End grain, end grain, end grain. The end grain of wood is a bundle of “straws” (tubules) that literally wick water UP the grain of wood via capillary action. So, your wood rotted from water on the porch being chronically wicked up the vertical board until the last few inches were so constantly soaked that the end grain of the horizontal board began wicking out of the vertical board. The boards did not rot from snow sitting on top of them as your entire horizontal board would have been equally rotted. Always seal end grain that will be in direct contact with another surface. Using PT lumber will buy you a few years but will eventually rot as well had you not put gutters on your house. Seal end grains (even PT lumber) & put gutters on your house, or get used to repairing rot routinely. Nice repair job. Thank you for taking the time to share & teach others. Stay blessed.
Excellent repair. One suggestion - whenever bonding new concrete to old concrete, wet the old concrete first. It helps the new repair fuse to the old concrete.
I have been told that you are not supposed to wet the concrete because the extra water will weaken the new concrete since it will dilute it at the contact face. So it might do the opposite. I have been told the same thing with tiles in the house , not to wet the tiles before putting them in the mortar. The thin layer of water weakens the mortar that contacts it. This is at the very place where they bond, so in the future , a tile can just pop off the floor .
Oh my goood where u getting all that nonsense. New or not old all surfaces is ok for bonding . OLD CONCRETE RENDER BRIKS plasterboards any OLD STUF WILL SUCK WATER OUT OF UR NEW MIX way TO FAST AND THERE WILL BE NO BOND . New surface will harden and separate. U must damp old surfaces and check how fast it dries then u know do u need to damp it or sometimes properly soak it untill it will stop drying fast. Then ur new mix will bond properly.this always the case . As well first RUB NEW MIX TO OLD SURFACE SO IT FILLS ALL IMPERFECTIONS. It will stay there forever.
@@DT__1 I did a little research and it all depends on what you are doing. If you use thin set mortar then you are not supposed to wet the tile or concrete surface but if you are just using plain cement you should wet the surface so that there are no air cavities. If you don't wet the surface then the water from the cement will separate and go into the dry concrete or tile and cause a weak bond because there is not enough water in the thin layer of cement next to the bond for it to cure properly. Also you have to be careful when you wet the surface that there is not water sitting on the surface because this will do what I said and weaken the cement bond. In a nutshell, you need the proper amount of water in the layer right next to the bonding surface. You have to dampen the tile or other surface and wipe off the excess water. You just need enough water to get the air out of the surface. Many of the new tiles aren't porous so you have to determine what you are working with first.
13:50 Car guy here: Knead hardener tube before opening to re-mix contents (like ketchup, it separates in storage). A corner to corner bead of hardener across the pile of bondo is thought to be a good ratio. Cheers!
Absolutely perfect timing. I need to repair water damaged wood at the bottom of my garage side door. I don't have any 'big boy' machines but I will get it done. I do have that hand saw your using and the drill and sander. I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL. Bear in mind. I am a woman age 76. I can not afford to pay someone to do repairs for me but YOU show me how. Thank you and your handyman skills look awesome.
Belle if you can do it I can do it, I have exact same problem! I’m ten years younger than you so you’ve inspired me to keep going and do it myself (thanks to The Fixer I’ve just discovered hydraulic cement which I’d never even heard of before!
When I work on problem areas (water damage) I usually paint the ends of the wood so it doesn't tend to wick the water in the future. You can also use exterior wood glue for this.
seal all ends, problem areas or not. Also the piece in the video is probably rotten because it is to close to the concrete. He should have kept it at least 1"-1.5" above the concrete so it dosent collect moist from below
Yes, highly recommend this as well. It should have gotten a few coats to protect it. It's pushing on top of concrete now and water will get caught behind that silicone he put on the three sides. I would have gone a step further and put a layer of plastic or rubber underneath the bottom of that wood. The amount of filler going into that damp looking rot on the wall siding is just hiding a problem as well. I wonder what it looks like today after two years of weather.
As a journeyman carpenter I have always tried to isolate wood from concrete. As many others have commented end grain and concrete are just not a great mix, unless you are trying to make compost. When a wood framed house is built on a concrete or block foundation, the wooden base plates are isolated from the concrete for this very reason. Concrete+Wood=Rot, even if there is very little moisture and it feels dry. This goes for fence posts as well.
My favorite part starts at 19:21 where you're toe screwing the old to the new, and starting with an offset. It's so satisfying when it comes in for a perfect landing with everything lined up
I would have cut the vertical wood short of the concrete. It is not holding any weight on the bottom and it is always a bad plan to attach wood directly it contact with concrete. At least that is what I have always been taught.
You can always come in with a multi tool and cut the bottom at the end but then you lose your protective coating. I agree. Cut it right the first time.
Came out great. I always try to make my temporary repairs look just as clean and professional as my permanent repairs, because you never know how long “temporary” may be.
@@deaconblooze1that was my dad! And my mom would possibly contest the "wise" descriptor, lol. I did, however, work w a fire Capt who insisted we were pros due to the # of repeated attempts until we got it right.
Definitely love the white against the house and how bondo worked so well. One of the best parts about your channel is how you patch now to prevent something getting worse and have a plan to replace later. Most DIY home owners with little to no experience (like me) need this content to help with repair ideas to prevent a big problem later. Can’t thank you enough and I’m so happy I came across your channel.
Your channel is fire. I have learned so much as a first time home buyer, My house was built 1935 I was a little worried about repairs but came accross this channel some how, god is good, thanks.
I watched this not because I have a similar issue, but because it was in my suggested videos and I knew it would teach me many things that I've not yet tackled in my DIY adventures. I wasn't mistaken! This was an excellent resource in so many ways. I'm off to buy a demolition saw and Bondo tomorrow.
@@neepsmcfly4176 covering up nails and screws with bondo, hides where they are. So I guess using a metal detector to locate them would be the way to go. instead of prying the board off the wall, ruining the shingles. Unless the shingles are being replaced also. Then it's all good to go..
@@Butchsiek ah! Ok, to be clear, esp since I've never worked on wall shingles before, but you're not so much disagreeable to Bondo so much as you don't want to hide your hardware, then? Yeah, don't know how delicate they are but if delicate exploratory prying is too destructive, I like your metal detecting idea. Or, if all your other nails are exposed, you can just lightly swing a hammer until you find the Bondo and, thus, your hidden hardware, no?
@@neepsmcfly4176 nothing like beating on wood you might keep to find bondo covered fasteners.. Using a metal detector means you gave to. Uy one that's good, MORE Mo sy spent to find what should have been covered up. And just because you got a hit with a metal detector doesnt mean it's in the 2x4, it could be under the 2x4. Which means?
Great video! But you missed a step :) You should have put some kind of water sealant on the cut surfaces of the PT 2x4 (and then let it dry for 24 hrs) before installing it. Pressure treatment is only surface-level, it doesn't penetrate all the way through the wood, so that nicely angled surface of the wood that's in contact with the waterproof cement is just as vulnerable to rotting again as the wood that was there when you started. So, unfortunately, you're going to have to do this again in a few years! Also, whenever you plan on working with wood filler, you want to have a can of denatured alcohol on hand (which you can find in the paint aisle). It's helpful in application because if you get some onto your putty knife and then smear the wood filler you've applied, before it dries, it will make the surface runny, which is good because it will give you a much smoother surface when it dries, which will save you a lot of sanding work and also make it smoother than you probably ever could with sanding. Also, you can use the denatured alcohol to clean your putty knife and your gloves and whatever else you might accidentally get wood filler on.
I am a homeowner who is going to have to find a way to do many of my own smallish repairs such as this one. Thank you so much for the good tutorial and advice on how to repair rotted wood and the use of Bondo.
I’m a painter, I love bondo too, works great when refinishing kitchen cabinets, dries hard and durable. Excellent job on the repair man, my only suggestions would be to prime the ends of the cuts, even with just a little spray can primer, and caulking after priming rather than before.
I'm about to have to spend a week or so doing similar things to my siding & replacing/repairing rotten wood around the exterior. This helped to give me some confidence about repairing smaller sections rather than replacing the entire piece of wood since prices are still so high. Great work!
This video gave me the idea that I could just patch some of the rot at the bottom of my door sills instead of doing a more extensive replacement job. Before watching your videos, I'm not sure I would've had the confidence/know-how to do a small patch such as this. Thanks!
Beautiful work there man, that's many years of getting your hands dirty and now having the confidence to get a job like that done that would scare most away
Damn... the counter sink bit.... when you sunk that screw at an angle and those 2 pieces just pulled together like magnets, I was elated. I tinker around my home also, and it takes me forever to know what to do. Then another forever to do it. I am so tired of people using that damn pocket screw. It's annoying. I'm so pleased to see someone sink an exterior screw, no pocket hole. Great video. -Random female homeowner
using bodyfiller/bondo for that job is a bad idea as its not waterproof, it will soak up any water or moisture and make the timber rot away faster. You would be fine to use the fibreglass version as the resin in that is waterproof. i know you painted it but the back side is still open to the air and this is where a first coat of fibreglass would have been a benefit to seal it up. a two part wood filler is the same as bodyfiller/Bondo.
Great video. Only thing, and I know it's not too important, I'd have done differently would be to clear the leaves off the ground first, but that's just me. I lived in an older house before our present one, and often felt happy to make repairs that may not have looked good but were functional. This project was functional AND looked good.
I have not much experience with wood but i fixed a tin roof gutter with a similar stuff. glassfibre reinforced filler. The end piece came off and this works like a charm. does not need hardener.
You may already have one but. A painters "pull scraper" with the carbide blade, works amazingly well shaving bondo. If you shave it just before it gets hard you will save time on your sanding. I own a small painting business and have become somewhat of a bondo expert 😂 I have noticed bondo is really to hard for exterior wood repairs. The wood moves but the bondo doesn't. I explain it to customers as a band aid. That's basically what it is.
