I have an old solid wood front door to which the previous people had nailed a hardboard on the outside (presumably to hide some damage). But the nails have rusted and the rust is showing through the white paintwork. I can't afford to replace the door so what can I do to improve its appearance? I could strip the paint, use stainless steel nails to refit and gloss paint it or is there an easier way?
Alec
Yuch, Hardboard on the outside?? Thats wrong, its not meant for exterior use.
If the board & nails were properly painted with 3 decent coats of exterior paint they wouldn't have gone rusty. Maybe it was painted with emulsion/interior paint to match the hardboard? :-) If it is hardboard, lose it and assess any damage to door. It may have been done in the 60s when this was merely done for fashion.. Any damage could probably be repaired with 2 part high performance wood filler. If you need/want to recover the door use exterior plywood..
It would be some damage that would look make a door look better with hardboard over it. ;-)
More likely done to make it look 'modern' years ago. With a bit of luck the door will be perfectly serviceable underneath.
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required