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We don’t use this door or use this side of the house. So unfortunately didn’t notice it deteriorating. We thought it was solid timber but maybe it’s a veneer???? How to fix?? Pull off the flaking timber and sand??
Thanks
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @rsl. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about repairing a door.
From the photos, it is either a veneer door or a solid timber door where the outer face has failed and started to lift, but it very much looks like a veneered door rather than solid timber. Unfortunately, the level of deterioration suggests moisture has been getting in for some time, which is why the surface has broken down the way it has.
The first step really is to confirm what you are dealing with. I would gently pry or chip off a small loose section to see what is underneath. If it is veneer, you will likely find a different timber or composite substrate below. If it does turn out to be solid timber, the damage is probably still only on the outer face, but the depth of that damage is what matters.
If you start removing the flaking material and sanding, you are almost certainly going to end up with an uneven and quite damaged surface. With veneer, you will go straight through it very quickly and expose the substrate, which cannot be sanded to a presentable finish. Even with solid timber, if the deterioration is deep, you may not be able to sand it back flat without removing too much material.
In most cases like this, the more realistic repair is to scrape and remove all loose and friable material, sand the area to clean it up, then rebuild the damaged sections with a suitable exterior timber filler like Builder’s Bog. Once the surface is shaped and sanded smooth, painting the entire door is the best way to protect it long-term. A good exterior paint system will seal the repair, stop further moisture ingress, and give a uniform finish that hides the patching. It's worth noting that moisture ingress into the door likely began at the bottom edge, which the installation manual states should be sealed and protected. So, you might like to remove the door and paint underneath it to help prevent this from occurring again.
If you do uncover solid, sound timber and the damage is shallow, you could attempt to sand it back to clean timber, but if it does not come back evenly, painting is still the safer and more durable option. Given the condition shown, I would be planning on repairing and painting rather than trying to restore a clear or stained timber finish.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
