How do I toughen restroom doors?

[Exalta-STA]

On the ground floor, I have a plastic ready-made door that has vents on the bottom.

After a few years, it started having mildew and one day when I slammed it hard to close it, the door literally fell apart into a dozen pieces. Whatever adhesive that was holding the door together got undone and I had to put it back together using contact cement and screws through the plastic...

unfortunately one of the panels for the lower part has been damaged to the extent that you can't use it anymore...which exposes the feet of anyone using the toilet..oh and the door knob hole gave up the ghost too..so no door knob..just a simple wire and hook lock for it



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For the upstairs bathroom, I noticed the lower part of the door is starting to rot..this one is made of plywood sheets and a wooden frame.

Here's a pic of the rot forming...



So, wood is definitely tougher and I'm planning to replace the door downstairs and its plastic surround around the doorway with concrete or wood too...the question is how do I protect it from wood rot/moisture and termites?

[S-F]

Get bath fans and use them.

[MarkM]

Check out EPOXYWORKS Search for "A Quick Architectural Fix" If you don't want to buy thickener you can use fine sawdust mixed with the epoxy. Be sure to let the door dry before applying the epoxy. About every 1/4 inch drill 1/8 inch diameter holes through the rotten wood into the good wood, then pore the epoxy in. It will soak into the surrounding wood and make it quite strong. You don't need the "wood restoration" epoxy you see advertised. West system 105 resin works very well. Good luck.

[Daox]

Thats really not fixing the problem. The problem is way too much moisture. Either leave the door open as much as possible or use fans like S-F suggests.

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by Exalta-STA

So, wood is definitely tougher and I'm planning to replace the door downstairs and its plastic surround around the doorway with concrete or wood too...the question is how do I protect it from wood rot/moisture and termites?

Use pressure treated wood.

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by Exalta-STA

...the question is how do I protect it from wood rot/moisture and termites?

Looks like you're in the Philippines, where the temperatures are high and the humidity is higher and all kinds of micro-organisms have evolved to thrive in that situation. So, you have an extreme situation.

Most of the advice given so far is for temperate climates and would probably not be very useful in solving your problem.

I'm quite sure that in your area there are woods that are well known to resist rot. A wood like teak comes to my mind, but there may be a better wood in your area. My advice would be to have some doors made by a local craftsman from that material, whatever it may be.

That way your doors will be beautiful, long lasting and traditional... and you would help a local craftsman feed his family.

-AC

[Exalta-STA]

@S-F and Daox
Ah yes proper ventilation, for the meantime I attached springs so the doors spring open when not locked and opened the windows..they were shut for as long as i remember. Smells better inside now.Thanks!

@MarkM
Saw your advice and will get epoxy later and do the sawdust mix you stated on the upstairs wooden door. I may have repaint the whole door after curing the epoxy for cosmetic and surface protection purposes..maybe add a sealer before repainting will help

@Patrick and AC Hacker
That's exactly what I did earlier!You read my mind! I went walking along the back road and was able to find a row of artisan shops that specialize in woodworking...(i mentioned them in some thread before making furniture from crate wood) they suggested I get marine plywood if i want to make a light panel door or have one made out of mahogany or narra (local hardwoods) and I chose the old timer...he reminds me of my grandpa and I saw that he was supporting his grandchildren (they were sanding some cabinets while grandpa was cutting wooden boards)

So far the price is quite good, given the fact he will also supply me with the door, door casings, hinges for less than $75 for a full wood door.

anyway, I'll go back there once I get my funds in place and see what's up. I'll post if there's any updates. Thanks!

PS: What do you guys use to "seal" or coat wood surfaces with to prevent moisture from seeping in?

[AC_Hacker]

I'm sure that there will be several different approaches to this situation...

Originally Posted by Exalta-STA

...made out of mahogany or narra (local hardwoods) and I chose the old timer... he will also supply me with the door, door casings, hinges for less than $75 for a full wood door.

Your situation sounds much worse than what is encountered by those of us who live in a temperate climate.

You need to find out what kind of wood is available in your area that will resist rot. I know that teak, especially old-growth teak will do it (and it is grown in the Philippines). There may even be better woods than that... narra may be one of them.

PS: What do you guys use to "seal" or coat wood surfaces with to prevent moisture from seeping in?[/QUOTE]

If you choose the right wood, a surface seal will not matter much, and you can use a beautiful oil finish.

Most of the people who post to this blog live in areas where the climate is temperate, and the aggressive bacterial and mold action you are encountering simply do not exist. In temperate climates, the conditions for mold growth are temporary, and then woods and other materials dry out. I would suspect that in your area, conditions for mold growth exist all the time.

Also, in temperate areas, dense, resinous, rot-resistant woods are not available, as they have been all cut down many years ago (cypress wood would have been a good candidate, but it is gone now).

Ask the old-timers in your area, they know...

I think that they will also know of an oil finish which will be durable, non-toxic, will allow your doors to 'breathe', and will show off the beauty of your new doors.

Best,

-AC_Hacker

[Exalta-STA]

Finally got the pics. I replaced the door with a PVC one. It has a 3 year warranty on it...very sturdy and well built locally made one.

old one


since the PVC door comes in a standard size and the old one was custom, i had to do some *Hulk* smashing with a sledgehammer


PVC Door...good thing i borrowed a roofrack when i picked it up from home depot


Done...


one thing about PVC doors though...adding towel hooks is not recommended since they compromise its structural integrity

oh and got it for just $35 bucks at home depot

[Daox]

$35 sound like a nice fix. Did you do anything else to help take care of the moisture?