Interior doors

stepping_up_IHB

stepping_up_IHB

New member
I absolutely abhor my 6 interior doors.... flat, hollow and half of them are knobless still as I had intended to replace them. Home Depot has the hollow core six panel pre-hungs for around $65, but they look really cheap.I like the look of the Masonite 2 panel (either the belagio or the capri style), which are approximately $150/each for hollow panel. Unfortunately, these feel cheap to me as well. They are special order for pre-hung in the sizes I need and they have a special right now for a free upgrade to solid core.



Will going with a solid core make it feel less cheap? The exterior is very smooth. This is a working class neighborhood and the homes are not at all architecurally interesting, so any higher end doors are not really an option. Does pre-hung give you anything more than just the hinges?



Lastly, the casings are older. Most of them are in good shape, but have too many coats of paint and flat and narrow. If I do the doors, would it be lame if I didn't address the casings? Are the casings a lot of work?
 
It is a nightmare to trim door to fit into existing jambs and casing. This is the reason why the door and jambs are one assembly. I would not recommend over spec a home in a working class neighborhood.
 
[quote author="bkshopr" date=1242719874]It is a nightmare to trim door to fit into existing jambs and casing. This is the reason why the door and jambs are one assembly. I would not recommend over spec a home in a working class neighborhood.</blockquote>


So prehung includes the casings? Is $150 per door considered over specing? If have to hire a contractor to put them in, how much time is typically involved with removing the old and putting in a new prehung?
 
[quote author="stepping_up" date=1242720109][quote author="bkshopr" date=1242719874]It is a nightmare to trim door to fit into existing jambs and casing. This is the reason why the door and jambs are one assembly. I would not recommend over spec a home in a working class neighborhood.</blockquote>


So prehung includes the casings? Is $150 per door considered over specing? If have to hire a contractor to put them in, how much time is typically involved with removing the old and putting in a new prehung?</blockquote>


All I know is that every experience I have had with interior doors has been disappointing. If you do hire a pro, check them out thoroughly, make sure they've been in business a long time and guarantee their work for at least a year. I would learn a little bit about it and monitor what they are doing each step to be sure it's done right. From my experience, doors are extremely difficult to get right. Over time, they all have problems. My first house had cheap replacement doors that would swell in the summer and were fine in the winter. My current house has all of the original doors and they require a pro to come out and adjust them every couple of years because they stop closing and/or locking properly. I guess it's just one of those things you expect with old houses, but I'd imagine it's pretty much true even in 60's homes.
 
[quote author="stepping_up" date=1242720109][quote author="bkshopr" date=1242719874]It is a nightmare to trim door to fit into existing jambs and casing. This is the reason why the door and jambs are one assembly. I would not recommend over spec a home in a working class neighborhood.</blockquote>


So prehung includes the casings? Is $150 per door considered over specing? If have to hire a contractor to put them in, how much time is typically involved with removing the old and putting in a new prehung?</blockquote>


Casings are separate. The rough opening is taller and wider than the prehung door assembly. Scrap wood shims are put in between to fill in the gaps. Casings is then nailed over the jambs, gaps, and edge of wall to hide the mess.



When you do your construction hide some love letters in the jambs so many decades later your home could be on TV.



Take the free upgrade to a solid core.
 
The temp and humidity levels of this house don't change much and the current cheap doors haven't had any issues other than being butt ugly. My neighbor is a contractor and always offers to help us with projects or hire one of his guys at cost on a day the guy would be sitting idle earning nada. For specialties his referals have been great with the stucco guy and plumber. He's the one who suggested pre-hung, but I wasnt sure what kind of labor would be involved with those. The doors themselves seem like a decent price as long as the solid core takes care of that looking cheap issue.
 
Make sure you pay him by a fixed price per door rather than paying him by the hours.



Fixed price per door = He will get it done fast but sloppy. You need to check often.



By the hours = He will milk the job and you pay much more but nicer installation.
 
[quote author="stepping_up" date=1242722401]so, you think these masonites in solid core won't look too cheap and $150/door is not over specing?</blockquote>


Pressed wood grain masonite door looks cheap and feel cheap in its door swing motion.



Solid core is a lot heavier with no pressed recessed panel design. The weight of inertia is how a door is being judged.



A fake LV bag is 12 grams lighter than the real LV bag with the same design.
 
Definitely get pre-hung doors vs. slab. Doesn't make any sense to pay someone to trim slab doors or build out new jambs and go through the overall trouble of hanging slab doors if pre-hung is a cost effective option. If the old casing is going to get torn out to get at the old door and jamb, might as well put some new casing up. That part is easy-breezy. You don't even need power tools to do casings, although a chop saw and finish nailer will make it go lightning fast. It probably takes longer to paint new casings than it does to put them up...



When I recently added a prehung door to our rental, the hardest part was making it fit into the opening properly. I had to saw out around an inch of the header above the opening with a reciprocating saw... That was a messy noisy mess. Other than that, someone with good patience can shim out the jambs to plumb without too much issue. My one mistake was cutting back the existing carpet a smidge too much to accomodate the jambs. That wouldn't be a problem in your case since you would be substituting new jambs for old jambs.
 
[quote author="ipoplaya" date=1242723226]<strong>When I recently added a prehung door</strong><strong> <span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">to our rental</span></span>, </strong>the hardest part was making it fit into the opening properly. I had to <strong>saw out around an inch of the header</strong> above the opening <strong>with a reciprocating saw</strong>... That was a <strong>messy noisy mess</strong>. Other than that, someone with good patience can shim out the jambs to plumb without too much issue. My one mistake was <strong>cutting back the existing carpet a smidge too much </strong>to accomodate the jambs.</blockquote>


For the record, I'm reading this in absolute horror, and I threw up a little bit, in my mouth.



