Fixing damaged hollow core doors

B1Toad · Jul 19, 2026

I'm debating on whether to use Bondo for wood or another product. Anyone good at fixing these? @bucky ? The damage is not that bad, that is a section of a bifold door 15" wide so the damage is only about 4". Either I patch, block sand and paint or replace door for $112 plus tax and will still have to paint it.

jjvw · Jul 19, 2026

The costs and effort to fix a hollow core door quickly add up to the cost and effort to replace a hollow core door with one that doesn't have a repair on it.

bbaldwin237 · Jul 19, 2026

I would agree with @jjvw. Hollow core doors are unfortunately a bit of a throw away item. But @AndyG might have some insight in his years of contracting.

AndyG · Jul 19, 2026

bbaldwin237 said:
I would agree with @jjvw. Hollow core doors are unfortunately a bit of a throw away item. But @AndyG might have some insight in his years of contracting.

You can insert wood blocking if you cut the door bottom “open” but hardly worth the work to save the door.

Zorba · Jul 19, 2026

Bi-fold? Tear that shit out and replace it with something better! Those things aren't worth the powder to blow them to Hell.

B1Toad · Jul 19, 2026

If it were my house I'd just replace but these are rentals, the doors are in the hallway laundry niche. Not much else will work there. I don't like installing brand new stuff if I can help it then see it destroyed in a year or two.

jjvw · Jul 19, 2026

B1Toad said:
If it were my house I'd just replace but these are rentals, the doors are in the hallway laundry niche. Not much else will work there. I don't like installing brand new stuff if I can help it then see it destroyed in a year or two.

Rental unit or not, the economics of addressing the damaged door are the same. The only difference is that your time is worth more as a landlord. Replace the door, move on, and hope that the tenants will appreciate not having a cheap shitty landlord.

bbaldwin237 · Jul 19, 2026

B1Toad said:
If it were my house I'd just replace but these are rentals, the doors are in the hallway laundry niche. Not much else will work there. I don't like installing brand new stuff if I can help it then see it destroyed in a year or two.

I mean if that's the case, isn't that what their security deposit was for? You take the cost out of that.

B1Toad · Jul 19, 2026

AndyG said:
You can insert wood blocking if you cut the door bottom “open” but hardly worth the work to save the door.

That crack is near the bottom and the bottom block was already broke loose. I shaved down a 2x4 and shoved it up on there with Titebond wood glue and pin nailed it. After the glue dries I will apply a light layer of bondo to the crack and sand it. I have about 45 minutes into it so far and maybe another hour tomorrow sanding and drilling the hardware holes. It's actually about an hour for me to go buy one.The 2x4 is way bigger and stronger than the pressed board that was in there so I'll probably end up with a door that will hold up better. We'll see how this works out.

B1Toad · Jul 19, 2026

bbaldwin237 said:
I mean if that's the case, isn't that what their security deposit was for? You take the cost out of that.

Yes but often the deposit won't cover everything, especially if they've been in there for a long time. And if you have to pay someone else for labor forget it. I'm going to fix it and take the $112 and go out for a steak dinner.

AndyG · Jul 19, 2026

B1Toad said:
That crack is near the bottom and the bottom block was already broke loose. I shaved down a 2x4 and shoved it up on there with Titebond wood glue and pin nailed it. After the glue dries I will apply a light layer of bondo to the crack and sand it. I have about 45 minutes into it so far and maybe another hour tomorrow sanding and drilling the hardware holes. It's actually about an hour for me to go buy one.The 2x4 is way bigger and stronger than the pressed board that was in there so I'll probably end up with a door that will hold up better. We'll see how this works out.

Perfect pal. Some non expansive spray foams, like window and door, can get the job done too as a foundation -

Misting with water makes them fire faster.

AndyG · Jul 19, 2026

Zorba said:
Bi-fold? Tear that shit out and replace it with something better! Those things aren't worth the powder to blow them to Hell.

I hate bifolds. With a passion.

Zorba · Jul 19, 2026

AndyG said:
I hate bifolds. With a passion.

You and me both. Cheap junk. There is a construction outfit around here somewhere that specifically advertises "No Bi-Fold doors!".

B1Toad · Jul 19, 2026

Zorba said:
You and me both. Cheap junk. There is a construction outfit around here somewhere that specifically advertises "No Bi-Fold doors!".

They do make nicer ones for hundreds of dollars. I don't have a lot of choice on mine, regular doors would block the hallway when open. I actually have 7 sets of bifold doors total in my rentals. The closets are bifolds. I could switch to bypass doors but those can be a pain as well, and regular swinging doors require more room to open. What else is there? Beads?

AndyG · Jul 19, 2026

Zorba said:
You and me both. Cheap junk. There is a construction outfit around here somewhere that specifically advertises "No Bi-Fold doors!".

Part of it is the hardware -

I actually did some high end, solid bifolds with ball bearing rollers earlier this year, but still wasn’t wild about it. Just a pain.

The ones in hall ways that get hit when open are the first to go.

I can’t tell you the issues we had decades ago with them after carpet installations, which was the family business.

Zorba · Jul 19, 2026

B1Toad said:
They do make nicer ones for hundreds of dollars. I don't have a lot of choice on mine, regular doors would block the hallway when open. I actually have 7 sets of bifold doors total in my rentals. The closets are bifolds. I could switch to bypass doors but those can be a pain as well, and regular swinging doors require more room to open. What else is there? Beads?

Yea, I got the fucking things in my rentals too. I think I'm going to be able to replace most of them with sliders. Bead curtain isn't a bad idea in certain circumstances - glad you reminded me as I want to look for one for my library.

steelhd · Jul 19, 2026

AndyG said:
I hate bifolds. With a passion.

As a builder, I bet you don't hate them half as much as pocket doors.

Zorba · Jul 19, 2026

steelhd said:
As a builder, I bet you don't hate them half as much as pocket doors.

I'm not a fan of pocket doors - or at least what passes for pocket doors these days. Some of the pocket doors made during the Victorian era were QUITE nice. The modern ones that I've seen are mostly cheap crap that comes off their tracks all to easily.

B1Toad · Jul 20, 2026

Like it never happened......

AndyG · Jul 21, 2026

steelhd said:
As a builder, I bet you don't hate them half as much as pocket doors.

I don’t like to run into the older ones or ones that are not put in correctly and get roped into trying to make them operable

I have taken some and converted the track system over to accept the newer ball bearing design carriers

Actually, I do a ton of pocket doors- I like the new ones with the ball bearing carriers- the key is the frame has to be put in really square and plumb- or you’re gonna have a headache trying to trim and make it look attractive both open and closed. If you don’t know what you’re doing you’ll end up with one that might look correct when it’s open and horrible when it’s closed or vice versa.

And of course you don’t need any morons with long trim nails around a pocket door.

Late one Friday afternoon I closed a bathroom door and a sheet rock hanger had driven a 3 inch screw into the pocket door track at an angle and it made it impossible to open the door. The bathroom did not have a window, and I was literally ready to crawl out through the septic system.

Man i was ill. I mean what in the world is a sheet rock hanger doing with a 3 inch screw.

Fixing damaged hollow core doors

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