Your last video blew up….. you hit that RUclips algorithm. 👍🏻 That’s how I found you. I went back and watched your videos on the pumpkin and the snowman you made out of wood. Very creative. Your good at what you do. Keep up the hard work
Try using PPL-3X construction adhesive instead of bondo. Takes longer to set, but much faster and easier to apply since it's ready to apply directly from its caulking tube. It does expand and bubble due to off-gassing while setting, but if handled correctly, this isn't typically an issue. And the slight expansion property is usually beneficial rather than problematic, but sometimes trimming the excess with a knife or razor blade is required to get smooth joints and fills. I use it for filling and patching both wood and concrete. Although it sets with a light brown color, sunlight turns the surface light grey, which matched the concrete on my driveway as perfectly as could be expected, definitely much better match than real concrete or other concrete patching products. It just takes a couple of months of sunlight exposure to bleach the color to grey. It holds up remarkably to the elements. Extra leftover can be stored by capping off the tube or wrapping the end thoroughly with many twists of plastic wrap, then storing the tube in a freezer. Let warm up to room temperature overnight before trying to use it in the future.
Good job:) I use Duct sealant for exterior wood patching projects. Expands/contracts with water and temperature changes in a cold climate. Easy to work with too.
That bondo looks like it works great for wood repairs. I've been using plaster of Paris for all my drywall repairs recently instead of using mud. The plaster bonds much better, is much stronger and takes less applications to fill in large spaced with no shrinkage, won't crack, or break. Very sturdy, but you dont get much working time, sets quickly.
excellent job. just a tip. when using bondo, before it hardens use a drywall rasp to shape it. when its semi hard the rasp will shape nicely and less sanding for you. my friend taught this back in the day when bondo was the only way to fix damage on a car.
To protect wood ends from rot, putting a piece of polyethylene cutting board material between your open grain end piece and whatever it buts against, will prevent wet from being absorbed by the wood. Attaching pieces of the same plastic cutting board to the bottom of outdoor furniture protects the legs from rot. Using stain on outdoor wood is better than paint, as it doesn’t bubble and peel. Stain can be mixed to match any colour.
A great job and tutorial for my own rotted wood project, this has been very helpful. One thing I would have done is cut the vertical in line with the bottom of the horizontal rail in an L shape as running it all the way down to the concrete will accelerate water damage which you just fixed superbly. Thank you for your videos and all your tips, much appreciated sir.
Great work overall. For future reference, as a professional painter, my only suggestion would be to always use a good primer for either bare wood or walls. Specially got exterior. Even if the gallon says "paint and primer", your best bet is to always prime bare items 😉
Definitely. In fact, in this case I would have cut the upright 1/8” short and put a layer of silicone on both pieces, as well as the bottom. Edit. Putting four screws into a 2” long board is asking for it to split. Bondo also makes a filler for wood. When drilling at an angle, I’ve found it works best to start the hole straight enough to break the surface before drilling at an angle. This keeps it from walking across the surface before the bit grabs.
@@TomCee53 water-thin epoxy works better than silicone if you only want to do it once and be done. Great on stair stringers. Bondo is also good IF it's not put on too thin,and is painted over since polyester resin will absorb moisture over time.
Looks nice. I've used that Bondo product several times in similar circumstances and it works great. The key is get your area very well prepped and then not use too much of the Bondo so you don't end up having to sand half of it off. For prep work I've used a Dremel tool with the grinder bit to dig out the rot and used a liquid hardener prior to the Bondo. I did some window sills that were terribly rotten about five or six years ago and they still look great.
Great info! I never understood why everyone goes crazy about bondo and your explanation of it being firmer and easier to shape made it click. Nice work!
A lot of people hate on it because they say in temp and moisture extremes the bondo will de-laminate from the wood as a result of it not expanding and contracting like the wood does. I've never really experienced it in any repairs I've used it for but I also live in south Louisiana so other than it being really humid and wet most of the year we don't have the extreme humidity changes other parts of the country do where the failures might be more likely to happen.
Good basic repair, I appreciated watching it and hearing your commentary. I'd like to add two things, and see what you think of my suggestions: I would have immobilized the horizontal piece before cutting it with the reciprocating saw. And, I would have clamped the two pieces before the diagonal toenail drilling, and removed the clamps after the screws were well seated. You had remarkably fortunate results, which was a pleasure to see!
Very, very nice job. I use the bondo glass on the more exposed and semi 'structural' patches. I like to use the liquid wood hardener pre-bondo but it's become very pricey! The only thing I would have done in addition is to put urethane glue where your new block meets the existing rail. It will better exclude water down the road. Btw I hope you don't mind my input. I've been remodeling since the early '70's and have used bondo on many projects. Again, great job!
The repair looks terrific. Like others have said, it's best to not let that wood sit on the concrete where it will soak up water through the end grain and just rot out again. You could instead, or in addition, seal the end grain with one of the waterproof varieties of Bondo, or use a plain two-part epoxy.
Looks awesome! Thank you so much! Do you have a video on repairing a front porch column that has rotted a few inches inside. The wood trim around bottom will be replaced with vinyl trim. Thanks
well done. I've been doing home repairs for decades and was skeptical, but I'll certainly consider integrating some of your techniques for doing this sort of repair in the future.
Absolutely key was pre-drilling the holes and countersinking. When you skip that and just force screws in to save time, you usually end up splitting the wood and ruining the work. 👍
Thank you for the video. I repaired some rotten wood on my patio using Polyurethane Construction Adhesive. It is like plastic and works just fine as a wood filler😀
Good job for a temporary fix till you get to it on your honey do list. Never thought of using bonds - great idea. I don't really like the wood filler, because it doesn't really last like you think it should. Thanks for the video!
