame. Is it just the frame itself, or is the rot or termite damage also detected in the floor or framing that the door frame is attached to? A simple test for this is to poke around the area with a common Philips screwdriver.
When I do this, I’m looking for soft wood that I can easily sink the tip into with little effort. Don’t worry about aesthetics at this point, things like discoloration or flaking paint. Those things are easily fixable. Soft rotten wood, on the other hand, needs to be removed. So if soft wood is found in the floor area under the door sill or in the wall framing beside the door frame, that would for sure be a good indicator that the door frame needs to be removed and replaced so those areas can be addressed. If the door frame is loose or has minor damage due to perhaps a forced entry, those problems can often be resolved with wood patch and screws. Resist the temptation to go at a loose door frame with canned foam sealant. This is because this type of product expands as it cures, and by doing so, will force the door frame to close in too tight on the door, hindering proper function and alignment.
ADDRESSING MINOR DOOR FRAME DAMAGE
The lumber harvested today comes from trees hybridized to grow faster than the old-growth trees milled decades past. The offshoot is that the wood tends to be softer, a common surprise for many today’s home and business owners is how little force it takes to damage a door frame and surrounding trim. So it doesn’t take much to harm a door frame, and in most cases, the damage is relatively minor. When fielding a call for door frame damage, the first advice I offer is not to discard any pieces of wood. In most cases of minor or even relatively major door frame damage, these pieces can be glued back together in place, then sanded and painted.Avoid common wood glue or wood patch, as they take too long to dry and standard wood patch tends to shrink as it dries, often not sanding smoothly.
Professionals like myself use a two-part epoxy product and auto body bondo for gluing and patchwork. It sets quickly in about an hour, sands well, and can be painted over. Especially with an exterior door, waiting for glue and patch to dry is often out of the question. While minor door frame damage may seem like a small issue, matching the paint color is crucial for professional results. The solution lies in the paint section at Lowe’s hardware store. They sell small 4-ounce cans of paint at a low price. Most door frames are some variation of semi-gloss off-white, often referred to as eggshell. They also sell small brushes for a reasonable price. Pick up a few of those as well. It’s a game of trial and error as you test out paint color choices to find the one that matches the best.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT MATERIALS FOR REPAIRING MY DOOR FRAME
The problem most people face when approaching the prospect of repairing a damaged door frame is that they’ve never done it before. It’s just not something that pops up every day. Then when it does happen, many people, and you may be one of them, are hit with sticker shock when they find out what it costs to have a professional door repair service come to do the work. So one of the big secrets to success is knowing what materials are required for the average door frame repair.
To begin with, make it easy on yourself by not going at the thing with a pry bar, thinking that clearing the field by tearing off trim, for instance, will somehow make it easier. In older doors, often the matching trim is no longer available, so in a case like that, deftly remove any trim with a flat bar, being careful to get it off in as few pieces as possible. Then, if the actual damage to the door frame is confined to a localized area, you may not need to remove the entire frame to do a complete replacement. Often, you can buy a matching design-style piece of frame wood and just cut out and replace the localized section using that.
Adjust a door frame in or out to accommodate a door by sliding in door shims between the frame and the wall. Tap them in to tighten or ease them outward to loosen them. Then, when the correct adjustment is achieved, set long screws in to set them in place. Don’t use any canned foam as tempting as it may be. The reason here is those types of foam products that line the shelves at your local hardware store all expand. They will push your trim too tight against the door, and it can take hours to dig the offending foam out. Use a two-part epoxy glue and patch products. They cure in about an hour. If it’s a cold day, use a hairdryer to hasten the cure. Standard glue and wood patch can take days to dry, and some don’t paint over very well.
Then matching the paint color on the finished project presents problems of its own. So if it’s a metal door frame on, say, a commercial exterior door, check out the selection of canned spray paint at your local hardware store. Or head over to Lowe’s to browse their selection of small cans of tester paint. It’s hard to get a perfect match, so what I shoot for is a “close enough” paint color match that will go unnoticed as people walk by.
Another trick in matching paint on doors is to match the wear. That is, particularly on older or high-use doors, a perfect touch-up will often stick out on a faded or smudged or scuffed surrounding surface area. So don’t be afraid to add your own slight scratches or finger smudges on your finished project area. It sounds odd, but what you are shooting for is a match to the rest of the door frame, and that often includes minor flaws to achieve.
WOOD ROT
Wood rot can only occur with water. This is why in dry desert areas, buildings over a century old, long since abandoned, can still be seen standing. So the first frontline protection against wood rot is a nice coat of oil-based paint, and for sure, an oil-based primer. Be careful to match the paint type you will be going over. So if you are painting over an existing oil-based painted surface, oil-based paint will stick. However, if you are going over a pre-existing water-based paint application, surface preparation with sandpaper is in order for proper adhesion. If you are doing replacement work in an area surrounding a door, consider using green pressure-treated wood or redwood to avoid wood rot problems in the future. Also, there are plastic trim wood products for bathrooms and kitchens that for sure resist rot completely.
