Replacing outside door

[kelLOGg]

Check out what happened to the glass on my neighbor's door. It's double pane and the outside one shattered spontaneously and you can scarcely feel the cracks. I think it is beautiful and wish there is some way to safely remove it for display- but I digress.

The issue at hand is replacing the door. She has a replacement door in storage (its heavy) and I and a friend have offered to help install it. What am I getting myself into? The hinges have to be recessed, holes drilled exactly in the right place and the new door trimmed slightly. Sounds easy on paper but I've never done it and the hole drilling requires zero margin of error. What is the order of doing the above tasks for the best outcome? Other tips too are welcome. I want to think this through before I start, if I do. Is it as big a deal as I am assuming?

 

[junquecol]

When replacing an existing door, I make a story stick to determine hinge locations on existing door. This removes measuring errors. The stick is length of 3/4 material that with a block screwed on one end. It only needs to be as long as distance from top of door to bottom of lower hinge. It is hooked over top of door, and then hinge locations marked out, both top and bottom sides of hinges. Then using a square, I measure depth of hinges and mark on new door. Then it's just a matter of using a hinge, with a VIX bit to mark hole locations for screws. Easy peezy, and no measuring to create an error. As an alternative, you could lay existing door on top of new door Using a square transfer hinge locations.

 

[pop-pop]

Also, a power planer is great for trimming doors to fit.

 

[Oka]

Bruce gave good advice. Couple things to add. When replacing a door on an existing frame, note the the following before removing the door.
1. Note the squareness of the hinge side to header.
2. Note the hinge side plumbness
3. Make a story stick, or make a sketch showing exact measurements of the hinges' location/
4. Check to see if the door frame face is 90° to the wall face (kinda hard. Use a tri-square and a framing square yo do this. If this angle is tweaked the door can or will hang sprung, in other words, the door hit the frame before closing.

Notice I ignore the door knob side ? if you get the 2 other sides correct, you can hang the door then scribe the door knob side without issue.

This should get you started good luck

 

[Gofor]

Get some of the wood wedges used for installing door casings, and slide a couple under the door when fitting things to insure it doesn't drag when closing.

 

[mpeele]

Story sticks and measuring is the way you have to go if you don't have the old door but i would avoid that process since you have the old door.

I just take the old door(remove all hardware) and lay it on the new door(hinge side flush). If doors have a center rail or window align it. I do this inside of one to outside of the other. Now it's easy to transfer all dimisions and locations of lock set to new door. Mark top and bottom and width. Trim top, bottom and width if needed. Place two doors back together and mark lock set hole locations and strike plate location and hole on edge of door. I use a adjustable square to gauge hinge set back and transfer that to the new door. You will need to gauge and transfer each hinge because they may be different. I use a chisel to define the edge of the hinges and then a trim router set to the depth of the hinge and a small bit to remove the material. Irwin used to sell a lock set boring gauge with hole saws for drilling the lockset. It is well worth the money if you can find one. I don't know where you are but you can borrow mine if I can find it.

For trimming the doors for years i used a skill saw and guide I made from two strips of plywood. Just attach one on top of the other a little more than distance from the blade back side of the saw base plate. Run the saw down it to trim. Place that edge on you lines and trim. It will be close enough that you only need to sand off the saw marks if they bother you. Or it's a perfect excuse to buy a track saw and 8' track. Track saw will probably not cost that much more than the cost of having some one replace the door.

 

[Charles Lent]

Are you certain that you can't just replace the glass? The plastic window frames in doors have screws to hold the inside and outside frames together, or if wood, you can find that the molding on the inside around the glass can be removed. Many window sizes have been standardized, and the better glass shops carry the insulated double pane standard sizes in stock. If not in stock, they can get them in several days.

It's worth doing some investigating before trying to replace an entire door, just because the glass broke. Of course, if they want a different door design, then follow the other's suggestions. They are good, when an entire door needs replacing.

Charley

 

[Canuck]

I replaced 16 interior hollow core doors with solid core doors in our early seventies house. I used the old doors as a template to mark door height, lock set/door knob and hinge mortice locations.

I purchased three jigs - Milwaukee lockset jig, Hingemate mortice jig and a latch morticing jig (pictured below) These three jigs were real time savers when having to do so many doors! (If you would like to borrow them, I am in Cary.)

 

[kelLOGg]

Responses are giving me confidence. Thanks. It's my neighbor's door and she wants it replaced. I will ask her if she is sure about her decision. It will probably be spring before anything is done. Her call.

 

[JimD]

I am in favor of putting the old door on top of the new one (or vice versa). It will tell you pretty quick if the old door is square and how much you need to trim. For one door, I would mark the hinge location by screwing the hinges on and tracking their outline with a utility knife and then remove most of the wood with a router. A chisel and utility knife can remove the last little bit. Or you can easily make yourself a router jig to make the mortise by outlining the hinge with pieces of wood on a piece of thin plywood then using a flush trim bit with a top bearing to follow the added pieces. Only takes a couple minutes but the more manual approach is quicker as long as your hand is steady on the router. The jig is more fool proof.

I would definitely use a tracksaw to make the cuts including any trim cuts after you think you have it to size. Much easier and more fool proof. But if you are real comfortable with a circular saw it will do it with a good blade.

I agree completely about using shims to get the door in position as you hang it. I removed a 3 foot wide solid wood door last week end to cut a fraction of an inch off so it would clear a rug. I found shims necessary to get the door back in it's opening. It was just to heavy for me to muscle into position by myself with one hand so I could fasten it with the other. With shims it was pretty easy. (I trimmed it with my tracksaw, of course, and primed it on the bottom before rehanging it)

 

[junquecol]

Instead of shims, get a drywall panel lifter. Makes a one man job of lifting a door into place.

 

[Gofor]

A couple of reasons NOT to use the window in the old door:

First, the strength to deflect wind driven debris (as in a violent storm) has been greatly reduced.

Second, if the seal between the panes has been compromised, mold will likely start growing between the panes. It may not be readily noticeable with the fractured outer pane, (usally it presents itself as a cloudiness) but can turn dark and unsightly over time.

 

[knottyalder]

Another cool trick for heavy doors