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Hello, recently we have moved back into our property and found water damage to the laundry door frames. Is it worth repairing? Or is it easier to replace?
Theres a little give in the wood at the bottom of the frames.
Thank you.
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @harleyman20. It's fantastic to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about door frames.
The MDF door frames have absorbed water at the base, causing them to swell and fluff up. MDF is particularly vulnerable to moisture, and once it’s compromised like this, it doesn’t really return to its original strength, even if you sand or fill it. You can do a patch repair using Builder’s bog, sanding and painting over it, but that will mostly be cosmetic. It won’t fully stop water from being absorbed again if the underlying moisture issue isn’t addressed.
A more durable solution would be to replace the damaged frames. When you do this, make sure to seal or paint the bottom edges of the MDF before installation to prevent water ingress, and silicone the gap between the frame and the floor to further reduce water exposure. Controlling how much water reaches the area is important, too. Switching to damp mopping rather than wet mopping will help prevent the same problem from happening again.
If cost is a concern, a careful patch repair could buy you some time, but for a long-term fix and better durability, replacement with properly sealed frames is the better route.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
