Termite Damage Repair
Door Frames, Skirting, Cabinets & Roof Timber (2026)

Treat first, repair second

The most expensive mistake with termite damage is fixing the wood before the termites are dealt with. New timber fitted into a frame that is still connected to an active colony is simply the next meal. The order is always the same: a proper inspection, treatment matched to the problem, a check that activity has stopped, and only then the carpentry. Our termite control guide explains the treatment options, and our termite inspection guide explains what a real inspection report should show.

Keep the inspection report and treatment record with the repair invoice. When you sell or let the house, that paper trail is what separates “had termites, treated and repaired” from “has termites” in a buyer's mind.

How to find out how far the damage goes

Termites eat timber from the inside and leave the surface paint almost intact, so damage is usually larger than it looks. Before anyone quotes a repair, the extent has to be found.

• Probe: press a screwdriver into the frame, skirting or cabinet side every hand-width. Sound timber resists; damaged timber gives or crumbles.
• Tap: knock along the timber. A hollow, papery sound marks galleries inside.
• Follow the mud: mud tubes and soil packed in joints show the route the termites took, often from the floor or a wall crack.
• Check the neighbours: the frame next to a damaged one, the skirting on the other side of the wall, and the back of built-in cabinets on the same wall.
• Look up: if you see damage at ceiling level or in the roof space, the roof timbers need their own inspection.

Write down every damaged spot with a sketch of the room. It keeps the repair quote honest and gives you something to check against once the work is done.

Where the damage usually is, and the usual fix

Door frames: splice, patch or replace

Door frames are the most common casualty because they sit on the floor slab, often right where termites come up. Three levels of repair are usual:

• Small, shallow damage: where the damage is only in the surface of a sound frame, it can be cut back and filled with a timber repair filler before painting. This is cosmetic, and it only works when the frame behind is solid.
• Damaged foot: the soft bottom section is cut off square and a new piece of timber is spliced in and fixed, then filled and painted. This is the common repair for a frame that is sound above knee height.
• Hollow frame: when both legs are soft or the hinge side will not hold screws, the whole frame is replaced. That usually means taking off the architraves, cutting the old frame out, fixing a new one to the wall and re-hanging the door.

Our door repair guide makes the key point simply: probe the frame before replacing a door, because hanging a new leaf on a rotten frame is money burned. On a main door, a frame replacement is also the moment to think about security, since a weak timber frame undermines a good lock.

Frame rot without termites: bathrooms and back doors

Not every soft frame is termite damage. Timber frames rot from the bottom in wet zones: bathroom thresholds, kitchen back doors, and any frame that stands in splash water after mopping. The signs look similar, but there are no mud tubes and the damage is wet, dark and spongy rather than hollow.

The repair is the same carpentry, but the cause is different. If the frame gets wet from splashing, a raised threshold or a better seal at the foot of the frame helps. If the frame stays damp even when the floor is dry, water is coming from behind the wall or under the tiles, and that is a leak or waterproofing job to fix first. Our bathroom door types guide covers doors that do not rot for wet rooms.

Choosing the replacement for a risk zone

When a frame or door in a termite-prone or wet spot is replaced, the replacement material is worth a moment's thought:

• Treated hardwood: the traditional choice and still common for main doors; it needs sealing, especially at the foot.
• Aluminium frames: the frame itself does not rot, which is why aluminium bi-folds are common in bathrooms.
• WPC or fibreglass doors: grouped for wet areas in our doors guides, and priced per door.
• PVC or ABS doors: the plastic does not rot, but ask what the core is and how the edges are sealed.

For bedroom doors away from water, a timber frame is fine once the termites are gone; the priority is sealing the cut ends and keeping the foot of the frame dry.

Skirting and architraves

Timber skirting runs along exactly the line termites follow, the junction of wall and floor, so it often shows the first signs. Damaged skirting is normally replaced by the run rather than patched. Replacement is a good time to consider a material that termites and water leave alone, and our skirting types guide compares the options. Architraves around door frames come off anyway when a frame is replaced, so they are usually renewed at the same time.

Built-in cabinets and wardrobes

Built-in wardrobes and kitchen cabinets are fixed against walls and often sit on the floor, so termites reach them unseen. The back panel and base go first. A single damaged panel can be replaced; a carcass that is eaten through is usually rebuilt. When rebuilding, many owners move from standard board to moisture-resistant plywood, which also holds up better against damp walls. Our wardrobe repair guide explains when repair still makes sense and what new carcass materials cost per foot run.

Roof timbers: assessment before carpentry

Termites in roof trusses and battens are a structural matter. A sagging roof line, cracked ceiling boards under a roof, or damaged timbers seen through the ceiling access point all call for a proper assessment before anyone climbs up with new timber. Damaged members are replaced or strengthened as the assessor directs, and widespread damage can mean part of the roof has to be stripped. Do not walk on roof timbers you suspect are damaged.

What termite damage repair costs

Repair is priced by what has to be replaced, so the figures below are the nearest published lines on our guides (indicative 2026, Klang Valley). Treatment is a separate line from the repair.

If a frame keeps rotting because of hidden water, finding the leak is its own job: ClickBina leak detection is a separate paid visit at RM300 – RM800.

Mistakes that make termite damage worse

• Filling and painting over damaged timber before treatment: it hides the evidence and the termites carry on.
• Spraying a DIY insecticide into the holes: it can scatter the colony and make proper treatment harder.
• Replacing a door without probing the frame it hangs on.
• Fixing a rotten bathroom frame without asking why it is wet.
• Throwing away the inspection report and treatment record.

How ClickBina can help

Carpentry repair after termites is quoted case by case, and when the damage is part of a bigger job, ClickBina handles whole-house refurbishment and trade coordination. WhatsApp us your job details for a quote: which timbers are affected, whether the termites have been treated, and landed or condo. We reply within the hour, the price we agree is a flat price with no hidden charges, and a site visit is RM150, waived if you go ahead.

Sources & methodology

• ClickBina termite control guide — what termites damage, treatment order, corrective treatment and baiting prices.
• ClickBina door repair guide — frame rot in wet zones, probing before replacing, door replacement prices.
• ClickBina security door guide — frame reinforcement or replacement price.
• ClickBina bathroom door types guide — rot-resistant door options and WPC / fibreglass price.
• ClickBina wardrobe repair guide — carcass material prices per foot run.
• ClickBina Kuala Lumpur house renovation guide — termite-damaged roof truss price; skirting types guide — site visit wording.

How we estimated prices: every RM figure on this page is quoted unchanged from the ClickBina guides named above. They are indicative Klang Valley market ranges for 2026, not fixed rates.