How would you repair this?

[Brian Patterson]

Quick background... My wife and I started a little bathroom update. We removed the mirrored vanity from the wall and found the previous owners mounted it on top of the old embedded cabinet. I'm planning on building a new door that will sit flush in the frame, but there is some chip on the right side... I'm afraid to remove the board for fear of hurting the surrounding plaster or tile... Does anyone have any suggestions on how I might be able to repair this?

Thanks in advance...

Ugh... the old cabinet
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what we found
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Chip out
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Chip out zoomed in
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Chip out zoomed in
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[Joe Chritz]

There are mixes for repairing rotted wood, similar to epoxy. Slap some on and sand to final and paint. Bondo will work, so will drywall compound, although the compound would be kinda soft if it was on an edge.

Joe

[Gordon Harner]

If I were you I would replace the entire face frame. Especially since the damaged piece is cocked back. Use one of those very thin flat bars to pry it out from the inside of the cabinet. You should be able to get the bar far enough under the piece so that it doesn't pivot against the wall. Also it's probably a good idea to score the joint where the wood meets the plaster. Be gentle. I've learned that the hard way!

[Kurt Bird]

Brian,
There is a product called Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty. You just add enough water to the powder to make a paste of the consistency you need to apply it. I would tack a board to the left edge of the chip out, to make a solid wall, and then fill that in with the putty. Put a light film of oil on the edge of the board to keep the putty from adhering. Sand the finished putty to match and paint!
Kurt Bird

[Mike Null]

I would remove the header then remove and replace the damaged board. Reinstall the header and you're good to go.

I agree with scoring every place where there's a paint joint.

[Don Bullock]

I realize that this isn't what you'd like to hear, but I'd take the whole thing out and start over with some nicely grained wood. You should be able to save all the plaster around the frame if you take your time and are careful. Plaster is a lot easier to patch than wood.

[Lee Koepke]

Have you considered putting a casing over it ? You could shim the inconsistencies and put a moulding against the tile. then on the interior, if you are using doors, you can caulk the gap or add some additional trim pieces.

[Jim Marshall]

A few years back I had to replace a door that was incased in plaster. I cut the plaster up against the wood and eased it out. You could cut the plaster with a Dremel and it would free the bond between the wood and the plaster if you decide to replace all of it. If I were not going to replace all of it I would route out the bad wood and plug, fill and sand it.

[Kyle Kraft]

Many good suggestions above! Here's another one....machine out the damaged area with a router and make a new, perfectly fitting piece to fill the routed area, fill paint and enjoy.

[Brian Patterson]

Many good suggestions above! Here's another one....machine out the damaged area with a router and make a new, perfectly fitting piece to fill the routed area, fill paint and enjoy.

I have done this before with wood securely clamped to a vice... are you suggesting removing it or routing the wood while vertical attached to the wall?