Check bathroom vents to ensure that the exit line is clear and the fan is working properly. An unvented bathroom is an open invitation for wood rot and even termites. It’s also worth knowing that in areas such as bathrooms and kitchens, even if the sheetrock walls look fine on the surface, mold can be thriving out of sight on the backside. On exterior doors, make sure that landscaping sprinklers aren’t spraying water onto the door or the outer walls of a home. Situations like this are just asking for wood rot problems down the road. Water is the enemy of any building, so even leaky gutters can be the source of major problems. In a worst-case scenario, a clogged downspout or leaking gutter can lead to pooling water up close to a home or building.
This, in turn, can lead to settling foundation that, in turn, affects drainage and doors and windows opening and closing properly. It costs a lot less to patch a leaky gutter or unclog a downspout than it does to repair a settling foundation problem. In the end, early detection is key when dealing with wood rot. It’s not something that will go away on its own. Caulking seams in exterior wood trim around doors to prevent rainwater from entering walls is simple and goes a long way toward preventing wood rot.
FUNGICIDE TREATMENTS TO STOP OR PREVENT WOOD ROT IN DOOR FRAMES
Pour a cold drink into a glass on a warm, humid day, and you can see the effect brought about by the contrasting temperatures and moisture levels. Water will bead up and run down the side of the glass. It turns out that the same thing happens on a much larger scale on doors and door frames. If it’s warm and humid outside and cool with the air conditioning going on the inside, then moisture will be drawn to the door and door frame outer surfaces. Unlike a glass, though, where the condensation has nowhere to go, water on a home is quickly absorbed, where it will over time lead to wood rot issues. Even worse, in heavy moisture climates, the water can make its way to the backside of sheetrock walls to form fungus and mold issues, even if the walls look fine on the inside surface.
So there are preventative treatments and even pretreated home building products to counter these types of wood rot problems. Often, it’s the bottom end of doors and door frames where the problems develop. Water flows downhill, and the bottom end of doors and door frames are all too often left unpainted. So I like to crouch down and use a small brush to apply fungicide treatment products to the unseen underside of doors, door frames, and even exterior baseboard trim. Standard painters caulk is far too underrated as a fungicide treatment around exterior door frames. Even a small gap in exterior trim left uncaulked and sealed can, in the right conditions, be the entrance for a substantial amount of water on rainy days and nights.
As far as fungicide treatments to stop or prevent wood rot in door frames go, a good coat of oil-based paint goes a long way towards sealing out water. It may cost more, but in humid areas, it may be the better choice to spend the extra money and go with a good quality oil-based paint when painting the exterior of a home or commercial building. Green copper-based spray-on canned fungicide treatments for sure work great, but they have a glaring downside. That is, they come with an offending odor that will fade out with time. Fungicide treatment products containing borate as an active ingredient are another option worth considering. But many of these products are unavailable in small spray cans.
HUMIDITY CONTROL SOLUTIONS
Too many people fail to understand just how much of a role humidity can play in dry rot, fungus, mold, and even termite issues in a home or commercial building. Particularly for people in areas with warm, humid climates, getting control of humidity early can and will help to stem problems further down the road. I always advise clients I encounter on service calls to pour themselves a nice cold glass of water, then set it aside for a few minutes. They can then see for themselves what happens in and around their home on a typical warm, humid day. The effect of water beading up and running down the outside of the glass is the same thing that is happening in and around their home, and for any building, water is the enemy.
So starting from the outside, I advise them to use a good quality exterior house paint when repainting their home. There are a lot to choose from now, but acrylic is a good replacement for latex that is affordable. Up from there, specialty paints like Flexseal are more costly but are marketed specifically for water sealing buildings. It’s a no-brainer. Stop the water at the outside of a home before it can get in. I also point out that caulking cracks along trim and around window frames is important. Even a small crack in the right place can allow a sizable amount of water to enter on rainy days. Then, of course, weather stripping around and under doors is a must.
A good functioning air conditioning system will work to pull a lot of water out of the air in a home if it is in good functioning order, so stay on top of that as well. Then go and check to see if water is pooling under your home or building. If it is, then something has to be done about it. In worst-case scenarios, pooling water under a home is just like a home sitting over a small lake. So the solution here comes in the form of new, affordable, and easy-to-install sump pumps that can be picked up at your local Home Depot or Lowes. No plumbing or electrical skills are required either because the exit port is adapted to accept a standard garden hose, and the electric hookup uses a standard extension cord. So if you can hook up a garden hose and plug in a coffee pot, you can for sure set up a sump pump under your home or business to evacuate pooling water.
