Restoring an Exterior Door With Termite Damage in Shumway

Dry rot can be a silent killer, especially in older homes. Dry rot is typically caused by a fungus that grows and thrives on the moisture in wood. It spreads from the inside out, causing the wood to become hollow and spongy.

While the effects of dry rot are slightly different from termite damage, you’ll often find one where you find the other. Termites not only thrive in dark, moist areas, but they also eat the cellulose that makes up wood.

At a recent project site in Shumway, we found ourselves facing the unique challenge of restoring an exterior door that was suffering from severe termite damage. Termites had caused crumbling dry rot inside the body of the door, as well as in the window mullions.

As you might know by now, one of our specialties at Chism Brothers Painting involves performing seamless localized repairs. It can be expensive to replace an entire fixture like a door or chimney, and sometimes a superior restoration is all that’s needed!

Whether it involves damaged masonry or wood suffering from dry rot, we can repair the area with quality materials, restoring it in a way that not only looks better than new, but is solid and durable from the inside out. Take a look at the different aspects of this exterior door repair project, and see for yourself!

• First, we scraped away as much of the soggy, damaged wood as possible.

• Next, we applied a mildew sealer. This hardens the soft wood that couldn’t be removed, and it also kills any fungus that might be lingering.

• We used a cement-based product to fill the hollowed area. We let it harden, applied more, and sanded it down until it matched the original shape of the door.

• Each time the filler hardened, we primed the area to seal each layer.

• We applied a final coat of primer, then two coats of finish over the entire area.

• We replaced the mullions entirely, since they were rotted all the way through.

By the end, we were able to match the original shape, texture, and color of the door completely. Ultimately, the homeowners saved money and were able to keep their unique door right where it was!

Don’t hesitate to reach out to the Chism Brothers team! We’ll assess the damage and perform the necessary repairs to make your door, window, or siding better than new!