I have an exterior hollow core wood door with a couple of holes punched thru the skin. The holes are about 2 inches wide and 3/4 inches high. The door permits access from the carport to the back yard, so it doesn't have to look perfect. Does anyone know of any tape or something simple I can use to repair the holes before I paint the door? I don't want to replace the door just for two little holes.
Thanks! Peter
First exterior door like Savvy 1 said should be solid core.
To fix provide backing and then a dutchman repair. It will require some skills to make the repair water proof and invisible.
I have had pretty good luck using Fix All or Rock Hard Putty to repair those kind of holes.
Unless you live several hundred miles away from the nearest criminal or have nothing in side your house protecting (you, you wife, your kids, your possessions, e.g.), you should replace that hollow core "door" with a solid core unit and a strong dead bolt lock with a good strike ;-)
S1
I second the "rock hard" putty recommendation (or other epoxy-based putty). That is, if you want to keep an insecure hollow-core exterior door.
-Tim
Sure. The trick with most of these repairs is to make the repair a decoration. Put a 4" x width of door minus 2" masonite over the holes. Or depending on the positions make three or four
3"x4" blocks and put them in a decorative pattern. Attach with contact glue or just use yellow carpenters glue with weight. Paint the blocks before you attach, if you aren't going to paint the door, or paint after you attach if you will repaint the door."Savvy 1" wrote
But, but, but....
"Puzzled" originally wrote
Open carport, open back yard? Sounds more like a "keep the kids & dogs in the back yard" kind of door.
while you can fix it, with methods most have already posted.
Is the door usually subjected to fair abuse ?
You might want to consider cutting a chunk of at least 1/2 plywood and nailing it over the existing door.
Won't look pretty, but may save you further patching down the road.
AMUN
I wouldn't even screw around with it. Install a new door slab (about $28). By the time you buy patching stuff and do all the work you could just install a new slab.
I tend to agree, a solid or steel door is the proper item for exterior use. But if you are gonna paint it anyway, and are just looking for a quick'n'dirty repair, I'd use Bondo. That is what the greenshirts used at work on the hundred-year-old doors when they dropped the old high brass knobs to modern ADA compliant low-mount levers, and it has held up quite well.
aem sends....
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