I have seen a few of your rot repair videos and one comment I would like to make, as a fellow carpenter with over 35 years in the trade, is that once you have the rotten material removed, I recommend you treat the exposed areas with an appropriate chemical to kill any remaining termites or rot fungus that might not be apparent before you make the actual repair. It will give you and your client more peace of mind and make your repairs last longer.
Here’s a tip I use… When using wood brick mould/jamb make sure your use a primer or paint on the bottom 3 inches to help seal it and “help” with future water repelling to assist with
Yes! Thank you for adding that..My heart sank at that sight since I have many problems with …moisture, wood decay, carpenter ants, and termites. Also those holes make lovely homes for mice and More .1
I love how you explain thoroughly, with enough detail and sidenotes to set us up to actually succeed. And at the same time you keep it quick and basic enough to keep the video moving along and hold my interest. Good stuff! 😁
Great job on a very common repair! two small tips, follow your pencil line with a razor knife scribe which will leave a sharp cut edge to follow with the multi tool. Also, when removing the piece, in an effort to eliminate pry marks against the remaining wood trim members, run two drywall screws high and low and use your claw hammer to pry the piece straight off and away. These two things are especially useful when working on highly visible trim repairs. Thanks for all your great work. Your obviously very squared away and doing great work!!
A 45 degree angle cut with the top piece lapping over the new bottom piece also cut at a 45 degree angle prevents rot from forming because water will more easily run into a straight cut every time.
Priming and painting the wood used for the door jam, particularly on the bottom where the fibers are open would keep future rot out. Same goes for exterior doors; always paint the bottom before installing.
Run a bead of caulk on both sides from the bottom of the mold to the plate. This is why most start to rot out in the first place. I do this with all door installs!
I tend to cut the old material upward at an angle and the new piece at the exact opposite angle then slide the new piece up under the exiisting wood. It makes for a smoothe transition if you cut it right
Good video and some good tips. From and older carpenter to a younger carpenter.... use your eye and ear protection. At some point you think man I should of used my eye and ear protection. Why tempt fate? Good luck and keep up the good work.
Looks like you had treated 2x material for the jambsn which unfortunately may require a full season to dry before priming and painting? Curious why you didnt use pvc or regular lumber with bondo/epoxy coat for quicker painting instead?
Keep the wood from contacting the cement or what ever the surface material is ramp silicone or water and uv protected construction adhesive around the edge to repel water. Can use epoxy or fiberglass resin to cover the bottom few inches all the way around the new wood before installing it
I repaired mine with bondo. Made a female jig to shape it. Took 3 applications then sanded. Took longer to make the jig than to do the repair. No more wood there to rot.
I have been a diy guy from when my dad ( now passed ) had me hold the flashlight for him . Love doing all sorts of projects and helping others with theirs. The Lord commands us to help widows and orphans. No greater joy is there than to finish a job and stand back and see your work done well leaving things better than you found them ... thanks for all your helpful videos and direction as a former school science teacher I would pass on “ how to’s “ with the student body at school... they called it life lessons, I again thank you for yours....Ames
EXCELLENT VIDEO - THANKS!!! Just one question: Why didn't you use PVC for the door jamb repair? You did for the brick mold but not the jamb. Seems like it is set for more rot in the future. Thanks again for an awesome video.
FYI, if you wanted to REALLY impress the home owner, you would have used a drill with a buffer attachment to super clean that metal threshold. You can't do that with wood jams and brickmold in the way. Then it would look SUPER pretty making the homeowner swoon over your work and give you more praise. That's not a lot of work for a nice reward.
Michele Biscardi exactly how I fixed a busted door jamb a few weeks ago someone kicked the door in and busted the strike plate out so I just replaced from the 45 degree corner to the deck and I did section the center piece.
plantbased_Jeap Mogilski Thank you! Lots of manufacturers are making multi-tools these days, and honestly I think a lot of them are good! I use a Bosch, but I say just set your budget, and pick the highest reviewed brand/model at that price line. Also, before you buy, see if you can find after market blades that match that model. This is the best way to save on blades going forward. That’s where things get expensive!
plantbased_Jeap Mogilski I bought mine at China Fright. It worked ok when I used it to widen a door opening to install a storm door. Had to remove about 1/4" of brick moulding on the hinge side. Took forever, especially cutting into the grain the length of the door. What else could I have used?
