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 the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- This comes up 18.0× more often in r/HomeMaintenance than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Replacing the door and all rotten sidingDid this help you?
- 2Hoping the damage is superficial exterior rot rather than structural framing rotDid this help you?
- 3hire a reliable handymanDid this help you?
- 4scrape out rotten pieces, fill with wood scraps and bondo, then sand and paintDid this help you?
- 5taking photos to show the outside and what is above the doorDid this help you?
- 6Slicing off the mushroom and sautéing itDid this help you?
- 7Applying fungicideDid this help you?
- 8Using a vinegar and water solution to scrub the spot then sealingDid this help you?
- 9Spraying with bleachDid this help you?
- 10Replacing the door entirelyDid this help you?
- 11Using wood filler and flashing tape for a temporary fixDid this help you?
- 12Digging out the rot and using a penetrating epoxy consolidator or splicing in a new pieceDid this help you?
- 13Replacing all the brick moulding around the door, potentially with composite materialDid this help you?
- 14Using car body filler from auto parts storesDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, 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 ↗
“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 ↗
“Just noticed this today at the base of one of our exterior doors. The wood in the hole is definitely soft and spongy to the touch.”source ↗
“What should I do short-term? For a long-term fix, as an inexperienced DIYer, should I try to tackle this myself or bring in a handyman or other professional?”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 ↗