Lastly, check around your place to make sure that all the vent systems are in working order. The bathroom vent, clothes dryer vent, and stove vent play a big part in sucking out humidity created by people in your home. I use standard electrical parts cleaner spray from Home Depot on malfunctioning fans all the time to get them running. Stove vents, in particular, get covered in grease, leading to problems. Then, dryer vents get clogged up, and all that’s needed is to undo the hose in the back to suck it out with a vacuum cleaner.
What I have found is that all too often, it’s a combination of minor issues in and around the home that, easy-to-fix issues, add up to bigger humidity problems in a home or building. So take a day to, one by one, work your way around your place to knock them out.
COMMON QUESTIONS: HOW CAN I IDENTIFY WOOD ROT IN MY DOOR FRAME?
The easiest thing I advise clients to do over the phone to check for wood rot in door frames is to use a pointy object to poke and check for soft spots. A common screwdriver works great for this. If there is wood rot, the tip of whatever you are using should poke right in with little effort. Don’t confuse wood rot with mold. Mold can be growing undetected on the backside of a door frame or sheetrock while the exposed surface is solid and looks just fine.
A spongy floor is another indicator of wood rot in a door frame. Sticking doors that are rubbing against the frame are another indicator. Wet, rotten wood swells, and also the screws holding it in place go bad if the wood they are driven into is rotten. In the end, though, wood needs water to rot and not just any water. It really needs a regular source of water. So I point out to clients that if you have landscape sprinklers spraying water on the exterior of their home and a door is there, yes, they can expect to eventually find a problem with wood rot on the door and/or the outside wall.
Patios and sidewalks that slope towards the building will, of course, direct any water that comes their way towards that building. Leaking rain gutters are all too often the source of water splashing on doors, leading to wood rot in door frames. What’s important to bear in mind here is that exterior doors are often clad in metal or fiberglass. So they can look just fine even after years of exposure to water. The frames, on the other hand, are made of wood, so even though the doors look fine, the frames can be afflicted with wood rot.
ARE THERE ANY EFFECTIVE HOME REMEDIES FOR EARLY STAGES OF WOOD ROT?
Just like so many other issues that can develop in and around a home, early detection is the key to an effective resolution that doesn’t require complete replacement. So I always tell callers over the phone “yes,” there are things that they can do on their own to stem wood rot in its early stages. The first thing is to cover them with good quality paint, and acrylic or oil-based paints work best for repelling water. But if a latex water-based paint is used, make sure to apply a good quality primer base coat first and use a good quality paint for the topcoat.
There are also wood preservative products that come in convenient spray cans available at your local hardware store that are best applied before the paint. Then if you really want to cover the entire door frame, you can remove the trim around it to access the backside. You’ll need a metal flat bar to do this, taking extra care to remove the sections of trim in one piece so they can be nailed right back on after the backs have been treated.
Then another preventative home remedy involves bathroom doors. That remedy is to make sure that the ceiling vent is functioning properly and the vent cover isn’t obstructed by lint or dust. The moisture in a bathroom has to go someplace, and if the vent system is on the blink, then that water in the form of steam will get soaked into walls and wooden trim.
PEST CONTROL SERVICES SPECIALIZING IN TERMITE ERADICATION
I always advise my clients that termite problems are no joke and must be taken seriously, particularly in warm, humid areas of the country where Formosan termites are a problem. So, of all the DIY projects around your home that you can take on, termite eradication is one that you are better off handing over to the pros.
Those little insects can do an astounding amount of damage, and professional services have the products and the equipment to deal effectively with them if they are present. In patios, driveways, sidewalks, and even under the concrete slab a home is built on, injection systems and concrete drills are the only way to get at them. Swimming pools are another weak link in the chain for complete termite eradication. It’s the water splashing out that, in turn, makes its way under a patio that is the issue. Termites need water, and a swimming pool is for sure a steady source.
So yes, you can get at the easy “low hanging fruit” attempting to do it on your own. But what you may fail to realize is that over millions of years, they have evolved to be persistent survivors. So in many cases, it’s a complete and total surround strategy that’s needed for an effective eradication treatment. Getting most of them just isn’t enough because they will rebound. Finally, pest control services specializing in termite eradication will have a list of treatment options to choose from depending on your needs.
TERMITE-RESISTANT MATERIALS TO BE USED IN DOOR FRAMES
When I talk to clients in areas prone to termite problems, I like to point out that as much as possible, it just makes good sense to try to use termite-resistant materials in door frames. Termites love wood, and wooden door frames are all too often an easy target. So before a door frame is installed, there are easy-to-use brush-on and spray-on products that can be used to dissuade them from dining on your work.
Products with copper sulfate as their active ingredient for sure work great, but they have an odd smell. That smell will eventually go away but not fast enough for most people. Then there are spray and brush-on termite repellents that contain boric acid as their active ingredient. There are also newer products on the market that also work well. But I remind people that an ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure when it comes to termites. So taking steps to eliminate sources of water around a building goes a long way towards termite prevention.