I have 7 of those things and not even a contractor. Don't ask! If you just do a little around the house even the cheap Harbor Freight will suffice. Honestly it's as powerful as my M18 cordless Milwaukee and should last a few years (YMMV) and will accept standard blades. I did burned out my Milwaukee but it was tortured. Now I have another Milwaukee. The no name FastCraft 42 piece multi tool is the steal of the year ($30 at Costco). I think it's better than HF, both I have. Although the cheap ones maybe as powerful and well do the job just as good, the difference is in quality construction, feels better in your hand, last longer with available repair parts. BTW, some may not accept standard blades with or without an adaptor, just to let you know. Look for toolless blade change and adjustable speed although I leave it at the lowest speed almost all the time. If you have the money, contractor grade name brand cordless is the way to go.
Would you fix mine? At my balcony, the piece of wood under that metal threshold is very soft it need to be replaced . Could you make a video of how to fix it?
Hey man, very helpful video. I am trying to replace the trim in the middle of a 3 door exterior jam. What do you call the wood piece that goes up on each side of the middle door? It is a different molding than the PVC Brick. Is it just a piece of 2" x 1" wood? I am trying to buy a new piece at Lowes and I don't know what it is called
@John Gates Hey John, I use an Occidental Fat Lip belt system with a Stronghold harness. I've linked both in the description above for you. Long and short, Occidentals are pretty much the ultimate pro rig. I've used everything from leather aprons to variety 4" belt setups, but nothing is quite as customizable and indestructible as Occidental. They're very expensive, but if you can get them dialed in and conformed to your body, you can pretty much wear it for life. I'll do a whole video on it before too long. Thanks for writing in!
My question is just how expensive is the new brick molding? It seems to me that it the cost is not prohibitive then why not just replace the entire section with PVC? PVC would never rot period and the labour costs would be minimal.
Honest Carpenter, I will be making a similar repair for a customer and would like to know if you would recommend just replacing the bottom portion of the brick molding like you did in this video or just replacing the entire brick molding? I am thinking that it would be easier to just replace all of the brick molding in order to avoid using a multi-tool to make several special cuts.
This was a great help. The PVC board will help with my similar problem. Do you have a video on repairing rusted out metal door? At this same door the bottom of the door has rusted out. Hoping it can be salvaged. Thanks
Just replace all the brickmold with PVC. Home Depot sells pre cut kits for just over $30. You may have to cut to fit your exact door, but would be easier than making those plunge cuts and risk a poor cut. Then you don't have to worry about any other parts rotting out and it will all match each other. The PVC kit is also paintable to your desired color.
@Richard Starr If you have a miter saw, it's really not hard if you have a little skill working with wood. I did it in half an hour, and I'm just a shade tree carpenter. 😆
A second plunge cut an inch or two below the top cut helps with the splintering problem. The top cut needs to be nice and square so it looks good when the repair is done. The lower cut doesn't need to be precise since it is only to help avoid splintering into the remaining trim when you pry out the bad part.
I have this brick mould repair coming up when it gets warmer... I picked up the plunge saw just for this repair. Always need a reason to pickup a new tool.
You make good informative video's. 71 year young carpenter here. I always found dry rot to be like a ice berg. You only see about 10% of it. The chop saw, pneumatic nailers and multi tool were game changers.
If I understand correctly, it’s nice to replace some dry rot rim joist but not always necessary to get 100% of it out if it’s not structural problem. It’s tempting to go overboard with it but in my case, I think it’s OK to leave some dry rotin a few spots now that I’m going to add the proper building, paper and flashing. This was missing from my deck!
Here’s a tip I use… When using wood brick mould/jamb make sure your use a primer or paint on the bottom 3 inches to help seal it and “help” with future water repelling to assist with rot. Great videos
How do you know how far back the rot actually goes? And how can you tell if the rot is part of the foundation? We’re working on replacing some dilapidated brick steps on our house, (125 year Old farmhouse) and there is wood rot all under the brick and around the door frame. I’m concerned that the foundation is compromised, but I’ve no way of knowing without digging it all out, and possibly causing a bigger problem. Any ideas?
I'm going to have to do this on my front garage trim as the full south sun has caused it to dry out & come apart, I will replace the whole piece of trim, Yes I will be doing this my self, after I pick up some tools.
