We have an exterior door that is rotting away and must be replaced. I have some pretty basic questions:
Where does buy an exterior door?
Do I measure the opening, or the actual door?
How does an exterior door differ from an interior door, especially with respect to building codes?
I can hunt up the answers for myself, if you point me in the right direction.
Thanks,
Janet
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Replies
Any good building supply company.
Measure the door itself. You'll also need to know the wall thickness -- is it 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 construction, or something else. The framework of the door is all standard sizes. If you don't have a standard size door, you'll probably want to hire out the work because it will involve altering the building frame.
If the garage is attached to the house, the door has to be fire rated. It depends on local code, but generally you'll need either a half hour or 45 minute fire rated door. Some require self closing hinges as well. Fire rating almost guarantees the door and frame will be metal, though you can get it in other materials at a considerable cost. Even if you live where there are no building codes or inspections, you should install a fire rated door anyway.
If the door is exterior and the garage is not attached to the house, any good exterior door will do. Wood is the least durable. Metal doors are good, but you must paint them -- do not just leave the factory primer exposed. Fiberglass doors will never rust but they cost the most. The door frames of metal and fiberglass doors are generally wood and low quality. I'd recommend dismounting the door and hardware and treating the entire frame, especially the bottom edges with a preservative such as Woodlife. Then, after it dries thoroughly, prime and paint the framework with good paint on all surfaces. Then install it all and touch up the paint.
Wayne,
Thank you very much! The current door is wood because the previous owners had a doggie door cut into it, but I will replace it with metal. The door isn't the only thing that has rotted in these houses. My neighbors have had to replace sills and doors because of rain damage. Depending on cost, we may even go for a fiberglass door--although in my opinion, these new houses aren't worth the investment. But don't get me started....Janet
I know what you mean about the poor quality of most new construction. I bought a spec home that was only 3 years old (due to a job move, I had to buy before the relocation benefit ran out). There are dozens of faults, one of which is the front door actually has those tree fungus things that look like little shelves growing out of the frame in several places. There were so many other repairs needed this first year I haven't gotten to that one yet.
Hi, Wayne. It turns out that I am not sure what constitutes "the door"! I measured the big piece that moves. My husband thinks the measurement should include the wood stuff that looks like molding along the opening. I guess we won't be buying the door today! What am I supposed to include in the length, width, and thickness measures?Thanks!Janet
Sorry for not being more clear. You are right, measure the moving slab. Unless it is some oddball contraption, the height will be 6'-8" tall (or maybe an inch less depending on the threshold thickness), the thickness will be 1-3/4", and the width will be in even 2" increments (30", 32", 34", 36", and so forth) minus about 1/4" for clearance.
The door frame (the stuff that's fixed to the wall) is standardized, too, so any framework for a, say, 36" door will fit in the opening for any other 36" door. The trim that mounts flat to the inside and the outside of the wall varies a bit, so you have to sometimes have to do something with it to touch it up.
You will also need to remember which way the door swings, because you can get the door hinged on either the right or left, and remember that right from the inside is left from the outside.
You have to know the wall thickness, too. The best thing to do is measure the width of the frame (from inside to outside) and bring that measurement, too.
What you'll want is called a "prehung" door. "Prehung" describes a door and the frame already hinged together as a unit. You don't want merely a "slab" which is just the actual door (the swinging part) only. You probably want the door predrilled for the lockset (knob), though you could drill it yourself with the right tools and careful measurement. It's much easier to have it factory drilled.
Hinges will come with the door but the lockset will not. You can use your old one if you wish. If all your door locks are from the same manufacturer you can have a locksmith replace the lock cores so they are all keyed alike and you would only need one key for all your doors. If you bring the locksets to him it would cost about $10 a lock.
Installing a door is a fairly advanced piece of carpentry because it has to be done just right for the door to open, close, seal, and trim out properly. It is not a job for a do it yourselfer unless you are a good carpenter.
We bought a door slab over a month ago but procrastinated on the installation. "Let's get a drill press instead of trying to drill the hole freehand." We bought a drill press on Monday and have run out of excuses, so tomorrow we will finally get around to it.One end of the door is marked "BOTTOM", so it seems that orientation matters. I can't see any reason for it, although of course we will put it in the way it says to. But that makes me wonder about what is inside the slab. In particular, which end do we cut to shorten the door? I think adjustments should be made at the top, because people are more apt to look down ("watch your step!") than up near the ceiling. So any mistakes would be less noticeable up at the top of the door.Does it matter?Janet
Is it a solid door or hollow core? Hollow core don't give you much "edge filler" to work with--cut too much and you're into the hollow part. (Can always cut and plane a board to fit between the skins if that happens though and glue it in.) Cutting the bottom is a little more forgiving because a gap there (but if you haven't put the butts (hinges) on yet it really doesn't matter, I guess) is okay and like on a bathroom door helps with air flow for heating. Also any sweep there may be will of course be attached to the bottom and the sweep can be adjusted if too much door was removed.
It says solid core. And we just came up with another excuse for procrastinating: The door needs to be trimmed in both width and height, but we don't have a saw that can do the job.My husband is going shopping for a circular saw that can make a 2"-deep cut. Janet
Depending how much you have to take off, and whether you or DH own a router, you could clamp a guide and route, taking little bites (depth-wise) about a half inch deep at a time, then flip the door and use a bottom-bearing bit to finish (the bearing will ride on the previously routed part--if the bit is long enough. Routers leave a pretty smooth cut. But if you don't have one, circular saw it the way to go.
Janet, before cutting the door, be sure to scribe a line with a sharp utility knife just on the keeper side of the cut line. Scribe this line at least through the first layer of the door's face. When you cut with a circular saw, the wood will splinter and mar the face of the door. By scribing this line, say 1/16 in. past where you're cutting, you limit how far the splintering will travel. After you've finished the cut, you can sand a bevel on the bottom of the door that removes the scribe line and the rough edge.
Also, before cutting, take the metal or plastic buttons out of the bottom of the door. They've often got lone metal pins that will damage the saw blade. I don't mean to insult your intelligence there - Just the sheepish voice of experience.
When you've fit the door to your satisfaction, paint or varnish the top and bottom with the same finish material you'll use on the rest of the door. This step is critcal in helping to prevent the door from warping, and often overlooked.
AndyAndy Engel
Senior editor, Fine Woodworking magazine
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Often the hinges are already located. In that case you'd cut either the top or bottom depending on what doesn't fit. If the hinges are not located, then most people cut the bottom because a bad cut at the top will show more.