Replcing Exterior Sliding (barn type) Door

[DD716TED]

About 6 years ago I made / installed a sliding (barn type) door to isolate the patio / garage hallway in bad weather.. I fabricated it from groved wood (not GP) siding and 2 / 4's.. I assembeled it with glue and screws.. then primed the entire door, caulked all open seams/ screw holes and painted it to match the house... Now. 6 years later I have to replace the door due to wood rot and soft paneling on the bottom 4 inches of the door as depicted by the red rectangle on the attached photo.. This deterioration is I am sure due to the door getting wet during lawn sprinkling and wet weather we have here in Washington State.. Now I am going to build a replacement door using the same materials.. My question is to avoid future rot in the same location, is it practical to coat the entire 1/3 of the door with fiberglass resin (without cloth) or something else to stop water penetration prior to painting? The top 3/4 of the door are fine with no problems.. Any ideas / thoughts would be appreciated...

[pushkins]

The siding you used is T1-11 and well suited to exterior use provided it is maintained, my questions on your problem would be:

Did you use treated 2x4 lumber for the frame of the door ?
Why hasn't the wall behind the door had any rot problems ?

[DD716TED]

The framing was not treated lumber.. I was under the impression you couldn't paint treated lumber... Cannot say why the siding hasn't deteriorated...

[buckofdurham]

Originally Posted by DD716TED

About 6 years ago I made / installed a sliding (barn type) door to isolate the patio / garage hallway in bad weather.. I fabricated it from groved wood (not GP) siding and 2 / 4's.. I assembeled it with glue and screws.. then primed the entire door, caulked all open seams/ screw holes and painted it to match the house... Now. 6 years later I have to replace the door due to wood rot and soft paneling on the bottom 4 inches of the door as depicted by the red rectangle on the attached photo.. This deterioration is I am sure due to the door getting wet during lawn sprinkling and wet weather we have here in Washington State.. Now I am going to build a replacement door using the same materials.. My question is to avoid future rot in the same location, is it practical to coat the entire 1/3 of the door with fiberglass resin (without cloth) or something else to stop water penetration prior to painting? The top 3/4 of the door are fine with no problems.. Any ideas / thoughts would be appreciated...

I have used resin outside with mixed results. Sometimes air bubbles can form under it and cause it to crack. Have you ever mixed a little bondo in the resin. That may help. I use bondo by it self on wood all the time. It works great. But I am ussually doing small areas. I think if it is sealed up good it might work.
Or better yet and probably cheaper. Try boat paint. That stuff is great.
I'm not sure about how an other color would adhere to it. Because I know boat paint doesn't come in lot's of colors. But if you want white, there is plenty.
Just curious. what made you think of resin. I use to live in Seattle I worked down on first ave where they had a big fiberglass polar bear out front. I use to use resin quite a bit their.

[pushkins]

I'd say there in lies your problem. The untreated lumber held the moisture.

When you remake the door make sure the bottom piece of lumber framing is up 2"-3" from the bottom of the door siding. Make sure you use treated lumber, and yes it can be painted. Make sure when you paint the new door that you pay special attention to the bottom edge of the siding.

I don't think fiber glass resin will work well, it doesn't bind to wood very well.

[HayZee518]

my dad when he was alive used a product called [penetrol] he applied this in repeated coats on bare wood and let it soak in. it replaces the moisture in the wood. then he used diluted boiled linseed oil and let this soak in. when the surface was dry he used an oil based primer and then a finish oil based enamel. to this day the wood has never seen dry rot or water damage.

[DD716TED]

thank you for your comments.. Are you saying that when I build the new door, leave the bottom few inches of the t1-11 unbacked by the framing as shown in my drawing which is attached? If this is the case, then would it hurt anything to back it with a piece of 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 aluminum angle attached to the bottom of the framing and the exposed siding? This would provide strength for the bottom of the siding which is a surface for the keeper roller?

[buckofdurham]

Originally Posted by pushkins

When you remake the door make sure the bottom piece of lumber framing is up 2"-3" from the bottom of the door siding.

Yes , I think that is what he is saying. Somethinf to do with moisture getting trapped in their probably.
You know I have seen guys prime both sides of siding before they put it up.
But I'm no expert with wood.
Pushkin will be on later.

[pushkins]

Yes, leave the bottom piece of your door frame up 2 or so inches, you can add in the aluminum angle BUT make sure you use a good exterior caulk to seal where the door siding (t1-11) meets the angle. Water loves to sit in the seam of where two materials meet).