had some quotes for installing a new front entry door and slider for the patio. couldn't believe they wanted to charge almost the same price as the door for install! did some research and removed the molding around both doors to get the rough dimensions, luckily both doors were standard sizes that i can buy from home depot/lowes.

did some basic research, i have all the tools necessary for the job. also got some caulking, shims and a little bit of "stuff" foam insulating crap for the small gap between the framing and the door. picking up both doors sometime this week when the weather is nicer.

any tips for those that have installed doors themselves?


from what i can see and researched on the internet....after removing the door and trim molding around the door i just need to locate the nails/screws fastening the door frame to the house and then just pry it out? then put some caulking in and slip in the new door frame, then mount the new door and level everything out with the shims?

 

Never done it, but that sounds right to me..

 

lol

 

I've only done interior doors and I've only bought them with a frame. Attaching a door to an existing frame is pretty damn difficult to get the door plumb/square from what I've read. Even with a new frame it's a little tricky until you figure out how the door reacts by how you have shimmed the frame. You will want 2 and 4 foot levels.

If you have a repricating saw you can use that to cut the nails/screws behind the old frame so that you don't need to use a pry bar.

 

I've always figured this is the kind of thing to leave to a good pro. Did you get several estimates all in the same range?

 

yea all estimates were 250-350 for install.

seems like BS to me. regardless of them handling the old doors.

 

That sounds like a reasonable price to me to get the job done right and done quickly. I'd pay that little in a blink of an eye. I had to replace my patio door a couple of years ago -- custom size, with a transom above the door, had it clad in aluminum. Total tab was $3500 or so, with the vast majority being the door. I thought maybe you were in that kind of range for the materials.

 

should i elaborate that its $250-350 PER DOOR for labor.

not both

 

understandable. custom size, colors, specialty window and quality materials. adds up quick.

 

Still doesn't seem that bad. If it's done wrong, you're going to be replacing the doors again right quick along with potential water/heat leaks. I've hung a couple of interior doors and have to say that I pretty much suck at it, so I can imagine how bad I'd screw up a much heavier exterior door.

 

guess we'll see what happens. thanks for the advice though, i appreciate the time taken to take a gander at my thread

 

Post pics. Use the spray foam in the blue can, not the red can.

One tip I heard (last night on Holmes on Homes) was to get the hinge side and top side plumb and level, but don't secure the door stop side until the door is hung and you can get the door stop set exactly right.

 

i did my front and back door.. but not a patio...

your life will be much easier getting out the back door if you have a sawzall... once your get all the trim/molding off the door, you can just sawzall all the old nails around the frame of the door... this will then allow you to get the old door out... remember, out means you will pull the door (outside)...

then stick the whole door in the hole... do not try to install the frame first then put the door on the hinge... once you get the door into the hole, you will need shims... these shims will help you to square and plumb the frame... as mike said, work from the top corner on the side with the hinge... it would be a good idea that once you get the top corner square, temporarily secure it to ensure the door closes... then begin leveling the rest of the door...

once you get everything secure... use expandable foam to fill in the gaps... don't overuse the foam... then break off the excess shims that overhang from the frame... and reinstall your trim/molding... should be job done...

 

sweet