Fixing door jamb where striker plate 'was'

[Spencer74]

Some cretin kicked out a door at my Backpackers Hostel. The result is a missing striker plate and a messy hole in the door jamb where it once resided. It appears to have been patched up over the years and I have chiselled out a neat space about 60 x 25 x 25. Now how do I fill it so I can affix new striker plate? Fashion a piece of wood to fit and glue it in? Putty it up? Any tips gratefully received.

[Jedo_03]

Some cretin kicked out a door at my Backpackers Hostel. The result is a missing striker plate and a messy hole in the door jamb where it once resided. It appears to have been patched up over the years and I have chiselled out a neat space about 60 x 25 x 25. Now how do I fill it so I can affix new striker plate? Fashion a piece of wood to fit and glue it in? Putty it up? Any tips gratefully received.

Hmmm... you say "It appears to have been patched up over the years..."
Maybe it was already weak from the years of patching up which is how it was so easy for the 'cretin' to kick its way through...

What I'm thinking is that "YET ANOTHER" patch may be just as weak...
Maybe better to buy a new jamb...
if you 'must' repair it yurself - suggest you chisel out a neat space in a dovetail shape (with the shortest edge on the outside)...
I'm NOT a security expert - but I've seen door jambs reinforced with steel bar on the lock side to resist unauthorised entry...

BTW - how'd you know it was a cretin...
was the bootmarks like low down on the door...

Jedo

[Pulse]

I find auto body filler - polyester 2 part to be pretty useful. Can be drilled and screwed ok too.

cheers
pulse

[ozwinner]

As Jedo has said, you need to reinforce the strike plate area somehow.

Al

[Honorary Bloke]

The usual fix for this (barring the use of some reinforcing material) is to clean the area to be repaired and square it off (which you have apparently already done), then fashion a new piece of wood (called over here a "Dutchman") to exactly fit the space. Glue it and then drill and screw as normally.

HTH.

[Spencer74]

Thanks for the tips everyone - going to tackle it tonight.

[MrFixIt]

Hi

Thanks for the tips everyone - going to tackle it tonight.

Using wood is better than any form of "epoxy" filler.

However, while you have the opportunity, why not cut out some more of the door jamb.

If you make the cut out 300x25x25 (or even 150mm instead of 60mm long) you could THEN insert a 300x25x25 RHS (square STEEL tube) screw or preferably BOLT the tube to the door jamb or right through the jamb into the surrounding wall.

Cut a hole in the tube for the door lock and install the striker plate. You could then use a little body filler to "pretty it up" then paint the whole thing.

Much more secure