New Door

[Kjs]

Has anyone had a new door put on? An exterior door. not the storm door. husband and friend put in a new one 15 years ago. It has never shut right and wind just blows right through the 1/2 gap....

So, I am getting a new door. Both exterior and storm. Storm door I have no problem with. The exterior door I found I like...but installation is $325. Just for installation. I have a handyman neighbor who remodelled our bathroom(great job)...should I ask him? I just really want the door to shut and not to have a gap where air will blow in.

Anyone do this? Does this sound about right for just installation? Should I go with this or handyman?

 

[mrscatinthehat]

Good luck with the door. I don't know on the price as husband is our handy man.

beth

 

[muttmeister]

I put on 2 new exterior doors when I remodeled my house a couple of years ago. All of my stuff was DIY so, to me, $325 sounds like an outrageously high price to put on a door as it is a relatively simple job. Mine were prehung so we just had to fit the frame in the hole and stick some insulation in the gaps and put on the trim and it was done. I could have done it entirely by myself except that it took a helper for me to handle it as it was a little big and heavy for me alone. I'd talk to the handyman; there should not be a problem hanging a door. I'm not an expert carpenter by any means so if I can do it, anybody should be able to do it.

 

[Abbey]

Don't know about door price. I'm in the same situation...cold wind blows through the openings like a cyclone. Handyman? If he did a good job before, he'll most likely do a good job again.

Abbey

 

[mstang67chic]

I've never done it myself but watched with amusement. Theoretically it's not hard, pretty much what Mutt said. It can be a pain though it things aren't plumb. But, a good handyman should be just fine with it and you could help to get experience with it. Besides, if my husband and a friend of ours can do it, almost anyone could! LOL

 

[DDD]

This is not an optimistic response...but it's true. I needed a new front door and we are not handymen types so...I went to Home Depot, chose a door, chose the hardware, asked "is there anything else you need from me other than the payment?" No.

Very long story short. The lst guy came out to measure. The door came in and the 2nd guy discovered that the lst guy had not measured right. The manager got into the mix and they hired an independent door company to come finish the job. It NEVER fit right.

I contacted Lowe's. They said "we hear horror stories all the time about our competitor". He He......Not! They, too, never got it right and I didn't even make an issue of the $$'s because I wanted a door that fit.

Finally, I hired an independent carpenter who came and fixed what the two big companies had messed up.

Believe it or not.......same thing happened with the side garage door starting with the 2nd company first, then using the lst and finally hiring a carpenter. Absolutely crazy!

I wish you good luck. DDD

 

[busywend]

Yes, that is the expensive part of a new door - the installation. I paid around $400 to have mine installed. The door itself was only $230. But, I am glad I did pay for the professional installation. It took him around 6 hours to install it and had multiple adjustments to make. It works perfectly.

I could use at least 2 more new doors - but no way with that installation cost!

 

[Abbey]

6 hours to install a door?? My gosh. Give me a hammer and some WD40. I'll do it for half the price.

Abbey

 

[muttmeister]

I'm definitely in the wrong business. For $400 and 6 hours I could install several doors and I would guarantee them. That is insane!

 

[gcvmom]

That sounds about right for a home improvement company to charge. I'd ask your handyman friend if he has any experience hanging doors. Is it a pre-hung door, or do you have to make it fit your existing door frame? Pre-hung are supposedly easier to install, rather than retro-fitting a new door to an old frame.

 

[Star*]

The average cost here to install ONE front door (NOT with screen door) is $250 - and that was about 5 years ago.

I can only say this - WHATEVER someone charges you for peace of mind /security/ and intstallation - ????? Pay them. Doors are not a thing just any handyman can put in. There is a lot of put up, measure and take down to put them up properly so they hang correctly.

Dude busted the door jam out of our front door in one of his younger fits - and it's going to cost me a BUNDLE to have it replaced. That's why I still don't have it fixed - he nearly broke the front glass. INstead it broke the screen door prop off and took a huge chunk of the door jamb with it.