How to repair rotting garage door cladding / jamb

[Hayman]

 

 

Hi. I’ve recently moved into a new house and found the bottom of the garage roller door jamb / cladding beginning to rot away. I’m not sure whether I can simply remove the soft rotted sections, apply wood hardener and then use some exterior wood filler, or whether I need to start cutting off trim and attaching new pieces of wood. The area that has me the most confused is that thin white section that appears to have some form of metallic webbing within it. Does anyone know what that is and whether it’s replaceable? I’ve read that the bottom of the cladding shouldn’t go all the way down to the concrete slab, but that would seem to expose the timber frame behind to the elements. I would very much appreciate any guidance. Thank you.

[Nailbag]

Hi @Hayman 

Obviously that section is subject to water pooling causing the rot. The first thing to establish before the repair is to confirm how the water is getting there, so that any repair is long lasting.

Does it come in under the closed garage door during heavy rain? Or does it enter externally even with the door closed and possibly running internally down the wall? With the door closed, pointing a garden hose around the area will help solve that problem.

The exposed metal is an external angle used with both plasterboard and rendering to provide a straight, strong and durable edge as in the images below.

What you propose to both repair and have read is spot on. Cut the section out higher than the affected area, apply your hardener but instead of filling, I would fit a new piece of "hardwood" thats 5mm shorter than a snug fit. This needs to be primed on all sides other than the joined side. Once fitted, prime the join and apply the colour coat of paint. Then apply silicone to the 5mm gap. to prevent water ingress underneath.

Nailbag

[JacobZ]

Hi @Hayman,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you with us.

My thinking is much the same as @Nailbag's in that we should start by identifying why the rot has occurred and taking steps to address this issue. It looks like the land is sloping towards this spot which is obviously going to cause some issues. 

Can we get a wider shot of the affected area? This will help us look for ways to address the water issue to prevent issues in the future.

Once the water issue has been managed, you'd simply cut out the rotted section and replace it with new, water-resistant framing, whether it is hardwood or suitably treated pine. 

Once the timber has been reinstated, you can replace the cladding material and blend it into the surroundings. 

Are you aware of what the cladding material is? Is it plasterboard?

As Nailbag has said, the metal piece is an external angle and the type of angle that has been used is commonly used with plasterboard. 

Knowing the type of cladding material will help us plan for the rectification works.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob