Patching A Door

[SARGE]

I'm patching and painting a front door area. On the door there are hairline cracks in the paint running vertical. There appears to be 2 layers (or more) of paint on the door. I've sanded the door and the cracks remain of course. No way I'm stripping the entire door down to bare wood. Should I use spackling compound or a wood filler to fill all the cracks? Of course I'll sand smooth afterwards and coat the entire door with Kilz before painting, for I know the patched spots sometimes standout after painting.

[HAL9000]

Funny you mention that Sarge... I just finished chipping paint, spreading drywall compound sanding and priming my entire bathroom as it was a mess.... I had some ugly spots on the door too... I just chipped away the old paint in the general area with a scraper, filled with drywall compound and sanded with 80 grit, then 150 (took 2 coats)... primed and painted... perfectly smooth, no noticable patching marks.

[SARGE]

Funny you mention that Sarge... I just finished chipping paint, spreading drywall compound sanding and priming my entire bathroom as it was a mess.... I had some ugly spots on the door too... I just chipped away the old paint in the general area with a scraper, filled with drywall compound and sanded with 80 grit, then 150 (took 2 coats)... primed and painted... perfectly smooth, no noticable patching marks.

Filled the door with drywall compound? I've used it on walls but never a door. Sounds easier and cheaper. What the heck is spackling and wood fillers for - just a spot here and there?

[HAL9000]

Well, my issues weren't right into the wood, just to resurface the painted areas where there were three layers of paint in some spots chipped down to the wood.. the wood itself was fine. I've done this before and it seems to stand up just fine.

[RevCLB]

Spackling is for small holes such as nail holes for hanging pictures. Wood putty is the same but designed for the different expansion-retraction rates between drywall & wood.

Is this just a cosmetic job to sell the place or you looking for long term repair? If just cosmetic the drywall compound will work. Make sure the cracks are clean, thin out the drywall compound & force it into the cracks with a small putty knife. This will save a lot of sanding to get rid of excess compound.

If you are after a more permanent repair use the wood filler. As a front door it is exposed to more weather extremes than interior walls. Use the same procedure as with drywall compound thinning but wood filler uses various mineral spirit thinners. Thin it with appropriate thinner, force it into the cracks, let it cure (dry), sand & paint. Kilz is good stuff but smells nasty. Have some ventilation going. RevCLB

[10pups]

Good ole wood glue works also. Squeeze it in the cracks and wipe to sand later. Also gives crack more reason to stop cracking. :<0)

[mbossman2]

spackle/joint compound in an exterior application is a definite NO (even it is under paint)

I would look at an exterior grade wood putty, sanded, sealed and painted.

[SARGE]

spackle/joint compound in an exterior application is a definite NO (even it is under paint)



Oops!! I already did a bunch before reading this. :( May end up with a new door.

[mbossman2]

no, not necessarily...you can use an exterior grade contact cement and lay a piece of veneer over the area...its wood, it'll cover the peeling and cover the spackle and with a good latex paint it should cover the water soluble spackle...the downsides are it's time consuming and there still is a possibility of cracking as the wood expands and contracts.

[HAL9000]

I personally never had a problem with the spackle and primer/sealer method... that was on an outside door too where I think is subject to some greater temperature extremes.

[mbossman2]

water hits spackle and it turns back to whence it came...mud

unless you use one of the more expensive exterior grade spackle that is chock full of latex and polymers...

[HAL9000]

Nope.. cheap bucket stuff.... One door that I have done with that method has to be coming 5 years old now... still looking good... must be due to the primer/sealer I'm using.

[SARGE]

It's the gal bud's house and she can pinch a penny and get a quarter. However, we're going to HD and look at exterior wooden doors, anywhere from $150 up. She gets my free labor as it is, plus a new door with decor panels is better than this plain solid-surfaced one. If I'm gonna spend my time on her dime I'd rather it be worthwhile. BTW, we installed a new aluminum storm door so that would keep any direct rain from hitting the existing door I'm tackling. Interesting debate on the spackling.

[bailey]

if a door is showing its age with cracks, I would replace it rather than a cheap fix, unless I was planning on selling it right away.

[mbossman2]

my point is: fix it right the 1st time. no offense Hal, but the spackle solution is one of those fixes that they find on an episode of This Old House and Tommy, Norm and the new yuppie all cluster around and say "What were they thinking?" and then go on to show how it is done right.

[HAL9000]

No offense taken, but 5 years of going from 100'F+ to -50'F, snow, wind, rain, etc without a mark... prove me wrong? ... as for it getting wet and turning back to mud... why would the stuff last on the walls in a bathroom then? Going by what you are telling me, the humidity when taking a shower would have the stuff falling off again in no time flat.

[mbossman2]

in bathrooms, the builder would (should) have used a waterproof spackle...the wallboard that goes in and above showers (and behind inserts) is a cement style board (called blueboard, it eats circular saw blades), taped (fiberglass mesh tape) and mudded (high silca cement/latex compound) with different products than what is used on regular interior walls.

Humidity doesn't penetrate paint (otherwise wallboard wouldn't exist), but water exposure can and does penetrate if left unwiped up (or down)

I am happy that it worked for you...but doing it the right way is always the preferred method.

[HAL9000]

I understand completely about the stuff above showers and behind the inserts, not exactly a novice to home renovation... just never had a problem when something is properly primed and sealed before painting. I did make that mistake once by skipping that step... well ya... redo time.

[David M]

Epoxy filling compound is what I use on the boat. It's easy to apply, tough as nails, holds up to woods moisture expansion and is very sandable. I am not talking about Bondo...which is a pain in the rear.

[HAL9000]

Yes,,, that would probably work well too

[SARGE]

Epoxy filling compound is what I use on the boat. It's easy to apply, tough as nails, holds up to woods moisture expansion and is very sandable. I am not talking about Bondo...which is a pain in the rear.

At the bottom of the door jam there is a spot about a foot long and worn down to a quarter-inch versus the rest of the piece, leaving a gap when storm door closed. Was considering Bondo but your idea seems better. Doing I put on in several thin layers or just smear it in the recessed area and sand when done?

[SARGE]

I got this from Loew's today upon advice of one of their gurus. Anyone ever use It?

http://homerepair.about.com/od/walls/gr/durham_putty.htm?terms=deep+rock+water

[anvil]

yah Sarge it is alittle pricie but it willwork great in a high traffic area. if over used it is hard to hand sand it though.