If your exterior door frame looks like this one, there are several repair alternatives. Repairing exterior door frames can be very expensive. You could replace the entire frame and perhaps even the door. Depending on your decision, a new door will cost several hundred dollars or more.  Fancy doors will cost in excess of a thousand dollars. Remove damaged parts. Make sure you remove all of the rotted wood. Replace it with a piece of wood that matches the area you are removing, caulk and paint. When you do this work yourself it can be very inexpensive. We will cover this step in more detail in the next section.

Repairing Exterior Door Frames

The following steps can make your door look like new again and cost very little. The outside frame is also refereed to as the brick mold.

  • Dig out the rotted wood with a knife or chisel
  • Next, you need to determine how much wood to remove and how deep it goes
  • Identify solid wood about an inch above the rotted area
  • Using a square, draw line where you will cut out the brick mold
  • You will need to purchase a piece of brick mold that matches the area you are cutting out
  • You may need to make adjustments to get an exact fit
  • Take the time to ensure that if fits well to ensure that the finished product will look great
  • Once you are satisfied with the fit, pre-drill two holes for the screwnails you will use to secure the new piece of wood.
  • Screw the wood into place
  • Use exterior paintable caulk to fill any gaps that may exist and to water penetration
  • Once you are satisfied with the result, paint the new wood and the rest of the door frame
  • Although time consuming, do it yourself consumers may only spend $20 or $30 instead of hundreds or thousands of dollars.