I was painting a window frame today and noticed some termite damaged wood. The termites are long gone but the damage remains.
Other than remove and replace, is there any way to repair the damaged area? Could I infill with Bondo or some such crap?
I was painting a window frame today and noticed some termite damaged wood. The termites are long gone but the damage remains.
Other than remove and replace, is there any way to repair the damaged area? Could I infill with Bondo or some such crap?
There are a number of ways to achieve a level foundation and mudsill.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
Fine Homebuilding
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
© 2024 Active Interest Media. All rights reserved.
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.
Start Your Free TrialStart your subscription today and save up to 81%
SubscribeGet complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.
Already a member? Log in
Replies
It's a little like rot -- depends on the amount of damge. (My preference is for dutchmen rather than bondo.)
However, a problem with termite damage is that often the surface can seem sound while the interior of the wood is completely eaten away. So you have to inspect things a bit more thoroughly than with a rot problem. Probing with an icepick is one way to check things out.
Thanks for the advice.
Does Dutchman = replacement wood?
I think you're right about removal and replacement. My first impulse was to just back fill with an inexpensive filler like Bondo. Does that ever work? Probably, every now and then but I always have my best luck doing it "right".
We are going to have the house tented again, too.
Lots of people swear by Bondo. I'm just old school, I guess, and prefer to use solid wood.
Most of the termite damage I've seen has been on old, poorly cared for buildings where the wood was totally hollowed out. Replacement is the only reasonable option in such cases (though I've done scrape/paint/pray a few times). Never really dealt with a "minor" case of termites to know how things tend to unfold there.
I've seen termite damage where about the only solid wood left is the fibers stuck to the paint. It's always worse than it looks like it is for me.