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?

"woods" wrote in message
...
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?

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.

od

woods wrote:
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?

Metal or wood casing/jamb?

--

On May 1, 12:53*pm, woods wrote:
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?

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.

My daughter has a steel entry door made by Masonite that she wants to
replace with another style of steel Masonite door.

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.

http://www.simpsondoor.com/catalog/c...lutePosition=7

Van Chocstraw wrote:
woods wrote:
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?

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.
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...

On May 1, 12:19*pm, dpb wrote:
woods wrote:
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?

Metal or wood casing/jamb?

--It is a wood casing and jamb

On May 1, 2:29*pm, Van Chocstraw
wrote:
woods wrote:
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?

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.

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.

woods wrote:
On May 1, 12:19 pm, dpb wrote:
woods wrote:
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?
Metal or wood casing/jamb?

--It is a wood casing and jamb

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--$$

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