Fill a dent or hole in a steel door the
same way a body shop would fix
your car. You can do this with the
door in place, but it will be easier with the
door lying flat on sawhorses. Remove an
area of paint a couple of inches larger
than the damaged spot (Photo 1). Sand
away the paint with 60- or 80-grit paper,
or do the job faster with a small wire
wheel ($7) in a drill. Next, fill the wound
with auto body filler ($10 at hardware
stores and home centers). To mix the
filler, place a scoop of resin on a scrap of
plywood or hardboard. Then add the
hardener. Mix the two components thoroughly;
unmixed resin won't harden and
you'll be left with a sticky mess. A plastic
putty knife ($1) makes a good mixing
tool.
Apply the filler with a metal putty knife
that's wider than the damaged spot
(Photo 2). The filler will start to harden
in just a couple of minutes, so you have to
work fast. Fill the repair flush with the
surrounding surface. Don't overfill it and
don't try to smooth out imperfections
after the filler begins to harden. Adding
another coat of filler is easier than sanding
off humps. When the filler has hardened
completely (about 30 minutes),
sand it smooth (Photo 3). After priming
the repair, you could paint over the
primer only. But the new paint won't perfectly
match the older paint, so it's best to
repaint the entire door.
TIP
If the damage is near the bottom
of the door, you can skip the repair
and cover it with a metal kick plate
($25 at home centers and hardware
stores). Kick plates are about 8 in.
wide and come in lengths to match
standard doors.
Click Image to enlarge.
1. Remove paint around the dent with a wire wheel. Roughen the bare metal with
60-grit sandpaper.
2. Mix auto body filler and fill the dent
using a wide putty knife. Avoid leaving
humps or ridges. If necessary, add
more filler after the first layer hardens.
3. Sand the filler smooth with 100-grit
paper. Use a sanding block to ensure
a flat surface. Prime the repair and paint
the entire door.