I love bondo for wood repairs , been using it for 30ish years . First application was fixing hollow core interior doors that tenants had punched holes in . Which I would just stuff paper in it , instead of using mesh . I see you are missing the cheese grating stage . Where you shave it down while it has a cheese consistency when it starts to set up , with something like a sheetrock surform , and use razor knifes for detail that needs put in. Like I recreated some bead board lines that electricians got a bit over zealous with their holes on . It really helps to cut your sanding down at least for the first coat. And then will make your second coat easier.
Nice job you did on that and great well presented video. I like your casual, smooth approach and explanation. I had a problem with some rotten sections of my deck. I was told the only way to fix it was to replace the whole board which was 16 feet long .and was cedar.. So instead I cut out the rotten piece by drilling a hole and cutting with a jig saw. Then I cut and chiseled the board to fit half way on the beam, screwed in a new board and stained it. it looked great and saved me a few bucks.
Very nice ! For myself, seeing how to use those long screws, on the angle, to secure 2 pieces together was an Ah-Hah! moment. Thanks for posting the repair.
Fantastic video! I truly love every part of this one. It's easy to see exactly what you're doing, and now I know why I hate typical wood filler. I'll be switching to the bondo you use here. Thanks for sharing!
Your repair looks great and it is interesting that you used the automotive Bondo because I have used that on my house for repairs in the past and it has a tendency to crack during the cold weather months.
Thanks...purchased an old house recently, it didn't have any gutters! so this video has been extremely helpful. New subscriber. Best regards and thanks for doing what you do for us!
I used bondo on a rotted window sill, worked great then painted with oil based primer after it cured followed by water base exterior paint, one year later dissolved 😢
For those who don’t know, there is a wood-colored, two part epoxy if you don’t plan on painting the wood. Minwax makes one version. Bondo may swell out after a bit.
Tbh, I thought this was going to be a hot mess when finished, but it came out PERFECT! I’m encouraged by this as I have an exterior door that is very water damaged and in need of replacement. That’s the easy part. The bad issue is that pretty much the entire bottom half of the door frame is in bad shape, with rotting at the bottom of both sides. This isn’t the first video I’ve seen where Bondo is the miracle cure so it looks as though I’ll be having to grab some at my local Home Depot in the near future. This was a very impressive repair job!
Nice repair, had to do the same on my garage door trim where the snow piles up. Used the bondo to repair the rot and it came out great. Enjoy your videos. Also from mass. So we know snow! Ha ha
End grain, end grain, end grain. The end grain of wood is a bundle of “straws” (tubules) that literally wick water UP the grain of wood via capillary action. So, your wood rotted from water on the porch being chronically wicked up the vertical board until the last few inches were so constantly soaked that the end grain of the horizontal board began wicking out of the vertical board. The boards did not rot from snow sitting on top of them as your entire horizontal board would have been equally rotted. Always seal end grain that will be in direct contact with another surface. Using PT lumber will buy you a few years but will eventually rot as well had you not put gutters on your house. Seal end grains (even PT lumber) & put gutters on your house, or get used to repairing rot routinely. Nice repair job. Thank you for taking the time to share & teach others. Stay blessed.
I have always painted the end grain on Azek & have never had any rot!
Excellent repair. One suggestion - whenever bonding new concrete to old concrete, wet the old concrete first. It helps the new repair fuse to the old concrete.
I have been told that you are not supposed to wet the concrete because the extra water will weaken the new concrete since it will dilute it at the contact face. So it might do the opposite. I have been told the same thing with tiles in the house , not to wet the tiles before putting them in the mortar. The thin layer of water weakens the mortar that contacts it. This is at the very place where they bond, so in the future , a tile can just pop off the floor .
Oh my goood where u getting all that nonsense. New or not old all surfaces is ok for bonding . OLD CONCRETE RENDER BRIKS plasterboards any OLD STUF WILL SUCK WATER OUT OF UR NEW MIX way TO FAST AND THERE WILL BE NO BOND . New surface will harden and separate. U must damp old surfaces and check how fast it dries then u know do u need to damp it or sometimes properly soak it untill it will stop drying fast. Then ur new mix will bond properly.this always the case . As well first RUB NEW MIX TO OLD SURFACE SO IT FILLS ALL IMPERFECTIONS. It will stay there forever.
@@DT__1 I did a little research and it all depends on what you are doing. If you use thin set mortar then you are not supposed to wet the tile or concrete surface but if you are just using plain cement you should wet the surface so that there are no air cavities. If you don't wet the surface then the water from the cement will separate and go into the dry concrete or tile and cause a weak bond because there is not enough water in the thin layer of cement next to the bond for it to cure properly. Also you have to be careful when you wet the surface that there is not water sitting on the surface because this will do what I said and weaken the cement bond. In a nutshell, you need the proper amount of water in the layer right next to the bonding surface. You have to dampen the tile or other surface and wipe off the excess water. You just need enough water to get the air out of the surface. Many of the new tiles aren't porous so you have to determine what you are working with first.
@@jeffbguarino Yep it depends of what material your are using, some needs some water others don't
@@jeffbguarino.. For the Tiles it’s true.. Not wet the back of the tile for sure..