This is good repair for an EMP inspection fix if you're selling a house, but if your staying any length of time replace the ENTIRE brickmould. It's just as easy and it will look better.
They need an awning to keep the rain away from the door. I don't know why people stopped doing awnings. There is a reason they were popular and I don't get why they went out of fashion. Suggesting a good, long term fix of keeping the water away from the wall is not dishonest. Gutters are also important. Divert the water away because sealants will eventually fail, always.
Thanks for the info. I have a door jamb with dry rot, and this will help me to do my own repairs. My husband rolled his eyes when I said that I could save us a repair job on the rental. Oh ye of little faith. :) Wish me luck!
@Debbie Perkins Thank you for watching! Good luck with the repairs! I think you’ve got this 💪🔨 Be safe, and feel free to reach out to me at the website if you need any more advice
I’ve done this repair a lot. Almost the exact same way but I find it easier to cut the new PVC brick mold first, place it parallel to the rotted molding, and use the top of the replacement price to guide the oscillating saw blade. Remove the old rotted piece and the new piece slides right in. Perfect fit every time and it’s a nice time saver.
use the rolls of two part epoxy (they come in a little tube and look like a swiss roll) to fill the gaps at the cut points. You can sand it down before you paint the repair is invisible.
While I think this was a good video to show how you did the repair, I would suggest all who think about doing this there is a better, faster and easier way of doing this repair. Remove all 3 sides of brickmold. Buy a PVC brickmold kit which already has the miter cuts done. You will have to square cut to length and one miter for the top.( you can choose to reuse your top mitered piece if you dont want to miter) if you dont have a miter saw use a square and cut angle from the backside of the piece. The kit is about 25 dollars from home depot. This is a forever fix with no wood to PVC seams to fill, sand and make look like there's no seam. You dont even have to paint it if you dont want unlike wood brickmold which is only primed. It will take less time to replace all with PVC than to cut out section and repair. Besides its a much more professional and solid fix. I charge 95 dollars a door to do these and it takes about 15 minutes. Anyone can do this with 30 dollars and 30 minutes and no osscilator tool needed( unless you need a reason to go buy a new tool)
Hi. What did you do to the bottom of the PVC piece you put in? It looks like it’s jagged. If that was for installing I wish you would have shown that part as well.
Nice channel mate! I’m from the UK and do property maintenance for a living. Really find it interesting how you do things on the other side of the pond as it were. Similar methods of repairs but on totally different styles of buildings. Would love to job swap in the USA for a month to broaden my experience as it were! Keep the good videos coming. Marc.
Marc Gray Thank you, I really appreciate you watching! I lived in Glasgow for a while when I was in my twenties. Thinking back on that time, I always wish I’d gotten to work some construction over there 😁 carpentry is one of those things: universal, and yet slightly different everywhere you go. Maybe someday I’ll get to come back that way for some work or videos!
Ah Glasgow Scotland... only been there once myself! I’m from the midlands in England which is a fair few hours drive from Glasgow 😂 like 8 !! I think the UK needs more tradesmen and women to be fair.... ones that are good at their trades and can be of help. There are still unfortunately too many people that aren’t that claim they are and take advantage!
EXACTLY the problem around my back door at the garage - 32 years of sun and rain - brick mold and frame rotted so badly at the bottom, a mouse and a rat might have walked through together. THANKS SO MUCH for the great instruction!!! Got the oscillating multi-tool and PVC brick molding and 1x4, even though my problem was worse than what you showed, the solution was the same. I had 4 carpenters come and tell me to replace the door. The door is fine, it's the trim that needed replacing. None of them called me back, that's when I found your video. So glad I took your excellent advice!! $ 59 for the oscillating tool and $ 25 for the PVC trim, bless you!!!!
I just caught a few of your repair videos and it’s refreshing to see someone as yourself actually knowing what their talking about and doing it correctly. I’ve been a restoration contractor for over 40 years now and I certainly would recommend you to anyone watching this video regardless of some ridicules comments! I appreciate good honest information and a job “well done “ as you’ve demonstrated here!!
