How to repair a water-damaged door sill?

[Mickey362]

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...

[Jason]

Any luck with your repair @Mickey362?

Feel free to post again if you need further assistance. We're here to help.

Jason

[Mickey362]

Hey Jason, 

 I repaired the leaky toilet and then sanded the sill down. The door actually closed properly for a little, but the wood must swell in the heat as the door sometimes sticks on hot days. On cooler days, it shuts perfectly. I will need to sand it down once more, I suspect.

Thanks,

Mickey

[EricL]

Hello @Mickey362 

Thank you for the update. It's great to hear that you've managed to repair the toilet leak. In this situation, I suggest waiting for the door sill and the door itself to shrink back to their original size. Once they are totally dry that would be the best time to paint and seal the sill and the door.

Painting it while there is trapped moisture inside the timber will ruin the paint and peel off.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric