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Interior Door Replacement
We just fixed up our 70's era house and everthing is great except for
these ugly dark brown construction grade flat slab interior doors all around our house. I was determined to spend the time, per some articles I read on the internet, on using each door as a template to triming a replacement door, but then I read on one web site (askthebuilder.com) that "some home centers now have specialized milling machines to manufacture a replacement door from your original door") I'm paraphrasing a bit but that was the basic idea. Anyway, I called all the Philadelphia area window/door retailers as well as a lumberyard and when I asked about such a machine they basically figured I was crazy or something. Has anyone heard of such a machine at a home center? Otherwise, I'm stuck with the prospect of cobbling together 9 replacement interior doors manually. We have lots of little ones, and as such we are not looking for fancy doors. I was simply hoping to replace these 30 year old cheap looking hollow core doors with some newer, paneled, cheap hollow core doors. |
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#2
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On 10 Feb 2005 11:44:28 -0800, someone wrote:
I was determined to spend the time, per some articles I read on the internet, on using each door as a template to triming a replacement door, but then I read on one web site (askthebuilder.com) that "some home centers now have specialized milling machines to manufacture a replacement door from your original door") I'm paraphrasing a bit but that was the basic idea. Uhhh - what is so special about your interior doors that they require custom millwork???? If its indeed a regular cheap house and regular cheap doors, I'd expect them to be one of the several standard sizes - are you saying they are not? Then it is merely basic carpentry to sand or cut down a standard door fractionally so that it fits into an existing opening that may have a slight irregularity. Did I miss where you posted why custom doors were needed here? Cuz otherwise it sounds like you are making this way more complicated than it actually is. To change one hollow door for another is usually pretty basic - done all the time when they get damaged and stoved in - and landlords don't usually buy custom doors for their low end tenants! ??? Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file. |
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#3
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#4
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"John/Charleston" wrote in message ... On 10 Feb 2005 11:44:28 -0800, wrote: (snip) Another alternative is to buy pre-hung doors (add $50 per door?) which are much easier to install. Either way, start with the least important door first..... On a 1970s cookie cutter, the odds are rather good that all the doors are stock sizes, so this is all probably a moot point. Should be able to just buy slab doors, buy or borrow the jigs for the hinges and lockset, and get underway. Maybe buy 1 door with same measurements, and take it home a set it in frame w/o cutting on it first, to check? If it is unscarred, most places take returns, if needed. I agree with previous poster- I'd also price out prehung doors. On a mass buy, the cost may be close enough to make the chisel/router work just not worth it. Since he wants paneled doors, he's gonna be painting anyway, and the skill level required to hang a prehung is less than hanging a slab in an old frame. (IMHO, of course, YMMV.) aem sends... |
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#5
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On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 17:28:43 GMT, someone wrote:
I agree with previous poster- I'd also price out prehung doors. I disagree with that, since then he has demolition of the old door FRAME, casings, etc., rather than than just unscrewing the old doors from their hinges. It will be much more expensive and a LOT more work. He could also easily damage the adjacent wall surfaces as he demolishes the old frames. Tear out already existant casings and frames in order not to have to put in the hinges or lockset? That's nuts!!! You are taking on more extra work than you are saving. The hinges can be cut in with simple hand tools, hammer & chisel, not even any power tools needed. Done it before myself. The locksets can be done with a hand drill and commonly available hole saw bits, and a little chisel work. Again, been there done that. To trim up the door a little (if things are not exactly square) a belt sander is helpful though you could do small amounts with a sanding block by hand. If he can't do it, a carpenter or even a "handyman" should be able to change the slabs out, without needing to do a demolition first. Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file. |
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#6
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#7
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"v" wrote in message
... On 10 Feb 2005 11:44:28 -0800, someone wrote: I was determined to spend the time, per some articles I read on the internet, on using each door as a template to triming a replacement door, but then I read on one web site (askthebuilder.com) that "some home centers now have specialized milling machines to manufacture a replacement door from your original door") I'm paraphrasing a bit but that was the basic idea. Uhhh - what is so special about your interior doors that they require custom millwork???? If its indeed a regular cheap house and regular cheap doors, I'd expect them to be one of the several standard sizes - are you saying they are not? Then it is merely basic carpentry to sand or cut down a standard door fractionally so that it fits into an existing opening that may have a slight irregularity. Did I miss where you posted why custom doors were needed here? Cuz otherwise it sounds like you are making this way more complicated than it actually is. To change one hollow door for another is usually pretty basic - done all the time when they get damaged and stoved in - and landlords don't usually buy custom doors for their low end tenants! Most standard door slabs are 6'8". On the newer hollow core 6-panel ones, the strip of solid wood on the top and bottom is not very tall. If you cut off more than an inch or two from either end, you'll be in the hollow part of the door. One thing you can do is take the piece cut off and use a table saw to rip the masonite parts off, then glue the wood strip back into the hollow part. A bit time consuming though. -al sung Rapid Realm Technology, Inc. Hopkinton, MA |
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#8
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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! ;-) Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file. |
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#9
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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. |
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#10
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On 15 Feb 2005 09:41:46 -0800, "lenny fackler"
wrote: 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. Yep, sometimes that's the case and sometimes it's not. That was my point when I called it "Another alternative"... |
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