hello everyone.

a while ago i developed a roof leak.  while that was repaired and the wood replaced up on the roof,  water has ran down the door jam and damaged some wood at the bottom of the door jam.  originally it was just soft so i just put some caulk and repainted that and the portion of the base plate that was damaged.

but i guess over time as it dried out its crumbled and further fell apart (the base-plate seems fine though).  now i am at a point i need or should repair the damage but for a small job like this it would cost too much to hire someone to do it.

i've attached 3 pictures. 

one is scrap wood thats left over from a recent shed addition that was done.  this is what i am thinking about using to repair the damage.  the piece of wood for the door jam spot that goes just past the door hinge.  that seems like it will be the easiest to replace although i am worried about how long the screws should be.  i don't think there's any electrical wiring very close to the door jam but i think right behind the wood that can be seen might be concrete but i am unsure.  the other piece of wood is t111 that i was going to use on the inside of the door jam since its easier to cut.

two pictures show the damage,  the one might need to be cut more to make repair easier as its jagged.

another thing i was thinking of was possibly just using something to cover the holes and just use foam insulation in the damaged area and then paint over it.

if thats not a good idea should i use the wood and then still use some foam insulation to fill in the holes.

thanks for any help.

ryan from florida

ryan,
At my house the fix would be a new prehung door unit after repairing/replacing the wall studs that are bound to be rotted there.

well that's more work than i can do, i am limited in what i can do. plus the door has to be special ordered becasue local stores don't carry out swing doors.

also i cleared all the rotten wood, everything else seems very solid behind it. the door still hangs and opens and closes just fine. with an upcoming job loss in the winds ( i know its happening i just don't know exactly when) i need to keep all un-needed expenses to a minimum.

i know the wood that was replaced in the roof was done the same way. the rotten wood was removed and a new piece of wood was put in its place.

Go for it any way you can fix it. Probably need to cut back beyond the visible rot and splice in new wood. A good seam hider and crack filler is auto body putty "Bondo". If that is not available then some "Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty" will work. Let it cure for a day and then paint over it.

Wasn't trying to be facetious, just expressing how I would do it.

Try craig's list, people usualy give prehung doors away that are in good shape. You may get lucky find some free lumber too. Anytime we have anything that is worth saving I put it craigs list for free. We just put a 5 year old sectional on there, it had a sofa bed and two recliners and was in great shape. Val just didn't like it, and since were in the middle of a total renovation, out the door it went.

Take the time to watch this video from  www.ronhazelton.com  the House Doctor and you will find your answer. 
  www.ronhazelton.com/projects/how_to_put_in_a_front_door

I have to disagree with replacing the whole door instead of just replacing 1 foot of the jamb. That's assuming the door itself is in good shape otherwise. To me, that would be like buying a new car because the tires need replacing. Now if the door has other structural problems and is energy inneficient than I might consider it. But to me, this is a minor fix that doesn't warrant a whole new door.

i thought of that when i first realized it had gotten to that point.

i look real hard at the pieces i pulled out and i couldn't see anything and i believe even if i hadn't found them i should have seen termite tunnel signs in the wood, which i did not.

as i cleared out the rotten wood, all the surrounding wood (wood that was not in the path of where the roof leak came through) everything else seemed strong and just fine.

also when this addition was built code required the area to be treated wtih termite spray, which if i recall right (i'd have to find the paperwork to be sure) but i think that said good for 10 years. other than the new addition and the roof, the house was built in 59 and concrete block.

and the base plate that runs along the wall and that was also watered damaged has not deteriorated and it does not have any other damage.

i know teh door bottom looks kinda rotten but its not, its strong and in tack, when i get around to doing this i'll pull the door off and sand down the bottom of the door to remove the discoloration (possibly mold) plus not having the door right there will help when trying to fix door jam.

i'll post pictures of the finalized fix, just remember i am very far from an amateur diy.

No matter what you decide I would wrap the would when your done.