Proper Procedure Of Fixing A Crack Or Hole In A Hollow Door
The hollow core doors are cheaper and common than solid wood doors, but besides that, they are also more fragile as well as prone to damage. While the cracks might seem difficult to repair, you can easily get it fixed up in not more than a day or a maximum of two days. The best and the proper procedure for fixing a crack in a hollow door is mentioned below:
- Cut Away Any Loose Or Broken Wood: From around the crack cut away the loose or the broken wood. It depends on how the door is damaged, there can be some loose splinters or any fragments around the edges of the crack. Use a utility knife to cut away all the damaged wood until there is only a clean hole that must be free from rough edges. Make the crack bigger before repairing it and this is due to the fact that it is much easier to repair a larger hole free from damaged wood.
- Pack The Hole: While the paper towels will not make the door stronger or will help to repair it, but they are an easy as well as an affordable way to hold down the insulation foam in the place while it dries. Simply bunch up a few numbers of paper towels and then stuff them all around the bottom as well as the sides of the crack.
- Expanding Foam Insulation: Expanding insulation foam often comes in a spray can having a long nozzle right on the top. Point that nozzle in the crack of the hollow door and then begin spraying. At the same time, the foam will expand to fill out space inside the door.
- Dry For Overnight: Let the insulation foam to dry for overnight. Once the insulation foam has fully filled in the crack, then it must need to dry all the way before it can be sanded down or cut. The user can leave the foam to sit for 4 to 5 hours or for overnight so that it will be dry completely.
- Trim Away The Excess Foam: With the help of a utility knife cut away the excess foam. Place a utility knife slightly above the excess insulation foam so that it will be flushed with the rest face of the door. Carefully run the knife in the direction of the down face of the door to remove any excess foam, continue the trimming until the foam is no more than 0.1 inches below the face of the door.
- Apply A Layer Of Auto-body Filler: In order to achieve the strong repair apply a layer of auto-body filler. Mix the 2 parts of an auto-body filler with the 1 part of a hardener catalyst properly and then spread the mixture on the crack. Using the edge of a putty knife to press down the mixture over the crack, filling in any of the gaps and try to make it roughly flush with the rest surface of the door.
- Spackle For A Quicker Fix: If the user does not have auto-body filler, then use the spackle. Simply use a putty knife to scoop out some of the spackle and then spread it all over the crack. Try to work in the long and smooth strokes to spread up the spackle as smoothly as possible.
- Wait For The Surface To Dry: Whether the user repaired the door with the spackle or an auto-body filler compound, leave the compound to dry completely. Leave it to dry until it will become hard to touch.
- Sand Down The Surface Of The Door: With the help of a sheet of coarse grit sandpaper 100- to 120-grit, start sanding down the repair compound. Sand off the compound until it is level with rest of the surface of the door and looks flat.