Leaking gutters that dribble down water during rainstorms need to be patched. Landscape sprinklers that spray water onto a home are also often a contributor to a problem. Then finally, I like to remind them that if they plan on using wood shavings for ground cover, make sure to use genuine redwood shavings. Termites won’t eat redwood, while dyed wood shavings from standard wood are effectively termite food. Spreading dyed wood shavings around your home that aren’t redwood is like inviting termites to settle in for a free meal.
HOW DO I IDENTIFY TERMITE DAMAGE IN MY DOOR FRAMES?
I tell all my clients and anyone who asks, for that matter, that early detection is critical for success in dealing with termites. You need to understand that they won’t just go away on their own over time, and in fact, the longer they stick around, the more extensive the damage will end up being. So, what are the telltale signs to be on the lookout for when it comes to identifying termite damage in your door frames?
Number one on your list is wood dust on the floor at the base of the door frame. By the way, that isn’t actually dust but rather termite excrement. The second sign to be on the lookout for is the actual damage under the wood surface. You see, termites rarely breach the painted wood surface of a door frame as they go about the business of chomping away on the subsurface. So, use a knife tip or a screwdriver to gently poke around to see if you can breach the surface. Use minimal pressure so as not to damage the wood, just enough so whatever you’re using sinks in at any soft spots.
Delving deeper on your termite hunt, you can gently pry off the wood trim on the edges of a door frame to get a look at what’s behind it. The backside is often unpainted and remains well-covered so if there are termites, it’s a good chance you will be able to see them there.
Then finally, look for sources of water. Leaking drains under sinks or sprinklers spraying on exterior walls, or a toilet that has a floor seal that’s gone bad. The fact is that termites need water to survive, so if you have water pooling outside from a swimming pool splashing, a leaking rain gutter, or whatever it may be, it’s an invitation for termites to come and settle in if they haven’t already.
The source of water doesn’t need to be close to any door frames or any other source of wood either. They live in the ground and will travel great distances to and from wherever it is they are eating away at your home.
WHAT ARE THE BEST PRACTICES FOR REPAIRING TERMITE DAMAGE IN MY DOOR FRAMES?
As a working “hammer jockey” in the home building business, dealing with doors usually comes after some time plugging away on other areas of homes. I worked as a framer for ten years before I was called to help as a finish carpenter’s assistant in installing doors. So I had a pretty good understanding of general carpentry and the tools involved before I laid hands on a door frame repair job. Most average homeowners, on the other hand, are starting out green and flat-footed when they take on a DIY job repairing damaged door frames in their home.
So step one is to remove the trim around the door with a flat pry bar, being careful not to break the trim. You want it to go right back on in its place when you’re done without any cutting. Once the trim is removed, you’ll be able to see the shims that are set and then screwed in place to secure the door frame the perfect distance for the edge of the door itself. If the problem is the door sticking or striking the door, it’s these spare shims that, once adjusted, will bring resolution. But first, you will need to use a sawzall with a metal-cutting blade to jam in and cut any screws on any shims that need to be adjusted in or out.
If there are dings, dents, or holes in the door or door frame, the best patching product is common auto body polymer two-part bondo. The stuff is great. It sets harder than the wood, sands well, and cures solid in about an hour. Common wood putty or paste or caulk, on the other hand, can take as long as two days to set up hard enough to paint. Then, I always like to remind folks that after the work is done, you will still need to do some touch-up painting. Most door frames in most homes are painted with an off-white latex paint, usually a semi-gloss. Lowe’s sells little four-ounce cans of tester paint colors that are great for touch-up jobs. They are surprisingly cheap to buy, so it’s easier on the budget to play hit-or-miss as you work to come up with the closest match to what a door or door jamb is already painted with.
WATERPROOFING PRODUCTS AND DRAINAGE SOLUTIONS TO DIRECT WATER AWAY
Water is the enemy of all buildings, and that for sure includes homes. And what you may not realize is roofs, siding, paint, and awnings, while designed to look great, have a primary purpose of shedding and/or blocking water. One of my first jobs in my teen years was working as an apprentice roofer for a friend’s dad, who was a roofing contractor. So, one of his first tidbits of roofing wisdom was to “think like a drop of water that is desperately trying to get inside a home” as I went about my workday. He also pointed out that everything around a home, beginning with the street, on up the driveway, along the patio and walkways to the roof, is engineered with a slight slope to direct water away from a home. Even the drainage pipes in the walls of a home are required to be sloped to a certain degree. It’s called “the fall” in plumber jargon.