This is the type of answer that irritates me,it all comes down to cost!a lot of home owners don’t have spare cash so you do what they can afford,simple
@@Madmax-iy8fi I agree. His answer was stupid. I've been in the trades for almost two decades now and I know this kid is not a hack. I still would've used pvc for the jamb too though. The cost difference for such a small piece is pretty insignificant. I guess I could see it if maybe he just had some PT laying around from another job, or maybe the thicknesses were different? Idk.
Why not replace the entire piece? An entire 3 piece set of brickmold is only about $20. It seems like the time and labor would be more than that. Pry the old stuff off, replace with PVC and caulk. It will outlast the rest of the door.
I've got a Ryobi 18v multitool and I was wondering how much a difference a corded one would make. I'm guessing the corded tool would have a lot more power and create quicker cuts - Hate to add another tool if it's really just a matter of time saved, and since I'm really just using it for my own home repair and DYI projects.
I have a Makita cordless and Fein corded. The Fein is definitely more powerful but I use the Makita more often for smaller jobs as it's much more convenient. It's good to have both but I wouldn't go our and buy a corded tool unless you have a specific big job on the horizon.
@@hairbarber-ology yep. Holding really well. Just checked it. Super solid. I will definitely be using it again on wood rot. Best part about it is it's very easy to work with. The area I patched though was about 5 inches high and the entire width of the board
Thank you so much for the video! I thought it was possible to fix my door jamb and not have to replace the whole thing, even though my husband didn’t think so! Appreciate it very much!
Thanks for this. You just saved me $$ and turned me on too a really cool multi tool. It's awesome. It took me only about 30 min to do this repair. I had a handy man tell me it was easier and cheaper to just replace the whole door with would have been over $600. This cost me $190 including buying a really nice DeWalt Multi Tool. Thank you.
To Anthony Osborne I thought it'd be a fairly easy couple of hours DIY for me to remove a 12 in section of the bottom left side of door frame, or jamb part. A few inches had rotted, the side that borders a raised flower garden... Too much over spraying the plants over the years is the culprit. Anyhow, I'm on day 2 lol. I put in a good 2 or 3 hours yesterday, priming the replacement wood section, gently and gingerly and slowly taking out the rotted section. My hands and wrists have gotten too weak over the years, I'm very small ones, barely weigh 90 lbs, so I get way too sore to keep praying, cutting, etc.. the rotten part out then carefully cleaning out the particles and built up calk behind that scary looking area void that is now exposed. I used work gloves and long reaching hand tools to remove the known and unknown debris, silly me, I'm too afraid of running into spiders or other creepy bugs. So far I haven't, lol. I was bound and determined to do this DIY all by myself... Well after talking too long to cut a simple 12"x3" door frame piece with a handsaw, I had my husband finish cutting that piece. Toy chargrin, a few seconds is all it took for him to cut that piece. Yep, no doubt he could have done this job in a fraction of time that it's taking me. Luckily I live in the SoCal area where our days are still quite warm out with no rain in sight. I learn a lot from these very informative videos and also glean a lot from the comments! Have a wonderful weekend everyone. 😃👋✌️
Nice job. I fill any gaps or spaces with foam filler before I set in the new brick mold and or trim. I found this helped reduce moisture build up inside. Also keeps ants from moving in as well.
Excellent tutorial. I like your organization - intro, body, & conclusion. I like the many details you describe with much specificity. You've inspired me to repair my garage service door right now - if it only weren't 20 degrees F. outside here in the Midwest! Oh well, one more thing to do this coming spring.
Never used the PVC brick mold before, or even knew it existed to be honest. Do you find it easier to shoot brads through than the pine or more difficult? Just curious
He's smart enough to replace section w/non-rotting PVC. And saves money for customer. And I'm sure whole piece is more than "$8". I listen to the expert. Thank you, Ethan!!
@@andreah6379 Yeah you can do lots of things like caulking a half inch gap to save money. Doesn't mean it is correct. If someone is that broke then by all means 99.9% of my homeowners wouldn't think of cutting a corner like this lol
Should of just replaced both sides of door with new brick mold stuffs cheap plus its a professional job i hate scabbing in stuff looks like somebody is cheaping out and doesnt last as long just saying
Exactly what I was thinking. Replace it all why play around with a little peice. You still have to paint it and it looks thE damaged still when it’s hacked. That’s wild some one would just cut out a section.
That house needs a lot of work.. probably not the only thing needing repair. Also, I would have shot some foam in there when replacing that trim. It looked like there was nothing.
