Home Door Replacement Questions

[CaliforniaChief]

I have 2 doors in need of repair...

The door from the house to the garage & the door from the garage to the side yard.

I believe both frames need to be replaced, but have zero experience with that kind of thing.

Questions:
1. What kind(s) of door should I be looking for? Should they be different kinds?
2. How much expertise should one have before attempting to DIY? Or should I just shell out the money and pay someone to do it? I've looked at YouTube videos and they keep saying it's easy but it looks a bit...daunting?

Any advice on this and other anti-freeze related questions is much appreciated. Thanks!

[oldman]

I just replaced my front door and it was well worth the money to have a framer do it. It took him less than 3 hours where I would have taken all day and probably thrown half my tools into the front yard. As far as the doors themselves, it kind of depends on what you want for both security and aesthetics.

[Buehler445]

I'd get a solid core or insulated door for the entry into the house.

Depends on what you want on the yard access door.

It isn't that hard. IF the 2X4s that frame out the door frame and header are in good shape.

The door comes in the frame, so you just stand it up and shim it to where its square and level, then you cut the shims off and install the trim.

All that being said, last time I did one, I hired a dude to do it.

[TinyEvel]

I've hung many doors. I'm not a carpenter nor door person, just handy. I've remodeled a few homes of mine, and while I lived in the fraternity house we were always replacing doors. drunk guys and locked rooms are not a good combination. Every time I hung one, i ran into some kind of challenge or unexpected setback. And every time I hung one I learned a little more about how to do it right. I might have come close to professional after over a dozen doors. I still think twice about hanging one.

Hanging the door on the hinges and drilling for the knob and locks is actually the easy part (and it's not that easy)

Making sure the frame is level and square, trimming the door to the right height and planing the closing edge of the door so it doesn't stick but is tight enough to the striker jamb so it doesn't let air in, that's the hard part.

You can get a pre-hung door, already mounted to a frame, but your 2x4 opening better be square, and if you aren't good with shims you can over-shim it and warp the door frames.

Basically if you have the money to pay someone to do it, I'd get a few estimates and hire the person you trust.

I wold get solid core doors. I think in California the door from the garage to the house has to be solid core and with a self-closing hinge, for fire reasons. The side door to the outside should be solid core, too. The hollow for doors made today -- a criminal can put his fist through and unlock without much effort.

good luck!

[Scooter LaCanforno]

Doors for the garage need a certain fire rating. Check with local building codes.

[chinaski]

I'm fairly handy, but it's a project that I was reluctant to attempt myself. So for the doors I've had replaced (3), I hired a guy.

Two were exterior doors and of the pre-hung variety, the other was an interior door (closet).

It looked fairly straightforward, but again, not something I wanted to attempt myself.

Both times I just hired a handyman, price wasn't too bad if I recall.

[CaliforniaChief]

Thanks everyone! I'm pretty sure I'll be hiring this one out.

[chinaski]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Thanks everyone! I'm pretty sure I'll be hiring this one out.

I'm in SOCAL too, I'd hook you up with my handyman, but unfortunately he moved out of State. Sucks because he was a good dude.

[tmax63]

It's like most projects, you can do it yourself but if you have all the right tools it's a lot easier and quicker. TinyEvel is spot on.

[MeatRock]

Purchase a pre-hung door. Just make sure you have the correct dimensions for the rough opening to slide the door and frame inside of. Screw or nail frame to studs and do not over shim the frame. Make sure everything is square and done.
Most pre-hung doors already have the holes pre-fab'd for the door handles and/or dead bolts.

[MahiMike]

If you aren't a great carpenter, get a pre-hung door. You can hide the imperfections behind the trim. Just make sure it's square. Shims are your friend.

[Tylerthigpen!1!]

Originally Posted by chinaski

I'm in SOCAL too, I'd hook you up with my handyman, but unfortunately he moved out of State. Sucks because he was a good dude.

This is random, but was his name Blake?

[GloryDayz]

Welp, I just got done replacing the cable on a torsion spring wooden double-garage door. That was fun! Lots of steps, but being safe is #1 around those springs...

[Megatron96]

No no no!!! Do it yourself!!! It's easy!!! Everyone's doing it!!! You'll LOVE it!!!

Make sure and do it entirely by yourself!!! All you need is a screwdriver, like the one on your made in China multi-tool!!!

And a ball peen hammer to clock yourself right in the middle of the forehead when you realize you're doing it wrong. Which is usually right around the time you've got the door in both hands and you discover that you've put the hinges on the wrong side of the doorjamb.

Trust me, you'll be happier for it . . .

[PatriotsGuy]

I just had this priced out here in New Hampshire, it was $765.00 including the door. My brother who could do it but he lives in Canada said it was a fair price.