I'm considering replacing all of the interior doors in my condo because a) they are old and plain and b) because whoever painted them before did a crappy job (paint is peeling) and I'd need to strip them, sand then, prime them then paint them.

So, I'll probably replace with pre-primed 6-panel doors or something like that. Just know sure if it's fairly easy to just replace the door only, or if I'm better off replacing the door and frame. The major downside to replacing the frame is that I already replaced some of the door casings, so that time and money would be throw away.

Anyone replace just the doors? How easy/difficult is it to set the hinges?

 

You have to replace the entire door, frame and all. The issue you're going to have is the hinges and the lock aren't going to line up. Most big box stores carry doors that are mass-produced by machine and rarely are exactly the same.

I would definitely replace the entire door. You'll spend a hell of a lot less time. Just take your time removing the door trim.

One tip is when removing the trim, it'll typically come off with the nails still in the trim. Remove the nails from the back side. That is, flip them over onto the unpainted side and remove the nails. This will reduce the damage to the face of the trim.

 

You can buy the doors without the hinges, then mount the hinges in the door so they line up with the one in the frame. Takes a bit of wood working skill, might have to hire a carpenter to do them.

 

Still have to deal with the lock. Just replace the entire unit. A whole lot less headaches.

 

If replacing just the doors, I was planning on removing the existing door, then laying one flat on the ground, and the other on top, to line up/mark off the lock and the hinges. I'd have to plane the top and/or bottom to match. Planing the bottom may be neceesary with door/frame combos, anyway, depending on flooring. I might try this with one door first and see how it goes.

Please feel free to share other experiences and suggestions/opinions.