Great video. One tip I think to mention as I just returned from finishing neighbors' attempt at replacing is to tape back the blub weather seal on the inside of the door towards the garage whenever cutting the side jamb out actually on any project. In nearly every project I've been called to come and "fix it", the weather seal is ripped or cut leaving an opening, especially on the entry points into their homes. Once the seal is out or needs to be replaced, it can be very difficult. Keep up the good work, Rob
Very helpful video. However I couldn't tell if the profiles of the old and the new brick molding matched. What do you do if you can't match the profiles? Thanks!
One thing that's totally glossed over in this video is on the door side of the jamb, he doesn't mention anything about weatherstripping. Most doors similar to that one have the weatherstripping let into a saw kerf on the jamb. This is easy to replicate but does require table saw or special router bits.
@@Mr572u .. The bottom is all that really needs to be PVC, so you can buy things like this www.homedepot.com/p/The-Home-Depot-Ever-Jamb-Exterior-Door-Frame-Kit-4-9-16-in-x-36-in-x-83-in-pine-with-PVC-base-3-Piece-303-064C/202087157 We replaced a man door and back door, I elected for everything including the door to be PVC. Cutting out stucco and the job that was made the worry of a few extra bucks irrelevant. I don't want to go through that process every 10 to 15 years!
Ethan's videos are so good I'm always tempted to click "Like" within the first few seconds before he actually explains anything, because I just know what's coming is gonna be awesome.
Question for anybody that will answer. Is it possible to rebuild an exterior door threshold. I have a double door French door with only one side that opens, which is the left threshold side and the threshold needs replacing. I don’t want to replace the whole door as I have been told by home depot and Lowe’s. Thx in advanced
😑.. The reason the brickmold rots is... People don't 🎨🖌PAINT the ends of the brick mold. The water isn't "bouncing". The wood is SOAKING up the water. 🤦♂️.... I wouldn't even do a 12" repair. Just replace both sides top to bottom. Those silicone gap fillers still show and look like trash.
I have the type of brick mold shown on your video ' fix rotted door frame (Brick mold). I want to install storm doors, but several 'local' contractors(?) have told me it's impossible without removing the existing brick mold and replacing it with a new type. I also have vinyl siding with 'J' trim surround. I think I'm being 'zoomed'. Could you please advise? Your video is excellent. Thanks.
As a homeowner who has let a handful of repairs stack up, I've watched more than a few of your videos. You seem like a really nice guy who's patient and good at everything. You should be an instructor somewhere.
Is it really going cost that much more to replace the entire piece of jam and brick mold? I would just pry off the entire length and replace it with new PVC or some similar product and only have a few 45 deg miter cuts, then repaint. No big deal.
@@officerjimlahey31 I would be inclined to replace all of it if someone was paying me to do it for them.....I've replaced end sections before for myself though if the pre-made sizes I needed weren't readily available, mainly just to save time and effort having to cut and fit all the corners and such.
It looks terrible, why not to replace the whole thing, at least brickmould, $30 material and it will look much better as two whole pieces, what you did looks like homeowner did it on Saturday afternoon.Also always seal bottom of the pine wood, actually the whole thing with varnish or better with epoxy , West System works great. It will never rot again, your repair only is going to last few years.I call it job security.
Good video. The question is ... how much would you charge for doing that job? .... There are people who think that you are going to charge $ 50 dlls .. and it is not like that for that job I would charge a minimum of $ 180 dlls. or what do you think
I've watched a number of your informative videos, including your ad for your consulting services. I have a very rotted door frame that I would like to discuss but I don't see contact information on your website for your consulting services. Please advise. Thank you, S.
Thank you so much for sharing your excellent informative DIY projects. Your videos are very detailed and the visuals are excellent as well. Not blurry, unfocused, shaky, etc... I'm very happy that I found your Channel, I'm definitely going to watch many more of your videos. I sure appreciate your sharing your expertise and wonderful skills that really helps a new like myself, especially after these skyrocketing prices for materials, doesn't leave enough funds for hiring a pro any more. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful weekend. A SoCal gal fan. 😃👋✌️
Don't spend a dollar to save a dime, as in time is expensive, material is cheap.. The use of PVC brick molding is an excellent choice for wet NW locations.