13:50 Car guy here: Knead hardener tube before opening to re-mix contents (like ketchup, it separates in storage). A corner to corner bead of hardener across the pile of bondo is thought to be a good ratio. Cheers!
Absolutely perfect timing. I need to repair water damaged wood at the bottom of my garage side door. I don't have any 'big boy' machines but I will get it done. I do have that hand saw your using and the drill and sander. I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL. Bear in mind. I am a woman age 76. I can not afford to pay someone to do repairs for me but YOU show me how. Thank you and your handyman skills look awesome.
Nice comment Belle. You can do it! 👍✌🏻🙏
You can do it Belle! :)
you can do it!!!!😘
😊😊😊
Belle if you can do it I can do it, I have exact same problem! I’m ten years younger than you so you’ve inspired me to keep going and do it myself (thanks to The Fixer I’ve just discovered hydraulic cement which I’d never even heard of before!
Should have primed and painted top and bottom of filler pieces to keep moisture out
When I work on problem areas (water damage) I usually paint the ends of the wood so it doesn't tend to wick the water in the future. You can also use exterior wood glue for this.
seal all ends, problem areas or not. Also the piece in the video is probably rotten because it is to close to the concrete. He should have kept it at least 1"-1.5" above the concrete so it dosent collect moist from below
Yes, highly recommend this as well. It should have gotten a few coats to protect it.
It's pushing on top of concrete now and water will get caught behind that silicone he put on the three sides. I would have gone a step further and put a layer of plastic or rubber underneath the bottom of that wood.
The amount of filler going into that damp looking rot on the wall siding is just hiding a problem as well.
I wonder what it looks like today after two years of weather.
I sat the ends of my door frame in a bowl of fence treatment overnight just let it soak it up.
As a journeyman carpenter I have always tried to isolate wood from concrete. As many others have commented end grain and concrete are just not a great mix, unless you are trying to make compost. When a wood framed house is built on a concrete or block foundation, the wooden base plates are isolated from the concrete for this very reason. Concrete+Wood=Rot, even if there is very little moisture and it feels dry. This goes for fence posts as well.
Paint the endgrain cos thats where rot starts. Looks awesome.
I’m a 65 yr old female & often attempt our home fixes. Ur videos are awesome and simple to follow. Thank you for all ur instructional helps.
That is not a temporary job, that is beautifully done. Just amazing work. Thank you for sharing.
I've done wood rot repairs with Bondo that still look good after 20 years.
My favorite part starts at 19:21 where you're toe screwing the old to the new, and starting with an offset. It's so satisfying when it comes in for a perfect landing with everything lined up
I would have cut the vertical wood short of the concrete. It is not holding any weight on the bottom and it is always a bad plan to attach wood directly it contact with concrete. At least that is what I have always been taught.
You can always come in with a multi tool and cut the bottom at the end but then you lose your protective coating. I agree. Cut it right the first time.
You are right
Came out great. I always try to make my temporary repairs look just as clean and professional as my permanent repairs, because you never know how long “temporary” may be.
Very true!
"It's only temporary unless it works."
A wise man once said, "there is nothing so permanent as a temporary fix."
@@deaconblooze1that was my dad! And my mom would possibly contest the "wise" descriptor, lol. I did, however, work w a fire Capt who insisted we were pros due to the # of repeated attempts until we got it right.
Definitely love the white against the house and how bondo worked so well. One of the best parts about your channel is how you patch now to prevent something getting worse and have a plan to replace later. Most DIY home owners with little to no experience (like me) need this content to help with repair ideas to prevent a big problem later. Can’t thank you enough and I’m so happy I came across your channel.
Nice🙏🏾
Your channel is fire. I have learned so much as a first time home buyer, My house was built 1935 I was a little worried about repairs but came accross this channel some how, god is good,
thanks.
I watched this not because I have a similar issue, but because it was in my suggested videos and I knew it would teach me many things that I've not yet tackled in my DIY adventures. I wasn't mistaken! This was an excellent resource in so many ways. I'm off to buy a demolition saw and Bondo tomorrow.
Never use bondo as in the video.
You will be sorry in the future if you need to repair the section and have to remove it.
@@Butchsiekwhy? If it's being removed, it's coming out as 1 complete board, right? Details!
@@neepsmcfly4176 covering up nails and screws with bondo, hides where they are.
So I guess using a metal detector to locate them would be the way to go.
instead of prying the board off the wall, ruining the shingles.
Unless the shingles are being replaced also.
Then it's all good to go..
@@Butchsiek ah! Ok, to be clear, esp since I've never worked on wall shingles before, but you're not so much disagreeable to Bondo so much as you don't want to hide your hardware, then? Yeah, don't know how delicate they are but if delicate exploratory prying is too destructive, I like your metal detecting idea. Or, if all your other nails are exposed, you can just lightly swing a hammer until you find the Bondo and, thus, your hidden hardware, no?
@@neepsmcfly4176 nothing like beating on wood you might keep to find bondo covered fasteners..
Using a metal detector means you gave to. Uy one that's good, MORE Mo sy spent to find what should have been covered up.
And just because you got a hit with a metal detector doesnt mean it's in the 2x4, it could be under the 2x4.
Which means?
When the wood expands and contracts, won't the Bondo pop off like it did on the putty knife?
