Here is the complete process of repairing an exterior door:

• Set the door on the surface for repair

Remove the hinge pins out of your door’s hinges. Set your exterior door on a flat surface for repair. Make sure the damaged area or side should face up while making the door ready for repair. If you don’t have an alternate means to lock your house, you can do the repair while keeping the door on its hinges. Either way, you can attach a piece of plywood secured with screws to cover an opening space of the entrance.

• Scrape Away Loose Paint

Scrape away loose paint with a putty knife or use a paint scraper to see the damaged area where you need repair.

Search the surface of the exterior door using a sharp object or screwdriver to identify where the wood has rotted. If you find any damaged wood, pull it off to make the repair easier for you.

• Drill Your Holes

Drill a series of ¼ inch holes into, not through, the door across the damaged area. Space the holes about 1 inch apart.

• Mix your wood hardener

Mix the two-part wood hardener in a small squeeze bottle with a small nozzle. The nozzle should be small enough can allow you to fill into the ¼ inch drilled holes. Squeeze the wood hardener into the holes and use a small paintbrush to spread the hardener all around the damaged open areas.

The hardener allows you to saturate the wood that needs repair. The purpose of the hardener is to compact the wood fibers together and to prevent any further water damage or rot. Leave the hardener for a few days to become dry. The process could take seven days or less depending on the product you use. Cover the door with a plastic sheet to keep it dry and prevent it from raining if you are doing the work in an uncovered area.

• Prepare the resin

Prepare the wood repair epoxy resin on a piece of scrap plywood. Put an equal amount of hardener beside the first amount. Finally, mix the two pieces of epoxy together using a separate stirring stick.

• Apply the wood filler

Apply the epoxy wood filler into the drilled holes using a putty knife. Smooth additional wood filler into any open areas on the exterior door. Make sure to use the filler more than enough and allow the filler to harden for four hours or overnight.

• Remove excess filler

Use medium-grit sandpaper to remove the excess wood filler. Once you remove the excess filler, use the fine-grit sandpaper to smooth the wood up to an extent when it comes time to have the same texture as the original wood.

• Prime and Paint

Prime the door with a coat of exterior primer. Allow it to dry. Paint the door with two coatings and, allow each coat to dry thoroughly before proceeding. Place the door again