Exterior door frame replacement

[JosephP]

The wood frame around our exterior door out of the garage was rotted.  I decided to replace it with PVC.

$53 for the PVC frame
$25 for the threshold (that was a second trip - didn't know I needed it until I had old door torn out)
$9 for the new weather strip on the bottom of the door
-----
$87* 

I have never done this before, but easy enough, right?

Most of the day today and it is done!  (with many interruptions to knock out several other little things, chase the kids, make a couple meals, etc...). Not hard, just time consuming.  Spent way too much time trying to figure out how the frame and threshold went together - old one wasn't done correctly.  Those both needed to be cut by hand.  I also had to mortise the hinges, deadbolt frame, and lock catch by hand.

In hindsight, I could have bought a prehung door for $170 and would have been done in less than 2 hours.  The current door is steel and has a window, the only one Menards had with non-wood frame for under $250 was fiberglass with no window.  If I were doing it again, I probably would have still done that.  Maybe even put our current door on the new frame and sell the new door on ebay.  $80 to buy back a Saturday would have been a good deal.  But it is done, and I am $80 further away from the poor house for having done it this way, so there it is!




*Add $26 for the vinyl brick mould, but I would have needed that either way...

[Robert Adams]

I don't mess with just changing a door frame. I just rip it all out and put a new door in. If the frame is that bad the door is gone too. I did a door replacement the other day and this door faces south with just a 1' x 36" little roof over it. So the sun damage is awful. Unfortunately my local door supplier takes too long to make up doors with pvc frames and i didnt want to do it myself... There isnt anything about workong on doors that i enjoy...

[JosephP]

This faces south with no attempt of a roof... the door is in good shape. The wood at the bottom edges is a little darker, but not enough I think I need to replace the door itself...but still think I should have.

[JGrout]

I have posted at least a few pics of frame construction over the yrs and I know older threads are hard to find. 

I happen to agree that installing a complete unit is faster and the labor difference is a push.

BTW the difference between a solid steel door and a steel door with a light is a matter of cutting out the area where the window goes. cut the hole with a jigsaw, pop the old window out and install in the new door. the hardest part is being careful to keep the frame together that holds it in place 

Joe

[jteneyck]

A day isn't bad to build a new frame and install it and hang the door.  Yes, it's longer than it would have taken to install a new pre-hung door, but I wouldn't do that if the door is good.  Your comment about having to cut the frame by hand for the new sill reminded me of the door I just finished making/installing.  I was wondering how I was going to cut the frame on site for the sill.  I get there only to find out the homeowner has a sliding compound miter saw at my disposal, a very nice Makita.  I look at it and, sure enough, it has an adjustable depth stop.  That made cutting the rabbet needed on the bottom of the frame easy-peasy.  I'm about ready to trade up to a sliding compound miter saw just to get that feature.  My Bosch CMS is a nice enough, but the slider sure has advantages.  

John

[Stwood_]

A day isn't bad to build a new frame and install it and hang the door.  Yes, it's longer than it would have taken to install a new pre-hung door, but I wouldn't do that if the door is good.  Your comment about having to cut the frame by hand for the new sill reminded me of the door I just finished making/installing.  I was wondering how I was going to cut the frame on site for the sill.  I get there only to find out the homeowner has a sliding compound miter saw at my disposal, a very nice Makita.  I look at it and, sure enough, it has an adjustable depth stop.  That made cutting the rabbet needed on the bottom of the frame easy-peasy.  I'm about ready to trade up to a sliding compound miter saw just to get that feature.  My Bosch CMS is a nice enough, but the slider sure has advantages.  

John

I thought most all decent woodworkers already had sliders.





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[jteneyck]

I thought most all decent woodworkers already had sliders.





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Not the cheap ones ! 

John

[Stwood_]

My 708's weren't cheap. What brand are you eyeballing?

[jteneyck]

My 708's weren't cheap. What brand are you eyeballing?

I didn't mean cheap saws, I meant cheap woodworkers like me. 

John

[Snipe Hunter]

I'm not a fan of making new frames fit old doors. I even have the router jigs for the hinge mortise. Sooo much easier buying a new pre-hung door.