Great video! But you missed a step :) You should have put some kind of water sealant on the cut surfaces of the PT 2x4 (and then let it dry for 24 hrs) before installing it. Pressure treatment is only surface-level, it doesn't penetrate all the way through the wood, so that nicely angled surface of the wood that's in contact with the waterproof cement is just as vulnerable to rotting again as the wood that was there when you started. So, unfortunately, you're going to have to do this again in a few years!
Also, whenever you plan on working with wood filler, you want to have a can of denatured alcohol on hand (which you can find in the paint aisle). It's helpful in application because if you get some onto your putty knife and then smear the wood filler you've applied, before it dries, it will make the surface runny, which is good because it will give you a much smoother surface when it dries, which will save you a lot of sanding work and also make it smoother than you probably ever could with sanding. Also, you can use the denatured alcohol to clean your putty knife and your gloves and whatever else you might accidentally get wood filler on.
You seem to forget, he was only doing this as a temporary repair to get him through the Winter months.
@Stringbean421 It seems you don't understand, this guy was just giving nice advice.
Good advice. He said he was gonna redo the whole porch eventually though, so I don't think he's worried. 😎👌
Nice job!!!!
So glad to see that you masked up while sanding the bondo.
YOU ARE AN ARTIST!!! A PLEASURE TO WATCH!!!
After watching your videos, I began using Bondo for rot and repair. Thank you.
Hey! Glad to hear that Bondo is working for your projects. Thanks for watching!
I am a homeowner who is going to have to find a way to do many of my own smallish repairs such as this one. Thank you so much for the good tutorial and advice on how to repair rotted wood and the use of Bondo.
I ain't going to lie I was about to criticize for the 1st time but then saw the finish product and the repair came out looking great :)
Critical flaw, you never end primed the new boards.
Ya. The end is where it's gonna wick again
I’m a painter, I love bondo too, works great when refinishing kitchen cabinets, dries hard and durable. Excellent job on the repair man, my only suggestions would be to prime the ends of the cuts, even with just a little spray can primer, and caulking after priming rather than before.
I'm about to have to spend a week or so doing similar things to my siding & replacing/repairing rotten wood around the exterior. This helped to give me some confidence about repairing smaller sections rather than replacing the entire piece of wood since prices are still so high. Great work!
This video gave me the idea that I could just patch some of the rot at the bottom of my door sills instead of doing a more extensive replacement job. Before watching your videos, I'm not sure I would've had the confidence/know-how to do a small patch such as this. Thanks!
Another really interesting, helpful video. I will use so much I picked up from both your repair and from the comments. Thanks, everyone!
Beautiful work there man, that's many years of getting your hands dirty and now having the confidence to get a job like that done that would scare most away
Damn... the counter sink bit.... when you sunk that screw at an angle and those 2 pieces just pulled together like magnets, I was elated. I tinker around my home also, and it takes me forever to know what to do. Then another forever to do it. I am so tired of people using that damn pocket screw. It's annoying. I'm so pleased to see someone sink an exterior screw, no pocket hole.
Great video.
-Random female homeowner
using bodyfiller/bondo for that job is a bad idea as its not waterproof, it will soak up any water or moisture and make the timber rot away faster. You would be fine to use the fibreglass version as the resin in that is waterproof. i know you painted it but the back side is still open to the air and this is where a first coat of fibreglass would have been a benefit to seal it up.
a two part wood filler is the same as bodyfiller/Bondo.
Great video. Only thing, and I know it's not too important, I'd have done differently would be to clear the leaves off the ground first, but that's just me. I lived in an older house before our present one, and often felt happy to make repairs that may not have looked good but were functional. This project was functional AND looked good.
i enjoy the way the white makes the railing feel more 'part' of the house, always nice stuff you do even when you call it patching
I have not much experience with wood but i fixed a tin roof gutter with a similar stuff. glassfibre reinforced filler. The end piece came off and this works like a charm. does not need hardener.
You may already have one but. A painters "pull scraper" with the carbide blade, works amazingly well shaving bondo. If you shave it just before it gets hard you will save time on your sanding. I own a small painting business and have become somewhat of a bondo expert 😂 I have noticed bondo is really to hard for exterior wood repairs. The wood moves but the bondo doesn't. I explain it to customers as a band aid. That's basically what it is.
My pup chewed the corner off some window trim. This gave me an idea how to fix it without replacing the whole piece. Thank you!
One of the best explanation and nice and slow verbal description-well done ! Very impressive
Your last video blew up….. you hit that RUclips algorithm. 👍🏻 That’s how I found you. I went back and watched your videos on the pumpkin and the snowman you made out of wood. Very creative. Your good at what you do. Keep up the hard work
Try using PPL-3X construction adhesive instead of bondo. Takes longer to set, but much faster and easier to apply since it's ready to apply directly from its caulking tube. It does expand and bubble due to off-gassing while setting, but if handled correctly, this isn't typically an issue. And the slight expansion property is usually beneficial rather than problematic, but sometimes trimming the excess with a knife or razor blade is required to get smooth joints and fills. I use it for filling and patching both wood and concrete. Although it sets with a light brown color, sunlight turns the surface light grey, which matched the concrete on my driveway as perfectly as could be expected, definitely much better match than real concrete or other concrete patching products. It just takes a couple of months of sunlight exposure to bleach the color to grey. It holds up remarkably to the elements. Extra leftover can be stored by capping off the tube or wrapping the end thoroughly with many twists of plastic wrap, then storing the tube in a freezer. Let warm up to room temperature overnight before trying to use it in the future.
