How to repair wardrobe door jam?

[unawarek]

We recently replaced our built-in wardrobe doors with sliding doors, and this left an ugly patch on the door jam/trim(?) where the hinges used to be (previous owner painted the hinges when painting the door jams). How would I go about patching this up? 

Here are some photos of the damage:

  

[EricL]

Hello @unawarek

Filling the trim where the hinge use to be is like filling a hole in a plaster wall. All you need is some UNi-PRO 500g Multi Purpose Interior Filler and sandpaper. The multi-purpose filler already comes with an applicator, but if you have a 100mm Sharp Edge Paint Scraper or similar it would make the application much easier. 

The general sequence of repair would be to sand the area until it is clean and free of debris. Wipe the area off with a clean rag, making sure all the dust has been taken off, once it is clean you can then apply the filler. Try to fill it in as flat as possible so you won't have to sand off too much. Once the filler has cured, sand the area flat and then prepare the spot for painting. I suggest getting some touch-up paint from your local store. 

Changing the doors on your cabinet wardrobe is a fantastic project. Would it be possible for you to post a photo of the new doors? I'm sure our members would be keen to see what it looks like now.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[unawarek]

Thanks for the advice!

What grit of sandpaper should I be using to sand the area before and after the repair? Would a 180grit be ok?

Unfortunately we didn't DIY the wardrobe doors - we had a chippie come in and redo the whole thing for us (including rebuilding the built-in wardrobe with drawers and shelves). Just a little out of our skill range to even attempt! 

[EricL]

Hi @unawarek

I suggest using 240grit as 180grit is too rough and might damage the finish of the wardrobe jam. It's ok even if a chippie did it for you, it would still be interesting to see the transformation.

Eric