[momof2labs]

Hello All From Fredericksburg, VA
I just bought a home built in 1975. In spite of having the home inspected, I'm discovering a few things I need to address.
I just noticed the wooden sliding glass door has a large hole in it on the exterior which is pretty substantial. I can't afford to replace the door now but would like to fill it with something to prevent further damage.

Is there an epoxy I can use?

Thanking you in advance.

 

[Daniel Holzman]

There are several varieties of wood filler or epoxy you can use. In all cases, it is necessary to remove rotten wood to get back to reasonably good condition wood. If it is impossible to find decent wood, you can try using wood hardener (a liquid designed to harden rotten wood) as a temporary fix for the rotten wood.

Personally I have had pretty good luck with Minwax two part epoxy filler. A little pricey, but it is easy to work with. It sounds like you understand that filling the door is a temporary fix, but it might hold you for a year or two.

 

[momof2labs]

There are several varieties of wood filler or epoxy you can use. In all cases, it is necessary to remove rotten wood to get back to reasonably good condition wood. If it is impossible to find decent wood, you can try using wood hardener (a liquid designed to harden rotten wood) as a temporary fix for the rotten wood.

Personally I have had pretty good luck with Minwax two part epoxy filler. A little pricey, but it is easy to work with. It sounds like you understand that filling the door is a temporary fix, but it might hold you for a year or two.

Hi Daniel:
Thanks for your quick response.

I have always had good luck with Minwax. When you're fixing a serious problem, the expense is secondary. I also saw Gorilla is making an epoxy for wood, too. That's the one I bought but haven't used it yet so I may return it.

I went to Lowe's and got an estimate for replacement doors. The SLD would cost about $2500 plus $500-700 or so for installation. (There's 2 double SGD side by side). Needless to say, I won't be using this home inspector again.

Warm Regards from Fredericksburg, VA
Donna

 

[paintdrying]

It is not that hard to do yourself for a glass door. With some skill you could actually take the door apart and make a new piece on a router table.

 

[gregzoll]

Something that old, and that bad, it is easier to replace the door. Repairing it will slow the process, but the door still needs to be replaced in the long run.

 

[Taylor Rae]

does the door slide right now with all that rot? It looks like it's rotted where the rollers are. We've been using Car Bond-O for wood repairs for many years. Lowe's has it, so does pep-boys