Good job:) I use Duct sealant for exterior wood patching projects. Expands/contracts with water and temperature changes in a cold climate. Easy to work with too.
That bondo looks like it works great for wood repairs. I've been using plaster of Paris for all my drywall repairs recently instead of using mud. The plaster bonds much better, is much stronger and takes less applications to fill in large spaced with no shrinkage, won't crack, or break. Very sturdy, but you dont get much working time, sets quickly.
excellent job. just a tip. when using bondo, before it hardens use a drywall rasp to shape it. when its semi hard the rasp will shape nicely and less sanding for you. my friend taught this back in the day when bondo was the only way to fix damage on a car.
I enjoyed watching you do your patch job! You have a blessed day and have a blessed home, in Jesus name!
Wow first time I've ever heard of using Bondo on wood! Learn something new every day!
😁👍
Excellent. I've used Bondo several times, inside and outside on my old house with great results.
Naming the tools and items used, is a plus
To protect wood ends from rot, putting a piece of polyethylene cutting board material between your open grain end piece and whatever it buts against, will prevent wet from being absorbed by the wood. Attaching pieces of the same plastic cutting board to the bottom of outdoor furniture protects the legs from rot.
Using stain on outdoor wood is better than paint, as it doesn’t bubble and peel. Stain can be mixed to match any colour.
A great job and tutorial for my own rotted wood project, this has been very helpful. One thing I would have done is cut the vertical in line with the bottom of the horizontal rail in an L shape as running it all the way down to the concrete will accelerate water damage which you just fixed superbly. Thank you for your videos and all your tips, much appreciated sir.
I have rotting wood floors and had NO FREAKIN' IDEA that they could be "fixed". Thank you!!
Great work overall. For future reference, as a professional painter, my only suggestion would be to always use a good primer for either bare wood or walls. Specially got exterior. Even if the gallon says "paint and primer", your best bet is to always prime bare items 😉
He used my favorite primer. Oil based coverstain. Great all around inexpensive primer.
so first apply primer on bare wood then coat the paint afterwards? Thanks for your sharing
@@arthur113113 Yes exactly
It's alwatys good to paint endgrain of SYP To keep water out, even if you cover all the joints. Endgrain is where the water enters.
Definitely. In fact, in this case I would have cut the upright 1/8” short and put a layer of silicone on both pieces, as well as the bottom.
Edit. Putting four screws into a 2” long board is asking for it to split.
Bondo also makes a filler for wood.
When drilling at an angle, I’ve found it works best to start the hole straight enough to break the surface before drilling at an angle. This keeps it from walking across the surface before the bit grabs.
@@TomCee53 water-thin epoxy works better than silicone if you only want to do it once and be done. Great on stair stringers. Bondo is also good IF it's not put on too thin,and is painted over since polyester resin will absorb moisture over time.
Looks nice. I've used that Bondo product several times in similar circumstances and it works great. The key is get your area very well prepped and then not use too much of the Bondo so you don't end up having to sand half of it off. For prep work I've used a Dremel tool with the grinder bit to dig out the rot and used a liquid hardener prior to the Bondo. I did some window sills that were terribly rotten about five or six years ago and they still look great.
Nice, I've got two huge cans of bondo specifically for rotted window sills
What's the liquid hardener bit tho?
Great info! I never understood why everyone goes crazy about bondo and your explanation of it being firmer and easier to shape made it click. Nice work!
A lot of people hate on it because they say in temp and moisture extremes the bondo will de-laminate from the wood as a result of it not expanding and contracting like the wood does. I've never really experienced it in any repairs I've used it for but I also live in south Louisiana so other than it being really humid and wet most of the year we don't have the extreme humidity changes other parts of the country do where the failures might be more likely to happen.
Good basic repair, I appreciated watching it and hearing your commentary. I'd like to add two things, and see what you think of my suggestions: I would have immobilized the horizontal piece before cutting it with the reciprocating saw. And, I would have clamped the two pieces before the diagonal toenail drilling, and removed the clamps after the screws were well seated. You had remarkably fortunate results, which was a pleasure to see!
Very, very nice job. I use the bondo glass on the more exposed and semi 'structural' patches. I like to use the liquid wood hardener pre-bondo but it's become very pricey!
The only thing I would have done in addition is to put urethane glue where your new block meets the existing rail. It will better exclude water down the road.
Btw I hope you don't mind my input. I've been remodeling since the early '70's and have used bondo on many projects.
Again, great job!
The repair looks terrific. Like others have said, it's best to not let that wood sit on the concrete where it will soak up water through the end grain and just rot out again. You could instead, or in addition, seal the end grain with one of the waterproof varieties of Bondo, or use a plain two-part epoxy.
Great job. Very reasonable cost. Looks outstanding. Very professional.
Looks awesome! Thank you so much! Do you have a video on repairing a front porch column that has rotted a few inches inside. The wood trim around bottom will be replaced with vinyl trim. Thanks
well done. I've been doing home repairs for decades and was skeptical, but I'll certainly consider integrating some of your techniques for doing this sort of repair in the future.
