Replacing entry door only - no prehung door

My daughter has a steel entry door made by Masonite that she wants to replace with another style of steel Masonite door. One carpenter says she won't be happy with it unless she replaces everything - prehung door with side window. The other guy says if she buys the same brand door he should be able to get it installed OK. Anyone have experience with just replacing a door only?

Reply to
woods
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I have but I had to use a router. Looking back at it replacing the jam probably would of been better but the door came out fine.

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Reply to
olddog

Metal or wood casing/jamb?

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Reply to
dpb

It's not rocket science. As long as the door frame is in good condition, and is relatively square, there's no reason not to simply replace the door.

The only issue you will run into is if the hinges are in different places. Then you will need to chisel out new mortises for the new hinges. You will also want to pull the interior trim off and install shims behind the new hinge locations before you run long screws into the stud behind the door frame.

Reply to
mkirsch1

I priced a steel door with and with out casing. It's only a dollar more with casing. You have to special order the door only.

Reply to
Van Chocstraw

When our house was built, the frame and sidelight (window) was ordered from the window company. Once installed, a "construction" door (old metal primed white beater) was put in there til the house was finished. We looked around at various suppliers and picked a Simpson Advent 2882 36" door, then went and found the nearby place with the best price (a lumber yard in Bellingham Washington). We picked it up ourselves, took it home and I cut in the new hinges and hung it. No big deal. Keep the old frame etc if its in good condition. Many "steel" residential doors are actually wood with a steel sheet on them. The edge where the hinges are to go is actually wood and on a "new" door, you'd measure the frame and the cut/set the hinges to match.

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Reply to
Rudy

Depends on the brand, and how many years went by between the first door being made and the proposed replacement door. Sometimes, if the hinges and spacing and door thickness and threshold design and knob pre-drill have stayed the same, you can indeed switch them out like light bulbs. But usually that isn't the case. I once had to stop a so-called trim carpenter from taking a wood chisel to a steel door, because he had it in his head that it opened the wrong direction. My little sister, bless her heart, bought a very nice Anderson french entry door that had been a floor demo (for like 2/3 off), but neglected to pay attention to the handing. The clad side now faces the interior, and the bare wood side is in the garage. But the threshold is right, so I am clueless what application to door was really for. Document the heck out of what is in there now, with pictures and a story pole, and go to the store and see what matches. Digital cameras and laser printers are GREAT for goose hunts like this. Don't forget to have a ruler taped to door in all the close-up shots, to provide a scale for comparing details.

-- aem sends...

Reply to
aemeijers

Reply to
woods

Yes, but the problem here is she has a one piece unit with an attached window, so the whole thing would have to be replaced at about 4 times the cost of just the door.

Reply to
woods

Then assuming a new door isn't already mortised and drilled for lockset, should be able to match existing locations so don't have a cobbled-up frame to patch afterwards--again assuming it's in good condition, the opening is square, etc., etc., etc., ...

A good finish carpenter can deal w/ anything given time and budget of course, but fixing up existing problems equates to time-->$$

Reply to
dpb

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