Rotten bottom panel in back door.

[John Brown]

We have a wooden back door(kitchen to yard). Whilst installing a dog flap a while back I found that the bottom panel, which appears to be ply, is fairly rotten at the bottom - in fact I think the dog flap is hold it all together at the moment. I don't really want to replace the door, as we very much like it, especially the curved glass panelling in the top half.
I am considering getting the Bosch multi-tool reciprocating thing out and removing the moulded section of the rails and stile (proper term? Is it the sticking?) Then replacing the ply and planting some quadrant to hold it in and replace the removed moulding.

I suppose another option would be to attempt to remove the bottom rail, but I doubt I can do that without breaking the whole door apart, as I'm assuming there's an tenon on the rail and a mortise on the stile.


Any advice on a better solution, or warnings about why this is a stupid idea are welcome!

 

[gasman]

I personally don't think it is a bad idea at all.
If it were me I would remove all rotten wood, including the quadrants and any part of the bottom rail. Then repair that with 2 part wood filler and make it good. Then I would make 4 new pieces of quadrant for one side of the panel and make sure that is glued and nailed in so it is stronger than the wood. Then cut a new floating piece of ply for the panel and complete the other side. I just did something similar to our back door where there was a cat flap which had to be removed and it looks luvverley now
Good luck
Mark