Unfortunately, though, over time, things can change. Leaking rain gutters, clogged gutter downspouts, settling ground, or cement flatwork such as a patio installed with no slope can all work to cause water problems by pooling or, worse yet, water that is being directed backward towards the home. The result can be settling that in turn leads to more pooling that leads to more settling. So starting from the top, keep your rain gutters clean of leaves and debris, and if there are leaks, do what you can to plug them with a patch product. Then, working your way down from there, check to see if the trim around windows and doors is in need of recaulking. It’s worth knowing here that even a small gap or crack in trim in the wrong place can let a lot of water slip in and enter the wall space, leading to termite and dry rot or fungus and mold problems.
Then moving down from there, check to make sure that landscape sprinklers aren’t flooding areas around the home or spraying water directly onto your home. Here again, even a small amount sprayed on a day-by-day basis can end up doing considerable damage over time. Finally, as far as waterproofing products are concerned, the best one is a good quality sealing paint on the exterior of a home. Going with the cheapest, watered-down latex paint to cover a home may be the most costly in the long run due to water damage. Check out acrylic paints and some of the newer exterior paints with names like Elasti-seal that, while they may not be the cheapest to buy, nonetheless do the best job of waterproofing your home.
COMMON QUESTIONS: HOW CAN WATER DAMAGE TO DOOR FRAMES BE REPAIRED?
While fielding calls for water damage repair work, I like to remind people, whether they want me to do the work or are “do-it-yourselfers,” that water damage in a home presents itself in a handful of different types, to include, of course, water damage to door frames.
So first, and possibly the most critical, is water damage to the support structure of a home or building. The bearing walls or settling foundations due to persistent water pooling. That is water damage that can fall into the category of “must fix.” Then there is water damage in the form of mold, and that can be tricky to detect. This is because it takes very little water to cause a mold problem, and mold can grow behind the walls out of sight inside the wall cavity.
Then there is water damage under a home that originates from an old, rusted-out iron sewer line. This type of water damage also brings with it biological considerations. Not just because it’s sewer water pooling under a home, but the nutrients it provides for mold and fungus can and often do greatly enhance the risk. Of course, everyone is aware of black mold. But did you know that there are other types of mold in colors like red and orange that feed on leaking sewage that can present an even greater health risk than common black mold?
So, all things considered, while water damage to door frames is definitely not good, things can be worse. Not always, but for the most part, water damage to door frames is usually found on the bottom. Aside from the rot, water damage on door frames can also manifest as swelling and cracking.
In the case of swelling, the result can be a sticking door as it is opened or closed. If this is the case, the fix is to remove the trim to access the cavity behind the frame, cut the screws on the spacing shims so they can be drawn out to give the door some room. Another fast fix for jamming is to simply use a hammer to pound on it, holding a board in place to prevent hammer marks. I have even used the car jack from my work truck laid sideways inside the door opening to push a piece of wood such that it forces the opening wider. Simple as that.
But getting back to the level of severity issue. Door frames are non-structural, unlike bearing walls that are holding a house up. So if there is no mold and the issue is discolored or flaking paint, all that may be needed is some sanding and a new coat of paint.
WATER PREVENTION MEASURES TO PROTECT DOOR FRAMES
I like to point out to new clients when fielding work-related calls that there are just so many different ways and sources of water that can lead to damage to their home. It’s always best to learn about them the easy way too rather than the hard way after the damage is done. So when it comes to water damage, an ounce of prevention is far worth a pound of cure. Here are a nice handful of tips on how you can get ahead of water damage to stop it in its tracks.
#1 – Check the level of water pressure on your home’s water system. Many utility companies have water pressure that is “off the charts.” If this is your case, a water pressure regulator installed where the water enters your home’s plumbing system may be in order to lower it. Extreme water pressure leads to water leaks. Low water pressure prevents costly leaks.
#2 – Make sure the vents in your bathrooms and kitchen are functioning properly. Vents above kitchen stoves can become fouled by grease, and all it might take to get them back working properly is a good cleaning or blasting the electrical connection points with common electrical parts cleaner you can pick up at your local hardware store.
#3 – If you love plants, avoid positioning them on a patio up close to a patio door, particularly if you have French doors or broad sliding doors. The small amount of water landing on them when you water your plants can be enough to cause rot and mold over time. Also, if you are a stickler for cleaning, avoid blasting clean exterior doors with a water hose too often. Instead, use a broom or an air blower. Here again, over the long haul, constant exposure to water will lead to problems.
#4 – Make sure that landscape sprinklers aren’t directed such that they spray the side of your home with water. I see this so much, and it is so easily avoided by either redirecting them or switching them out with a drip system.
#5 – Keep your gutters clear of leaves and debris. Piled-up leaves in a gutter act like a sponge to hold water that, over time, rusts the bottom out to cause leaks. Clogged downspouts do the same thing. Any water drainage system needs to function to quickly vacate any water they gather. Standing water anywhere in and around your home is not good.
#6 – Saving money by opting to go with cheap, watered-down paint on your doors and door frames may cost you in the long run. Particularly for exterior doors and door frames on an exposed side of the home or building. At least go with an oil-based primer for your first coat. Canned spray paint like Rust-Oleum is oil-based and works great as a primer. It also saves you from getting stuck with buying and storing an unused can of brush-on paint.
