Door patch product recommendation

Mike50 · Aug 31, 2006

I'm prepping 2 standard size exterior wood doors for painting.
Both doors have 1/8-1/4 inch gashes from dogs scratching at them when they get crazy.

What is the best patching material to use? Mud-Joint compound....or?

These doors are exposed to direct desert sunlight much of the day. Up to 120 degrees on occasion.

M.

Bassman · Aug 31, 2006

Mike50 said:
I'm prepping 2 standard size exterior wood doors for painting.
Both doors have 1/8-1/4 inch gashes from dogs scratching at them when they get crazy.

What is the best patching material to use? Mud-Joint compound....or?

These doors are exposed to direct desert sunlight much of the day. Up to 120 degrees on occasion.

M.

I don't know what the pros use, but I've been using Bondo for some time now with lasting results.

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

Prashster · Aug 31, 2006

I've never tried it, but a lot of people swear by automotive putty. 3M makes something called Super Red. Harder, and less shrinkage than wood filler (2nd best). If it were me, I wouldn't use dwall compound. Too brittle for exterior

Jadnashua · Aug 31, 2006

There are some epoxies that are made to fill in. Hopefully, the door is going to be painted, otherwise, regardless of what you use, it will look funky unless you can do faux finishing well. The epoxy would have a little flexibility and strength, I think.

Mike50 · Aug 31, 2006

OK. I just read on a painting board where 2 pros say that bondo is the way to go.
You cant hurt the stuff. It has a 10 minute dry time window as the downside.

Glad I asked-I would have knifed in some fix-all being a knucklehead.

thanks..

Verdeboy · Aug 31, 2006

I just filled a fist-sized hole in a door with vinyl spackling (2 coats). Sanded it a couple of times, and painted it. Can't tell there was ever a hole. Love that stuff.

Mike50 · Sep 1, 2006

Verdeboy said:
I just filled a fist-sized hole in a door with vinyl spackling (2 coats). Sanded it a couple of times, and painted it. Can't tell there was ever a hole. Love that stuff.

Filling the hole and having it look good after painting isn't the problem Verdeboy. Selecting the right media that wont shrink and fall out after a year or two is key. As I said it's exterior/exposed to rain and triple digit digit desert sun.
2 painters recommended Bondo and it makes sense in this case.

Verdeboy · Sep 1, 2006

Mike50 said:
Filling the hole and having it look good after painting isn't the problem Verdeboy. Selecting the right media that wont shrink and fall out after a year or two is key. As I said it's exterior/exposed to rain and triple digit digit desert sun.
2 painters recommended Bondo and it makes sense in this case.

Many painters and handymen use vinyl spackling for exterior door and wood siding repairs. That's how I learned about it. It's strong, somewhat flexible, easy to use, sands easily, is pre-mixed, doesn't dry too fast, and doesn't shrink. The only time I've ever used bondo is for fixing my rusty old car. LOL

Toolaholic · Sep 8, 2006

door shops use bondo

cars are out in the rain also

Mike50 · Sep 9, 2006

Verdeboy said:
Many painters and handymen use vinyl spackling for exterior door and wood siding repairs. That's how I learned about it. It's strong, somewhat flexible, easy to use, sands easily, is pre-mixed, doesn't dry too fast, and doesn't shrink. The only time I've ever used bondo is for fixing my rusty old car. LOL

Verdeboy:
If your particular vinyl spackling tub reads interior/exterior use which I suspect it does, you still have to use common sense. Bondo is a stronger-more reliable product. Even I know that and I dont know a lot about this. I say this based on a number of pro opinions..

What kind of exterior door am I talking about here:

In summer it will heat up to 130 degrees in direct sun as a guess. And there is little protection from rain water. The door
is going to get knocked by shovels-wheelbarrows-pitbulls etc. Get the picture?
So I'm not talking about patching a wooden garden gazebo out in the Hamptons here....see? lol

Bondo Corp. apparently has formula for any surface you might imagine.

