Bondo on porch column

[fredhargis]

So yesterday I repaired a rotted spot on my porch column they I normally do, I chiseled out the rotted wood and filled the cavity with Bondo, after smoothing it out (really came out nice) I primed it with oil based primer and then painted that with a good exterior paint. I'm now having second thought about my repair. Will this pop out over the winter?

[John Mihich]

The answer - maybe. Depends on the size of the repair and how well you got out the rotten part. I think you will see the repair - bondo and wood don't move the same. I think you are going to have to repair it again in the future. The next one I would cut out the old part and fit in a wood patch. The bondo can be used to fill in the joint line.

At least the bondo will not rot.

[Splinter Puller]

I would have probably tried to chisel in a few dovetail like keyways, drilled a few holes to make "Teeth" or embedded a few coated screws into the wood to help anchor the bondo. This would have kept it in place and then you would only have had to watch the wood to bondo interface in the future. (paint and caulk)

[jteneyck]

If you gave the Bondo something to lock into mechanically I think it will last a long time. I did a similar repair on the bottom of a rotted cast iron light post thinking it would might make it a year. That was at least 5 years ago.

John

[Terry W]

I've repaired a lot of rotten door and window trim with bondo over the years. Never had a problem.

[Jeremy s]

I just got done reparing some rot on my house with body filler. I use Rage Extreme but it is just like Bondo. I have never had a problem and it sure beats tearing whole pieces of trim off just because one part is rotten.

No worries!!

I like the Ben Moore Fresh start alkyd slow dry primer..good stuff!

[Cooler]

I had two holes in my garage door which is a panel affair with the panels of 1/4" thick ply. The holes were about 2" in diameter.

I removed the broken ply and glued on a piece of 1/4" ply as a backer. I then applied the bondo, primer and finish. This is about 8 years ago. The doors need new paint, but the Bondo is solid. And we had several days last year in the single digits. I consider this repair permanent.

I cannot spot the repairs from the outside. Only the glued backer gives away that there was ever a repair made. I think I would use fiberglass for the backer the next time. It would give a better appearance for the interior.

If you cleared away all the rot, I think this is a permanent repair.

[JGrout]

It will probably be fine.

When I am faced with a patch like yours I will drive some brad nails into the repair area leaving them protrude into the cavity. It does a fine job of anchoring the bondo and way easier than other options

Joe

[Herb G]

As long as you sealed out moisture, you're golden.
Bondo doesn't like to get wet. That's why it falls out of cars.

I'd have used Gorilla Hair myself, but I'm a fiberglass guy anyway.

[fredhargis]

Thanks guys. I feel a little better about it now....I'll remember the anchor trick next time.