Every door in my house looks like this due to past owner pets and a bit of my own cats helping the damage along. It’s been a project on the list for years and now i’m finally getting to it.

I, of course, started with looking at new doors. But my doors are a non-standard size as far as I can tell (29.75in x 79.25in) so I think I would have to get the cut custom to fit?

I then looked into things like peel and stick wallpaper and the like but I don’t know if that will look good, or lay properly flat since it’s so damaged and, of course, my cats just need one swipe to damage it yet again.

Then I looked into the wood filler, which I didn’t know was a thing until I saw a comment on a door repair video. But I’m not sure if that will work here?

So that’s all that I’ve researched but I’m unsure as to what the best approach is, any help would be appreciated. I would really like to make as little waste and spend as little money as possible, while still have staying power to the repair. How would you go about it? Any tips/tricks?

Thanks for the help!

  • saucyloggins@lemmy.world
    3·
    1 year ago

    If you get a wood filler get an epoxy based wood filler. You may need to order it online, I’ve had trouble finding it at the normal hardware stores.

    It’ll last forever and be more durable than the wood itself. Might be overkill for an indoor fix, but it’s not any pricier. I’ve used it to repair wood rot on outdoor window fixtures and it works great.

    Just a word of advice. It’s tempting to add a bunch because you’re going to sand it down level anyway. But it takes FOREVER to sand if you don’t have a sander so try to make it level as best you can while you’re applying it.

  • Bell@lemmy.world
    1·
    1 year ago

    If you’re going to paint them then it might be worth trying to fill the missing areas and sand. I don’t think you could ever expect to repair this so it can be stained though. Only a new veneer over the entire side could do that and that’ll likely cost you more than a new door.

    Hanging a new door is easier than you might think though, especially if it’s pre-hung.

    I might check salvage yards and see if you can find doors in your sizes. Most doors can be cut at least an inch or even two off the sides or bottom.