CRACKS AND SPLITS
From the years of experience I have racked up doing door and door frame repairs, one thing I have learned is that cracks and splits make up the majority of door repair calls to my phone. Given the amount of use and abuse that doors endure, it really should come as no surprise. Then another thing to consider is how many years doors have been in use. Half a century and even more is not that unusual. Teens and bad tenants can also work to speed up the damage process.
So then, the first thing to consider when facing the prospect of repairing cracks and splits in door frames is that most are repairable without having to replace the door frame with a new one…if you know what to do. Step one is to not throw any wood pieces out. It’s an easy mistake to make given that the mess has to be cleaned up. Instead, put them in a bag because they will be used to repair the door frame. Then, if you plan on having the door frame repaired by a professional, you need to get on the phone right away because most good reputable services are booked up ahead of time. Particularly if the damaged door frame is an outside door and there is a problem closing it properly and locking it, you can’t leave it in that condition for days. It needs to be repaired or at least secure with a way.
WOOD FILLER PRODUCTS FOR REPAIRING DOOR FRAMES AND DOORS
There are just so many wood filler products lining the shelves of your local big-box hardware stores that learning what is best by trial and error can be an expensive process. Besides, I’ve already done that a long time ago. Standard wood fillers take too long to dry. Time is of the essence when getting a broken door frame back into service. This particularly holds true for exterior doors to the outside. So believe it or not, common auto body Bondo and epoxy resin work best.
Bondo for filling and resin for gluing. Both of these products are two-part polymers so they need to be mixed with a hardener just prior to use. Make sure to read the instructions because it requires a surprisingly small amount of hardener to do the trick. Also, make sure to wear gloves and mix it on a disposable plastic plate or something like the lid of a can of coffee. It will eat through things like paper plates and is very difficult to remove drips. The nice thing about these products is they paint over well. That means that unlike some filler products, paint sticks to them once they have cured and been sanded. Then the last tip I have for you is that heat speeds up the hardening process. So on cold days, you can use a hairdryer to speed up the curing process.
WHAT ABOUT CLAMPS AND ADHESIVES TO REPAIR CRACKED DOOR FRAMES?
Clamps and adhesives really do go hand in hand when it comes to door frame repairs. I never leave for a job without them because I keep them both tucked away in my work van. There really are only two types of adhesives that I use, and I have a selection of clamp sizes to accommodate different sizes of repairs. Epoxy resin works great. You can find it at your local big-box hardware stores and even at automotive supply stores. It’s a polymer, so it needs to be mixed well with the curative that comes with it in order for it to set.
It cures strong in about an hour, which makes it the preferred adhesive for doors that need to be back in service right away… but it does have one glaring downside. That is that it is very difficult to get off if it drips or smears onto something it shouldn’t have, including your hands. The only product that will cut it before it has cured is acetone, and that is real nasty stuff on its own. Common wood glue is also great stuff for gluing wood together, and it is easily wiped off when it’s wet and chiseled off when it’s dry. But here again, for the work I do, it just doesn’t dry fast enough. It needs at least twenty-four hours and even more in humid settings. It also sands well when it’s dry and paints over too.
CLAMPS TO SQUEEZE CRACKS BACK TOGETHER
When it comes to cracked door frames, glue, in most cases, just isn’t enough. I have found that when two pieces of wood are glued together, clamping them works to make the bond stronger. Also, once the gluing is done and it has dried or cured, you are pretty much stuck with the results. Also, clamps work well to hold things in place after the gluing is done. Even a slight deviation caused by slippage can be a big problem. The good news is that I have found that good quality wood clamps can be had at relatively affordable prices at Lowe’s or Home Depot.
The bigger they are, the more they cost, and don’t let size fool you. Small clamps often are all that’s needed. All that’s required is to realign both sides of the door or door frame to do the trick. You don’t need to squeeze them overly tight to accomplish the goal either, lest you break the clamp or leave unsightly dents in the finished product. My last bit of advice here is to make sure that the surface you clamp together is clear of glue lest you wind up with the faces of the clamps actually glued to the door. Use a small paintbrush to apply the glue to any broken pieces like a big puzzle, then squeeze the project in place with clamps. Watch out for drips that the clamps squeeze out too.
THE BEST WAY TO REPAIR CRACKED DOOR FRAMES
I have found that most commonly cracked door frames are the result of repeated slamming or forced entry. However, beyond that commonality, there are a few differences that set them apart. So each scenario has the best way to accomplish the repair. So the best way to repair a cracked door frame is to approach it with a high level of optimism. That might sound odd, but in cases of significant damage, the prospects of repairing the damage can seem slim.