<em>Dear Lord, make me a bird, so I can fly far, far away from here.</em>
 
Step - My advice is... whatever you buy... aim to do it this weekend if you're going to Home Depot because you might luck out on Memorial Day sales.
 
[quote author="IrvineRealtor" date=1242728921][quote author="ipoplaya" date=1242723226]<strong>When I recently added a prehung door</strong><strong> <span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">to our rental</span></span>, </strong>the hardest part was making it fit into the opening properly. I had to <strong>saw out around an inch of the header</strong> above the opening <strong>with a reciprocating saw</strong>... That was a <strong>messy noisy mess</strong>. Other than that, someone with good patience can shim out the jambs to plumb without too much issue. My one mistake was <strong>cutting back the existing carpet a smidge too much </strong>to accomodate the jambs.</blockquote>


For the record, I'm reading this in absolute horror, and I threw up a little bit, in my mouth.



<em>Dear Lord, make me a bird, so I can fly far, far away from here.</em></blockquote>


Oh, come on IR2!



You know you expect tenants to convert their garage and invite another family to move in to help with the rent, after the breadwinner loses his job.



Its the way of Santa...Irvine!
 
[quote author="freedomCM" date=1242730603][quote author="IrvineRealtor" date=1242728921][quote author="ipoplaya" date=1242723226]<strong>When I recently added a prehung door</strong><strong> <span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">to our rental</span></span>, </strong>the hardest part was making it fit into the opening properly. I had to <strong>saw out around an inch of the header</strong> above the opening <strong>with a reciprocating saw</strong>... That was a <strong>messy noisy mess</strong>. Other than that, someone with good patience can shim out the jambs to plumb without too much issue. My one mistake was <strong>cutting back the existing carpet a smidge too much </strong>to accomodate the jambs.</blockquote>


For the record, I'm reading this in absolute horror, and I threw up a little bit, in my mouth.



<em>Dear Lord, make me a bird, so I can fly far, far away from here.</em></blockquote>


Oh, come on IR2!



You know you expect tenants to convert their garage and invite another family to move in to help with the rent, after the breadwinner loses his job.



Its the way of Santa...Irvine!</blockquote>


I nearly threw up too. It's not that there is a problem with a tenant doing this, but <em>this</em> tenant doing it. Have you seen some of Ipo's work? He is one notch above the goons over at Brightwater.
 
I think Zovall is going to moderate a moderator soon :p



I have to admit that long ago when I was a renter, I probably did more than I should have to improve the existing property. However, it improved my lifestyle and since I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, I did it happily. Many times I was able to deduct it from the rent and it helped to create a relationship that enabled me to get my deposit back quickly and without any problems. It was also great practice for the day when I owned my own home. Please, give IPO a break on this one.
 
[quote author="graphrix" date=1242730941][quote author="freedomCM" date=1242730603][quote author="IrvineRealtor" date=1242728921][quote author="ipoplaya" date=1242723226]<strong>When I recently added a prehung door</strong><strong> <span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">to our rental</span></span>, </strong>the hardest part was making it fit into the opening properly. I had to <strong>saw out around an inch of the header</strong> above the opening <strong>with a reciprocating saw</strong>... That was a <strong>messy noisy mess</strong>. Other than that, someone with good patience can shim out the jambs to plumb without too much issue. My one mistake was <strong>cutting back the existing carpet a smidge too much </strong>to accomodate the jambs.</blockquote>


For the record, I'm reading this in absolute horror, and I threw up a little bit, in my mouth.



<em>Dear Lord, make me a bird, so I can fly far, far away from here.</em></blockquote>


Oh, come on IR2!



You know you expect tenants to convert their garage and invite another family to move in to help with the rent, after the breadwinner loses his job.



Its the way of Santa...Irvine!</blockquote>


I nearly threw up too. It's not that there is a problem with a tenant doing this, but <em>this</em> tenant doing it. Have you seen some of Ipo's work? He is one notch above the goons over at Brightwater.</blockquote>


Brightwater is when water on tiles shed away from the drain.

Ipo is when water shed toward and missed the drain.

Graph forgot to install a drain!!!!
 
[quote author="caycifish" date=1242733390]Sorry, but it has already been established in a previous thread or two that Ipop's caulk does not, in fact, rock.</blockquote>


Sorry, too, I must have missed that one :red:
 
[quote author="tmare" date=1242733702][quote author="caycifish" date=1242733390]Sorry, but it has already been established in a previous thread or two that Ipop's caulk does not, in fact, rock.</blockquote>


Sorry, too, I must have missed that one :red:</blockquote>


<a href="http://www.irvinehousingblog.com/forums/viewthread/2380/#55513">This is the thread that got it all started</a>. Now, here is where we found out... <a href="http://www.irvinehousingblog.com/forums/viewthread/2568/P50/#59459">his caulk does not rock</a>!



And for the record, the day that I get moderated for ripping on Ipo, will be a very cold day in hell. You have no idea about the trash talking that goes on behind the IHB doors. For example: Poor Skek's wife is about to divorce him, because she saw him chatting with Kaitlyn the spider monkey. Try to explain that one. <em>Uh... really... I'm just ripping on my internet friends, it's really someone I know... I swear, he is a friend. WHAT!? Kaitlyn is really a HE!?</em> That should be fun, glad I'm not his dumb a$$.
 
[quote author="caycifish" date=1242733390]Sorry, but it has already been established in a previous thread or two that Ipop's caulk does not, in fact, rock.</blockquote>


Hey, stop talking about my caulk! Potty mouth...
 
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