How to Fill Holes in a Masonite Door

Step 1

Moisten a cleaning cloth with water. Wipe the hole in the door to remove grime and prepare the area for patching.

Step 2

Wipe the moistened door with a towel until dry.

Step 3

Cover the flooring below the door with a plastic drop cloth. Set up fans nearby and put on rubber gloves.

Step 4

Apply a golf-ball-sized glob of the filler onto a mixing board using a scooping utensil, followed by a 3/4-inch long bead of the hardener. Squeeze the hardener directly onto the filler, and then mix them with a stirring utensil.

Step 5

Pack the wood filler mixture into the hole using a putty knife. Overfill the hole with wood filler to allow for sanding. Wood filler begins hardening in 10 minutes, so don’t linger at patching the hole.

Step 6

Allow the wood filler to dry for 30 minutes.

Step 7

Shave most of the excess wood filler off the door using a modeling knife. Leave about 1/8 of an inch of filler for sanding.

Step 8

Rub the remaining wood filler with medium-grit sandpaper using back and forth movements. Sand the filler until it’s flush with the surrounding door.

Step 9

Wipe sanding dust off the door using tack cloth.

References

• Masonite: Why Masonite?
• Masonite: How to Stain
• Minwax: Maintenance and Repair - Minwax High Performance Wood Filler

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Tips

Select a wood filler system that doesn’t contain waxes and that does include a tube of hardener. Make sure the wood filler matches the door’s hue.

To fully camouflage the filled hole and beautify the door, stain the entire door with an oil-based stain, followed by a clear topcoat varnish.

Use acetone to remove any wood filler that accidentally became smeared onto the door during the patching process. Spot-test the acetone on the door first, however, to prevent discoloration.

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