Absolutely key was pre-drilling the holes and countersinking. When you skip that and just force screws in to save time, you usually end up splitting the wood and ruining the work. 👍
Bondo is magic. Strong work!
Thank you for the video. I repaired some rotten wood on my patio using Polyurethane Construction Adhesive. It is like plastic and works just fine as a wood filler😀
Good job for a temporary fix till you get to it on your honey do list. Never thought of using bonds - great idea. I don't really like the wood filler, because it doesn't really last like you think it should. Thanks for the video!
1st. did anyone else see the giant ant thing at 8:20... 2nd thanks for the helpful insight looks great
Paint with primer is a marketing scheme. ALWAYS prime a bare substrate before painting.
since that is a pressure treated 2x4, did you use galvanized screws?
I love bondo for wood repairs , been using it for 30ish years .
First application was fixing hollow core interior doors that tenants had punched holes in .
Which I would just stuff paper in it , instead of using mesh .
I see you are missing the cheese grating stage . Where you shave it down while it has a cheese consistency when it starts to set up , with something like a sheetrock surform , and use razor knifes for detail that needs put in. Like I recreated some bead board lines that electricians got a bit over zealous with their holes on .
It really helps to cut your sanding down at least for the first coat. And then will make your second coat easier.
I also have a few repair issues. Thanks for sharing this! 💯
Nice job you did on that and great well presented video. I like your casual, smooth approach and explanation. I had a problem with some rotten sections of my deck. I was told the only way to fix it was to replace the whole board which was 16 feet long .and was cedar.. So instead I cut out the rotten piece by drilling a hole and cutting with a jig saw. Then I cut and chiseled the board to fit half way on the beam, screwed in a new board and stained it. it looked great and saved me a few bucks.
Awesome! Always good to be able to save a few bucks. 😃
Very nice ! For myself, seeing how to use those long screws, on the angle, to secure 2 pieces together was an Ah-Hah! moment. Thanks for posting the repair.
Fantastic video! I truly love every part of this one. It's easy to see exactly what you're doing, and now I know why I hate typical wood filler. I'll be switching to the bondo you use here. Thanks for sharing!
Your repair looks great and it is interesting that you used the automotive Bondo because I have used that on my house for repairs in the past and it has a tendency to crack during the cold weather months.
We have same problem...same place. I'll have to fix it. Great job!
Thanks...purchased an old house recently, it didn't have any gutters! so this video has been extremely helpful. New subscriber.
Best regards and thanks for doing what you do for us!
I used bondo on a rotted window sill, worked great then painted with oil based primer after it cured followed by water base exterior paint, one year later dissolved 😢
Very professional. Great choice on the lower rail board painted white, looks good.
Thats a great fix.I know you said its temporary but you did a first class job.
Omg thanks so much!! My front looks just like that had no idea how to fix great job
Before I heard about Bondo, I used a wood filler on a door frame. It mildewed and separated from the frame. I agree, never use wood filler.
Excellent job! Thanks for the clear video. Very nicely done.
I have learned many things from watching your repairs. I think that I will now be able to tackle some of them myself. Thank you!!!
Very nice job, I learned about Bondo for future use. Thanks for making this video.
For those who don’t know, there is a wood-colored, two part epoxy if you don’t plan on painting the wood. Minwax makes one version. Bondo may swell out after a bit.
Rather than bonds you should use a penetrating epoxy on those rotten shingles
That looks great. I have a repair on my garage wood i feel empowered to do now. Thanks.
I imagine that repair will last longer than everything around it. Great job, need to get some bondo.
You painted the back of the vertical piece, but not any of the Four butt ends, where any potential rot begins in the exposed grain.
Really nice job. I always forget how versatile BONDO is!
I love using bondo for these type of repairs too.
Looks great! Good call on the white for the portion between the top and bottom of the railing.
While your Bondo is green (firm but not hard) use a Sure-form tool to shape and remove the majority of the Bondo
You have encouraged me to start on the rails on my small back poarch....
Like to hear it!
Brand new again!!! Good decision with the white rail with gray support. 😊👍
Thank you for sharing. I am not very familiar with bondo. This opens up new ideas for me.
Who's the man?
THE FIXER!!!!
😁 Nope, YOU ARE for watching! 😁😁👍👍
Tbh, I thought this was going to be a hot mess when finished, but it came out PERFECT! I’m encouraged by this as I have an exterior door that is very water damaged and in need of replacement. That’s the easy part. The bad issue is that pretty much the entire bottom half of the door frame is in bad shape, with rotting at the bottom of both sides. This isn’t the first video I’ve seen where Bondo is the miracle cure so it looks as though I’ll be having to grab some at my local Home Depot in the near future. This was a very impressive repair job!
Nice repair, had to do the same on my garage door trim where the snow piles up. Used the bondo to repair the rot and it came out great. Enjoy your videos. Also from mass. So we know snow! Ha ha
Great job. This helped me on my door frame problem. Thanks.
I really enjoyed listening to you talk. Keep up the good work!
Glad you are back, hope all is well. I like the oscillating tool also, but man is it loud.
Definitely more perfectionniste than a construction guy!