v wrote:
On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 22:27:01 -0500, someone wrote:

Glad to hear you've done it before yourself. I'm 49 and have been
a
carpenter all my working life. I've done both versions many times.
In my professional opinion (and that of every other carpenter I
know)
pre-hung door units are much easier to install.
That said, it still might not be the best route depending on
trim/wall
finishes, whether repainting is going to happen anyway, etc. I
was
merely suggesting another choice.

No argument with your own experience. As a former landlord who did
his own basic maintenance, I have indeed changed out damaged doors
from time to time. Also routinely installed locksets. Since I only
did it sporadically, I didn't have all the time saving specialized
tools that a professional carpenter might - just the basic ones. I
didn't think it was that big a deal to do this kind of work.


I charge far more to hang a new door in an old frame than to hang a
pre-hung door.

Do you also do the demo, does your price include the materials, what
about drywall repair, painting, etc. - would that be by you or would
that be a different tradesman? Not trying to ream you, and you did
acknowledge these were issues. I'd agree that to hang a pe-hung unit
in a bare rough opening only takes minutes - that's why they make
them. I think its a closer Q when its already a finished space with
a
cased door in place, and the cost of the unit plus the replacement
casings, plus the demolition effort is added in.

I'm thinking that OP perhaps has the whole rest of the place
decorated
to their liking, now just leaving the doors. I am not confident of a
DIY's ability to demo the old casings and frame without nicking the
walls. Then they will be posting here about how to repair drywall
(also something I have had reason to do MANY MANY times) which seems
to really frighten a lot of DIY's (who will go to great lengths not
to
disturb sheetrock whereas someone more experienced will just cut an
access or exploratory hole with few qualms because its "only"
drywall...)

Well, either way. Opinions like a-h's, everybody has one and its
always the other guy's that stinks!

;-)



I recently replaced a closet door using a plain door. It fit perfectly
so it was a fairly simple job. It would've been much more work to take
out the old frame and install a prehung, not to mention a waste of good
material.