Rot running from exterior deck up to door frame
Water damage where an exterior deck meets a door frame often signals moisture tracking upward into the framing and subfloor. Homeowners dealing with this face uncertainty over whether the damage is purely cosmetic or structural, and whether a DIY fix is realistic or requires a professional.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Replacing the door and all rotten siding
- 2Hoping the damage is superficial exterior rot rather than structural framing rot
- 3hire a reliable handyman
- 4scrape out rotten pieces, fill with wood scraps and bondo, then sand and paint
- 5taking photos to show the outside and what is above the door
- 6Slicing off the mushroom and sautéing it
- 7Applying fungicide
- 8Using a vinegar and water solution to scrub the spot then sealing
- 9Spraying with bleach
- 10Replacing the door entirely
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Really not the handiest person and Im wondering if this is something I can fix myself or should hire professional? Its the outside window of my home.”source ↗
“The only issue visually I see is this deck and the door frame. It appears it needs to be replaced, but there also looks like rot running up to the back door of the house. Any idea what could be causing this, and could this be a bigger issue than just the deck such as getting inside and affecting the subfloor?”source ↗
“Other than slicing off and sautéing - suggestions for dealing with this?”source ↗
“Not sure how to evaluate the depth of this big little problem.”source ↗
“I fear it’s from water that sits on the wood at the bottom of a window pane.”source ↗
“It’s in GA outside ATL. Any idea of costs on something like this? I worry about frame rot too.”source ↗
“Its a covered porch and the exterior wall above the door (and below the porch roof) is dry to the touch. It was raining in this photo.”source ↗