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Dog damage to a door: What is the best way to fix it?
According to ASPCA, approximately 44% of all households in the United States own a dog, and 35% own a cat. In many cases, pets are considered members of the family.
However, having a furry friend may not be all fun and games. Leave them alone for too long and they may decide to use your new pillow as a chew toy.
Geoff Graham, GuildQuality founder & CEO, had some first hand experience with pet damage to the home. He turned to the industry professionals on Answers for some advice.
Here’s what Guildmember Jim Kowalski from Kowalski Construction, had to say:
“Wood filler & sanding, more thin coats rather than 1 heavy coat. The challenge as I see it will be the contours. That takes a lot of patience to try to get it to look right. Some might suggest a door replacement, which would be more costly, but save lots of time & probably frustration. If this is a door that you want to look brand new again, I would opt for a replacement. If not located in a high traffic area and you are not as concerned about the appearance, I would attempt the repair especially considering the dog might do that again.”
Ken Polewski of KP Carpentry gave the following advice:
“It looks like the dog did a pretty good job on the door. Since the door is painted, you could sand the area down with some 150 grit sand paper. After it is sanded, then you can apply some high performance wood filler or car bondo. Apply a thin layer over the damaged area and allow it dry (a few minutes or more depending on the amount of hardener you use). After it is dry, sand until smooth. Then apply a second layer if you need to and then sand smooth once more. After the area is the way you want it, prime and paint it.”
Steavi Potter of Brock Doors & Windows had this to say:
“There are a few options depending on the circumstances. You have the option of painting over the scratch, but the odds of that peeling into the future are high. When dealing with a wooden door, their are a few DIY solutions like sanding, filling sanding again and painting/staining over. Sanding, filling and matching the color back would be the best option in this circumstance, or simply an entirely new replacement.”
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