DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi,

I've been looking at 'sorting out' the bifold doors on our new house (recently purchased, not new build). On the step, it appears that filler between two pieces of wood has come out and caused the 'lower' piece of wood to swell a little (not much, but enough in the hot weather to cause the doors to scrape a little). The doors are likely to be around 7-8 years old (time extension was built) and need re-staining anyway (fading in places).

My assumption was that this would be made of hardwood so would be a case of sand, fill, stain. However a friend (who is no expert, just a DIYer like me) seemed to think that the material may be composite (the same as the doors) and should be dealt with in a different way. Is there any way of telling if this is the case (assuming it could be a composite material)?

Not sure if it will help at all, but I've attached photos...

Thanks!

Hi orphius
It looks like you have a cill with a synthetic core and wooden veneer. Suggest you try sanding an inconspicuous area and see if the external skin is wood. If it is wood you can then sand and varnish the whole cill to stop water getting in to the join between the two materials.
Regards S