Over the years, I have surprised both clients and myself by bringing what appeared to be ruined door frames back to life using clamps, glue, and sandpaper. So don’t throw in the towel and run up the white flag too early. One thing I like to do is remove the hinge pins so I can carry the door to a well-lit area where paint and glue drips are less of a problem. Also, if the cracks are on the side the hinges are on, getting the door out of the way can also be a great help.
Then another hot tip is to not remove the clamps too early lest the glued joint can fail. Glued and clamped cracks often look solid on the outside while on the inside, they still need more time to dry or cure. Then finally, don’t forget that the finished repair needs to be painted, and most of the time, a quick touch-up with matching paint will do. Most door frames are painted with a semi-gloss off-white eggshell-toned paint.
WEATHER STRIPPING AND DOOR HINGES
There is no way that I could estimate how many door repair jobs I have gone to, only to discover that along with the obvious door or frame damage, the weather stripping is sorely lacking and the homeowners have been tolerating it all along. It’s the same thing with door hinges. The problem there is people over-tightening hinge screws to the point of stripping them out. So, starting with the weather stripping, the most neglected area is the bottom of the door. All too often, the painters who painted a home neglected to paint the underside of the bottom of a door or doors on a home.
So if you are up to it, tap out the hinge pins, remove the door, and paint the bottom with a good primer sealer to head off decay caused by exposure to moisture. Then, after it’s dried, you can screw a good quality door brush onto the underside before reinstalling it. Next, it’s on to the door frame trim, and there are a few tips there for adequate results. For instance, I like to scrub the area the weather stripping will be attached to well. Use a damp cloth and common window cleaner to remove any dust and oxidized paint.
Then, after that, apply a good quality peel-and-stick weather stripping to seal off the edges. Don’t be alarmed if after the work is done the door needs a bit of a shove to close it completely. Give it time for the areas where the weather stripping and the door edges to adjust and squeeze into place.
THEN THERE ARE THE HINGES
The first thing I like to do to assess the condition of a door’s hinges and the screws holding them in place is to give the door a stress test. I do this by grabbing it with both hands while pushing my chest up against it and simply shove and twist it. Not enough to damage it or force it out of place, but rather just enough to see if any of the hinges have any “give.” That is, to see if they are worn or if the screws are loose or stripped out and not providing support. Lift the door up and down and side to side to see if any of the hinges are moving. That’s all.
Then the fix for stripped-out screws is not to replace them with larger screws. This is because if they are stripped out, the inner surface of the screw hole is also weakened, so the new larger screws will also soon fail. Instead, dip appropriately sized slivers of wood in glue then tap them into the offending screw holes to fill them, then screw the old screws back in place. I sometimes like to put a dab of glue on the backside first to effectively slightly glue it in place.
It’s important to not overforce screws you are driving into wood. There is a point you need to stop turning it lest you wind up stripping it out. Just go to what I call “hand tight,” then stop. Hinge screws very rarely come loose if they are installed properly with a conservative level of force. Over-tightening is by far the greater problem I run into when servicing problem doors.
REPLACEMENT DOOR FRAMES
Door Frame Designs
There are several reasons why door frames are replaced, and over the years of working on doors and door frames, I’ve seen them all. The #1 most common reason is damage to an existing door frame that is beyond the scope of repairs. Perhaps you’ve read somewhere that forests are being replanted with newer hybridized trees after the trees that were there were harvested to be processed into lumber. Well, this is true, and the main benefit is these newer trees grow faster. In fact, they grow much faster. However, the tradeoff is that the wood is also softer. So many of today’s door frames are easier to be kicked in or damaged by slamming.
Reason #2 is people want to switch to a thicker door. The door stop trim in a door frame is installed to accommodate a door of a specific thickness such that when the door is closed, it sits flush and even with the wall. If a thicker door is switched out and the existing door stop trim is left intact, the face of the new door will stick out. Also, new wider door hinges may be troublesome to fit in. So, particularly in an exterior door, a home or commercial building owner may opt for a thicker, more durable door for security or for more durability to deal with increased usage.
Reason #3 is people replace door frames because they want to upgrade to a larger door. Larger can mean taller and/or wider. Taller doors have been trending for some time now for a more upscale look and feel. They do look better, but it’s not hard to imagine that they also call for a taller ceiling in most cases. Not in all, but in most. It’s just not hard to imagine that fitting a tall door into a shorter door frame would be a tough fit, to say the least.
Reason #3 for replacement door frames is switching from a wood to a metal door. Particularly on an exterior door, a metal door brings added security. But in the end, even with a metal door, real security is not achieved if the door frame is wood. So it’s not hard to see why someone making the switch to a metal exterior door would also go ahead and replace the door frame.
Reason #4 is homeowners making the switch from a sliding glass patio door to French doors. At first glance, it might seem like an easy fit with one set of doors replacing another. However, even if no carpentry is required to adapt the French doors, there is still one glaring problem. That problem is that the existing door frame for the sliding patio doors is a completely different type than the frame on the French doors. It just won’t work. Besides, French doors come “pre-hung”. That is, the frame is already attached with the hinges installed in place.
