Repairing a hole in a door

Question

I now have a wonderful hole in a bathroom door, as a result of door-stop not being installed in the proper place, and the door being shoved up against a towel rail (picture attached). As can be seen, this door is of the cheap variety and consists of plywood (right name?) front and back.

My options at this stage are:

1. Replace the entire door (expensive);
2. Replace the entire back of the door (big job, and possibly pricey);
3. Some "localised" fix (ugly, but maybe there's some "magic" of which I'm not aware).

Any advice would be appreciated.

Answer 1

You can try something similar to the fix for a drywall hole, just with glue instead of screws due to how thin the material is:

1. Cleanup and smooth the opening and make a replacement piece that fits the hole.

2. Install a small piece of wood across the back side of the opening. You need this to attach your patch to. Use a strong glue (liquid nail perhaps) to have it stick in place. Because of how thin the material is, you may want to install a few pieces to provide support at the edges. If you don't have a small piece of wood, pickup a paint stirrer at the hardware store, they're usually free.

3. Glue the patch in place.

4. Wood filler or spackle around the edges.

5. Sand.

6. Prime and paint.

Answer 2

Some people cover such a hole with a thin wood board or metal plate that extends across the full width of the door. (Or most of the width, minus an inch or so on one side or the other or both). The added material also reinforces the door, making it less likely the door stop will punch another hole in the door.

(illustration from Atlanta Lock and Key)

Answer 3

Everything you do is going to look like a patch job.

Replacing the door is really not that expensive. I think I saw some of those doors at home depot for $25-$30. You may have to buy the hole saw for the door handle tho.