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External door frames often rot near the sill. The only satisfactory repair is to insert a new piece of timber.

Use an all purpose saw; the teeth will not be affected by the masonry

1 Make a sloping cut into the frame about 75mm above the rotted section. Probing with a screwdriver will reveal where the soft, rotten section ends. Make the cut at about 45 degrees

2 Prise the rotted part away from the wall, including the base which was probably tenoned into the hardwood sill.

3 Cut a length of new timber to fit into the space, cutting the top at an angle to align with the saw cut. The old frame was probably a one piece section, but the matching repair can be made from two or more pieces of wood glued and screwed together. Make up the correct shape and add a door stop.

4 When the new section is a good fit, treat all the new wood and the cut edges with wood preservative, and fix the repair in place with 90mm No.12 screws countersunk into the wood, and wall plugs.

5 Where the old and new frame sections join, drill 6mm holes through the joint at right angles to it. Smear glue on 6mm hardwood dowels and hammer them into the holes.

6 Trim them level with the surface when the glue has dried.