Side door

Higgs Boson has left town; too embarrassed to admit he was yakking on about hollow core exterior side door --when it was ***solid core*** all the time!

I am carrying out HB instructions to post this horrible pic

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to illustrate how lower part of door has been ****ed up by allowing watering nearby plants to hit the door over time.

So it's solid core now, and HB will have to eat the expen$e. And install solid core as most have recommended for ext door.

Helpful NG members have suggested going to a lumberyard or ??? where ??? to order new door rather than buy blank at Home Despot. Is that because "door professionals" will install window (and cat door) and hardware as ordered?

Would HD do the same? Cheaper? Quality?

Does some of this have to be done in situ -- like hardware, locks, etc.?

TIA

/signed/

HB

Reply to
Higgs Boson
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No, you do NOT want a "solid core door" for an exterior door. You want an ENTRY door. It could be steel, fiberglass, vinyl(?) or wood frame and panel.

If you get a solid core door you will get exactly what you have now...a piece of particle board with a couple of luan or masonite skins glued on. It will not last. _____________________

If you are trying to line up new door hinges/locks, etc with existing frame, yes; if you are installing the whole works, no.

Reply to
dadiOH

| So it's solid core now, and HB will have to eat the expen$e. And install solid core as most have recommended for ext door.

Not solid core. Solid wood slab. The lumber yards will probably call it staved birch. All cuts will need to be done on site, presumably by whoever hangs the door.

You *could* get another type of door: exterior panel door, metal, fiberglas, prehung or not, etc. But it will have to fit the opening and allow for cutting the cat door. That's not going to be feasible with most door options.

Reply to
Mayayana

Home Depot is a crap shoot. They are no cheaper on most things, the quality may be good, maybe no so good. I'd ask at a lumberyard to see who could do what you need.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Another option is shopping where the contractors shop, like a Norandex-Reynolds location.

I bought all of my windows and doors through them. On average I'd say I got "one level up" from the big box stores for the same price. In other words, for the price of a big box in-stock door, I got the first-level special order door.

Different brands, but feature for feature, the same or better.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

| Another option is shopping where the contractors shop, like a | Norandex-Reynolds location. |

Norandex seems to be something that only has a spotty presence and only in the midwest. I'm in NE and the closest store listed to me is in Maryland. There is something that is probably similar where I live -- Harvey Industries. I find they're the best place for storm doors and windows, vinyl siding, etc. But they cater to that type of contractor -- what might be called replacement contractors. They're not usually carpenters or craftsmen. So the companies that serve them carry almost nothing in wood. I only go to Harvey when I need a storm door or storm window. Since HB wants to cut a cat door, there's a good chance that nothing at such a dealer would be relevant. They're likely to deal in prehung steel and fiberglas doors.

(Many of the contractor dealers also only sell to contractors. One has to show some evidence of a contractor's licence or of being in the business. At least that's true at Harvey. It looks like Norandex will sell to the general public.)

Reply to
Mayayana

Only in the Midwest? Did Maryland move since the last time I was there?

I don't know where you are in NE, but I bought my stuff at a Norandex in Western NY. Isn't most of NE closer to Western NY than Maryland?

It also helps if you know someone in the business. At the time I was looking for my windows I met a salesman that had just retired from Norandex. He called his former coworkers and got me a bit of discount. Even without it the prices were better than the big box stores.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

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