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How to repair a water-damaged door sill?

Mickey362
Getting Established

How to repair a water-damaged door sill?

Unbeknown to me, the toilet has been leaking under the wall and into the external laundry door sill. It is now so swollen, the door is dragging across it when we shut it. Also, the intense storms over the past few days have meant that the sill has been wet from that as well. I tried to put on a new weather seal across the base of the door, as the other one had fallen off, however, the sill is so swollen, the seal will not slide underneath the stopper as it should. I don't know what to do. Will the sill return to normal? Should I sandpaper it to make the door fit again? Should I replace the sill, and how hard is that to do?  I would have to do it myself...20231227_193653.jpg20231227_193729.jpg20231227_193753.jpg

Dave-1
Home Improvement Guru

Re: Water damaged door sill

Evening @Mickey362

Mmmmm Having a few looks at your photos and thinking how the timber became wet. In Ref to That last photo, is the door sill expanded upwards creating that gap? The timber dosnt look swollen, it looks like something underneath is pushing upwards?

 

Looking at the photos it looks like you have that piece that sits under the door that is now seperated from the tiles, (is the door base swollen? It dosnt seem to be)

You have that middle plate that is missing the paint from the middle.

and then there is another piece that is under the gauze door.

 

One way to to see what is happening is to remove that first plate that is raised. If you look closely you should be able to see some nail heads in the timber. (you could tap the timber gently with a mallet (so not to mark it) and see if the nail heads show up. Once you find them then you could lever that piece up and potentially see what is swelling underneath. Once you can see it, you may see the solution of post the pic here so we can have a look. 

 

I was scared the first and second door I worked on :smile: The third door I felt a lot more comfortable removing trim and replacing it. 

 

As to the sanding the wet timber, id hold off on that until it dries, Sanding wet timber will shred it (yeah done that as well)

 

Dave

Re: Water damaged door sill

 

Hi @Mickey362 

 

Dave  is right in thinking you need to fix the source of the  leak first as its not just the door frame being expanded length ways and bowing.  All the walls and frame work is under  threat of dry rot with  a constant water leak.  Not tring to scare you as you have  some time to fix loo first.  If you fixed the  loo already then  please skip that comment part.  Timber may dry out eventually and shrink  or it maybe  warped into that new shape.

 

But we do need  doors to operate on a day to day basis and  at the risk of shreadiing  timber as  Dave says I would  belt sand or plane the door frame back into service so the door operates freely.  Once the leak fixed timber  will dry and a  clean sanding can be  done and repainted as you like.

 

 

MitchellMc
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: Water damaged door sill

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Mickey362. It's great to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about repairing a door sill.

Is the smaller trim piece at the front pulled away from the tiles, or is the whole door sill swollen, too? It appears that a small sloped trim piece at the front is causing the door to jamb. Can you remove that piece to inspect behind it? 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

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Mickey362
Getting Established

Re: Water damaged door sill

Hi Dave, 

I tried to slide some paper under the sill, but there is no gap there. I'm not sure what is pushing it up. The nails are about 3mms sunk into the wood. If I lever the piece off, can I put it back on again? Or replace it? Is it easy to do? I tried to 'fix' my garage door, and that cost me lots of money to 'fix' my fix! Now I'm not so gung-ho!

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it,

Mickey362

Re: Water damaged door sill

Hi Mitchell,

I can't slide anything between the wood and the tiles, so I suspect it is just swollen. Can I easily remove and replace it?

Thanks for your advice, I really appreciate it,

Mickey362

 

Akanksha
Retired Team Member
Retired Team Member

Re: How to repair a water-damaged door sill?

Hello @Mickey362,

 

Let me also extend a warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We're delighted to have you join us.

 

Thanks for your question. It's a busy time on the site with many of our members and D.I.Y. experts away for their year-end holiday break. I'm sure our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert @MitchellMc will be happy to continue assisting you as soon as he can.

 

In the meantime, great to see you've received advice from @Dave-1 and @Jewelleryrescue. Let me also tag @Tyro and @DIYGnome in case they have any thoughts. 

 

Thank you for your patience. 

 

Akanksha

 

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Re: Water damaged door sill

Hi @Mickey362 

 

 

Door frames are made into a box shape and are inserted  into  a house frame and screwed in and then tiles and wall covering are cut into the frame edge.  So  No taking the lower door frame timber out is not super easy too do.

 

Some times when timer swells it also expands long ways and if it has no where to expand to it must bow upwards as it cant bow down as the floor is there.

 

The easiest solution is to sand or electric plan that raised  timber lump to allow the door to close properly and repaint timber.

Dave-1
Home Improvement Guru

Re: Water damaged door sill

Afternoon @Mickey362 

Yeah I know that worry as well :smile: 

Comes down to a few options

-More research on how doors are put together, what is invoved with installing the frame and associated timbers (heaps of videos around on you tube :smile: )

-Trying yourself to fix the issue but being unsure is what makes me hesitate as well on certain jobs but have enjoyed sorting them out afterwards.

-Get a capenter in to do it right and then watch/give a hand if they let you so next time you "have more of an idea".

 

For me.. I had a capenter mate help me with the first two door installs. Then thought I could do it myself but wa sunsure so got him to give me a hand again. :smile: Thankfully he didnt mind letting me help and yep I did pay him the going rate.

For my Front door, I didnt remove it but did remove all the trim and associated bits when I took the door back to bare timber. The next intermal door I will do entirley myself.  If you are concerned about the cost, get a quote or two and that will help you ballance in your mind what you want to do.

 

We are always around to offer suggestions and ways to do a job but yeah, you are the one on the end of the stick :smile:

 

Even if you get a carpenter (and yeah I suggest that over a handy person as you want to know how to do it yourself) you are pretty much doing a "training course" for your future self :smile: Win Win. Would love to know either way you go :smile:

 

Dave

 

 

Re: Water damaged door sill

Hi @Mickey362,

 

After looking closer at the images, perhaps this is part of the door jamb, but it appears that the jamb might have been modified. How badly is the door jamming? You could try sanding the contact areas down to create some clearance.

 

Mitchell

 

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