Woodwork & Trim Questions Answered

Over the last several years, the HIR staff has been asked and has answered a multitude of questions regarding home improvement, maintenance and around-the-house repairs. Here’s a look back at some of the different woodwork and trim topics and tips we’ve covered for our readers.

What is the best way to repair the rotted wood at the bottom of exterior door casing?

For minor damage, you can remove the rotted material with a chisel and wire brush then apply a liquid repair product such as Durham’s Water Putty or wood epoxy. Spackle the patch into a similar shape as the surrounding trim and allow it to dry. Once the patch hardens, sand the repair flush then seal it with primer and paint. For larger damage, you might have to cut out the wood to replace it. In some cases, you can replace the rotted wood with a block of PVC. Nail it in place and fasten with construction glue, then sand, caulk, and paint to blend with the trim. Avoid painting PVC dark colors, however, because dark shades can absorb the sun’s heat which can melt the plastic, deforming its shape. For dark painted repairs, replace the rotted trim with pressure-treated wood instead, but first coat all sides of the wood block with a couple coats of primer-sealant. Finish the repair by sealing all joints with a quality exterior caulk, then applying exterior-grade paint. In all cases, make sure to leave a gap between the bottom of the casing and the ground to avoid contact with standing water.

Is it necessary to replace the jamb when upgrading an interior door?

For interiors, if your doorframe is in good shape, installing only a “’slab,” also called a “blank door,” should work because an interior door doesn’t need the same weather-tight seal as a pre-hung door that includes the jamb. You’ll need to measure the old door and buy a “blank” door the same standard size. Replacement usually requires you to measure the bottom of the new door and trim it down. You will need to mark and chisel out mortises to screw on the hinge plates, and you’ll need a drill plus a hole saw to install the lockset and doorknob.

How can I bend wood like I’ve seen on other people’s furniture projects?

We know of two ways to bend wood. The first is called kerf-cutting, which is the process of cutting a number of parallel slots into a piece of material that allow it to bend. Kerf refers to the width of material a sawblade removes when it cuts through wood. Kerf-cutting creates many closely positioned saw cuts across one face of a board which extend from edge to edge but are not deep enough to penetrate the opposite face. Essentially, by kerfing the wood, you are making the material on one side of the board thinner, so it can be flexed to follow a curve. While this method is not very strong, it does allow for easy forming of wide

or tall parts for decorative use.

Another method to create a curved piece of wood is to heat it with steam. Some woods such as oak respond well to steam-bending, and thinner stock sizes will bend easier (with less breakage) than thicker stock. You can find detailed instructions online for steam-bending. In general, you’ll need to make a box or container to enclose the board. A 4-in. diameter PVC drain pipe is a common steam container. The box should be sloped with a drain hole on one end and equipped with a removable cap. Use a wallpaper steamer or similar device to push steam into an intake port along the top. Steam the wood for roughly one hour per each inch of its thickness. Remove the board with tongs, set it into a form or clamps to bend it into shape, then allow it to cool and stiffen.

I want to add a couple of partition walls in our basement, but if I build the wall frames to the exact height between the floor and ceiling, then I’ll never have the clearance to tilt it into place. How much shorter should the walls be than the floor-to-ceiling height?

Many pros recommend cutting the wall studs 5/16 inch short for your basement application, which allows space for a sill gasket and a little wiggle room when tilting the wall into place.

We have a painted wood handrail with a big hole through the top 1x6 rail where a knot dislodged from the wood. I’d rather repair the rail than replace it. What’s the best way to patch the hole?

First, clean away any rotten wood or loose debris from the hole. Screw or clamp a small scrap board against the underside of the hole to give it a “floor.” Fill the hole with a wood dowel that has been cut to fit flush or just below the surface of the board. Use a liquid repair product (making sure the product is sandable and paintable) to fill the remainder of the hole around the wood piece. Either wood-repair epoxy or Bondo will make good repair products. Tool the surface flush with the rail and allow the patch to dry completely. Then, unscrew the scrap board and repeat the liquid repair procedure on the opposite side of the hole

(including repair of any screw holes). Once the repair has dried, sand both sides smooth, then prime and paint the area to match the rail.

How do I fasten together cement boards to make window shutters out of Hardie Trimboard?

We do not recommend that you fabricate window shutters from Hardie Trimboard. We turned directly to the experts at James Hardie Co. to field this question, and here is their response: “Unfortunately, we do not recommend our trim products be used to make shutters. It is not structural and there is no reliable way to attach Hardie to Hardie.”

As an alternative, try building shutters from Western Red Cedar or Cypress, because the boards tend to remain straight over time, and the wood’s natural oils protect it from insect infestation and rot.

How do I stop a split in a wood slab from opening further? I have a slab that I’d like to use for a coffee table, but I don’t want it to split apart in the future.

Woodworkers often use a “bowtie joint” AKA “butterfly joint” or “Dutchman joint”

to stabilize cracks. These joints use a dovetail key to reinforce a crack in a piece of wood. The joint is made by insetting the dovetail key in the wood surface to bridge both sides of the crack. Made of metal or hardwood, a dovetail key resembles two dovetails connected at the narrow part, forming a bowtie shape. A negative of the bowtie shape is cut out of the cracked board, and the dovetail key is then fitted flush with the wood surface, keeping the joint together. Dovetail keys will stop a crack in wood from getting larger and can be used as an aesthetic element or on the underside of a wood slab to be unseen.

Shown is a metal bowtie for inlay in a wood slab. Photo courtesy www.Wisebond.com

I would like to carve a couple of creative accent pieces for a fireplace mantel. What are the best types of wood for carving?

According to the experts at Schaaf Tools, which manufactures woodcarving tools, beginning carvers should begin with a block of carving wood that holds detail and is relatively easy to carve. Basswood (aka Linden) is a soft wood that holds detail well, is light cream colored with streaks of brown, and has a smooth, even grain. Butternut (sometimes called white walnut) is a soft wood that holds detail well and has a medium coarse texture. Butternut is easy to work with hand tools but can dull tools quickly, so have your sharpener ready. Aspen is technically a hardwood, but a “soft” hardwood, and still easy to carve. White Pine is best for whittling, relief carving, or carving in the round, but it is not suited for chip carving because it has a soft, straight-grained texture. Black Walnut is a bit more expensive and a little harder but is still straight-grained and fairly easy to carve. These woods are relatively inexpensive and easy to find.