INSTALLATION SERVICES
Once the decision has been made to replace or install new doors, the next decision is to give DIY door installation a “go” or to hand the job over to a door installation service. The #1 benefit of going the DIY route is cost savings. So, the savings derived from doing the work yourself can then be transferred into buying better doors. So, you benefit on two fronts in this respect. The #2 benefit that comes with DIY door installation is you get an education.
That is, you will learn through the experience how to install doors. Some of the lessons will most likely come by way of the “school of hard knocks”, but nonetheless, there is no better way to learn than to learn by experience. So, if it all sounds like so much fun while you are saving gobs of money, why on earth would you even consider going with a door installation service? Reason #1 is you are guaranteed professional results on smoothly functioning attractive doors. Just as a barber can make cutting hair look so easy, yet you wouldn’t consider doing your own haircut, so too does much of the DIY door installation online material. Particularly with larger heavier doors like sliding, French, and pocket doors.
But even with standard doors, even if they are light, it often is a two-person job. Then there is the matter of transporting the door from the place of purchase and into your home without damaging them or the vehicle they are being carried in.
COMMON QUESTIONS
How do I select the right replacement door for my home?
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of selecting the right door for your home, whether you are looking to give a boost to security or trying to kick up curb appeal. Your front door, in particular, is the first thing your guests see and touch when entering your home, and as the saying goes, “first impressions count the most”. #1 consideration is feasibility. That is, how easy a door you select will be to install. So, for instance, if you have a stucco-sided home, it will be a good idea to stick with a door that is the exact same size as the one you are replacing.
It’s just too easy to come up with bright ideas for a wider door with perhaps a side window as part of it. But this would mean cutting into your stucco siding as well as the interior siding to accommodate it. It’s a costly and messy prospect. Then again, if it is an exterior door with limited cover from rain, you will be well served by going with an aluminum or fiberglass door. Then if you are looking to ramp up security, you may be well served by going with a steel door with a steel door frame. Try to make the cost of the door be justified by the value of the home.
What should I consider while replacing an old door frame?
The first thing to consider while replacing an old door frame is whether the existing trim is even available. Don’t lose track of the fact that the door frame will need to be trimmed out after it’s been installed, and if it is an older home with unique decorative trim that matches the rest of the trim in your home, you will want to remove it intact to reuse it. Many clients I have dealt with are surprised by the regular rotation of design styles in home decorating. It’s particularly noticeable in tile.
Have a broken or missing tile, and a matching replacement may not even be available, leading to a complete retiling job as the result of that one offending tile. So remove trim carefully with a flat pry bar and set it aside. The second consideration is to make sure to paint and seal the bottom of the door and door frame if it is an exterior or bathroom door. It’s so often neglected. Installers install a door and frame then completely neglect to seal the underside with paint. It’s not a problem on an interior door because the bottom is completely out of sight. However, over time, a door and frame that is continually exposed to moisture can become a problem through swelling and/or dry rot.
PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE
When it comes to door and door frame damage, an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. So the first thing that needs to be learned is just what damages doors and door frames. That would be slamming. Doors can take a lot of abuse, particularly if a home or an apartment is a rental. So step one would be to ask tenants or family members not to slam doors. Then, beyond that, another preventative measure to take is to make sure that landscape sprinklers are not spraying on the walls near a door. Also, be careful with potted plants set near doors that water is not seeping out and affecting the door or that water is not being splashed onto a door when watering.
Then, finally, if a problem does crop up, such as a door sticking, take care of it right away. These types of problems don’t go away on their own and they lead to slamming, which causes an even greater problem. Finally, make sure a door and frame are painted with quality paint and that the exterior siding and trim are caulked and sealed properly, lest water will penetrate during storms.
QUESTIONS
What routine maintenance can extend the life of a door frame?
One very common problem I find with the door frames on clients’ homes is termite damage, particularly but not exclusively on exterior door frames. Termites need water to survive, and the more you make available to them, the more they will thrive. So, rule number one is to not overwater or let water pool around your home.
Seal leaks in rain gutters and don’t allow faucets to drip water up against your home. Then, if you are going to use wood shavings for ground cover, make sure to buy and use redwood shavings. Termites hate redwood. Spreading common wood shavings around your home is just like spreading termite food out for them to eat and grow on.
How often should door frames be inspected for damage?
Damage to door frames won’t go away on its own. Then if left on its own problems like sticking doors caused by a damaged door frame leads to slamming which in turn leads to more extensive issues with doors and door frames.
So inspect your door frames as often as you like. Look for things like missing and stripped out screws in hinges and if your home is in an area where crime is an issue check the outside edges for pry marks left by a pry bar. Also check for granular dust accumulating on the floor at the bottom. That is a #1 red flag for termites.