Bondo Wood Filler:
http://www.bondo-online.com/catalog_...sp?itemNbr=101

Bondo Home Solutions Product Line.
http://www.bondo-online.com/about.asp

Bondo Home Solutions catalog:
http://www.bondo-online.com/catalog_brand.asp?hdrBrand=2

To be fair--I doubt you knew about the Home Repair line. I did not.
I also don't know if Vinyl spackling formula is similiar to Bondo.
Maybe someone does.

M.

Verdeboy · Sep 9, 2006

Mike50 said:
Verdeboy:
If your particular vinyl spackling tub reads interior/exterior use which I suspect it does, you still have to use common sense. Bondo is a stronger-more reliable product. Even I know that and I dont know a lot about this. I say this based on a number of pro opinions..

What kind of exterior door am I talking about here:

In summer it will heat up to 130 degrees in direct sun as a guess. And there is little protection from rain water. The door
is going to get knocked by shovels-wheelbarrows-pitbulls etc. Get the picture?
So I'm not talking about patching a wooden garden gazebo out in the Hamptons here....see? lol

You started out this thread by saying you had a couple of medium size gashes in your door, and you wanted to use drywall mud to fill them. Vinyl spackling may not be the best thing in the world for door repair, but it's infinitely better than joint compound.

Now you say the door is going to take a beating from dogs and equipment. Your best bet is to install a large metal kickplate or just replace the door with a metal one. No wooden door is going to take that kind of abuse. Get the picture?

Mike50 · Sep 9, 2006

Verdeboy said:
You started out this thread by saying you had a couple of medium size gashes in your door, and you wanted to use drywall mud to fill them. Vinyl spackling may not be the best thing in the world for door repair, but it's infinitely better than joint compound.

Now you say the door is going to take a beating from dogs and equipment. Your best bet is to install a large metal kickplate or just replace the door with a metal one. No wooden door is going to take that kind of abuse. Get the picture?

Nope. I don't get the picture-it's wood for a reason. It's a utility back door into a garage in the Mojave Desert. A metal door or kickplate would probably heat up to 140+ degrees in summer and potentially hurt the dogs.

The joint compound became a non-issue 10 days ago. Your comment is non-sequitor, if you read the thread

Vinyl is Vinyl. Bondo is Plastic. It's more dense. To be fair, I've read that the Vinyl is probably easier to spread.

If you want to debate why Vinyl Spackling would be better than Bondo for this application hey--go right ahead. No problemo..

Chassis · Sep 15, 2006

Here's two more cents. I just filled a 3/8" hole in my entry door with Bondo. Worked great. Sanded it and painted it, can't tell it was there. The hole was left over from the old lock set that I replaced with a new one. Luckily the exterior trim of the new lock set covers the hole on the outside. The door is stained on the outside and the hole would have been a pain to deal with.

I just ordered a quart of WoodEpox, from Abatron. www.abatron.com. They sell it as a fix-all for wood restoration, filling, etc. I have a screen door closer that pulled out of the jamb, and I'm going to try WoodEpox to repair the hole.

Prashster · Sep 15, 2006

I've used chewing gum with considerable success. Comes in plenty of colors; you don't even have to paint it.

Verdeboy · Sep 15, 2006

prashster said:
I've used chewing gum with considerable success. Comes in plenty of colors; you don't even have to paint it.

Now you sound like some of my previous tenants. They think they're doing me a big favor by filling all their drywall holes with toothpaste. Just makes a big mess!!

Prashster · Sep 15, 2006

Verdeboy said:
...toothpaste...makes a big mess!!

But leaves your place smelling minty-fresh!

Verdeboy · Sep 15, 2006

prashster said:
But leaves your place smelling minty-fresh!

I think you're onto something Prash. Scented spackling. I can see it now: mint scented spackle, strawberry scented spackle, curry scented spackle...

I want to be on the bottom floor on this one!

Door patch product recommendation

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