Rant: My attempt at a 'quick fix' for the shed door went sideways

So the bottom corner of my shed door was rotting out, and instead of doing a proper repair, I figured I'd just slap on some wood filler and call it a day. I used a whole tube of that 'Rock Hard' brand stuff, shaped it, let it dry. Looked okay for about a week. Then we got that heavy rain on Tuesday, and I went out to find the entire patch had swollen up like a weird mushroom and popped clean off the door. It was just sitting in the mud, this weird pink blob. My neighbor Frank saw the whole thing and just said, 'Well, that's one way to grow a garden.' Learned that filler is not a structural material, it's just for looks. Anyone have a good method for fixing a rotted door corner that doesn't involve a full replacement?

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3 Comments

nathan_moore125mo ago

Ever check if the rot spread into the frame? Might need to cut out more than you think, lol.

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tarahart5mo ago

My buddy had to replace his whole door frame after finding hidden rot.

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kim.dylan3mo ago

@nathan_moore12 is spot on about checking for hidden rot, that stuff loves to travel. I read an article in a home repair magazine that said if you see rot on the surface, expect it to go at least three inches past where you think it is. My buddy tried a quick patch like you and ended up having to cut a whole new 2x4 into the frame because the rot had snuck up behind the siding. Better to cut out a chunk and sister in a new piece of wood with some exterior screws and glue, that's the real fix. Wood filler is basically just fancy spackle for your shed, not armor for the weather.

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