Replacing Double Entry Doors with Second Hand Doors

10 years ago

Our entry doors are the cheap metal type with the little half moon windows. They are so drafty that we have to tape them in the winter to keep the cold out. We've tried installing weather stripping but it keeps coming off. If we could afford it, I would love to buy new fiberglass doors. I've been looking at Craigslist and found some used wood doors (probably fir) for sale for $300. The doors are for the same size opening that we have (72 x 80").

I'm wondering if there is any reason we shouldn't consider used doors. My husband is pretty handy and would be installing them himself. Would fir doors be more insulating than the metal doors we have now? Any advice would be appreciated.

Comments (6)

HomeSealed
10 years ago
Doors are not a novice DIY install if you want them to operate and seal well, but anything CAN be done. Are these used doors solid wood or paneled? If paneled, the steel doors will probably actually insulate better and be more secure. If drafts are a concern, you are not going to see any improvement by simply changing slabs. You either have an issue where the door is not square/plumb/level so it is not properly sealing to the weatherstripping, or perhaps the weatherstripping is damaged/failed.
Pitfalls of getting a used door: primarily could be warpage, unseen damage, small size discrepancies that would affect install, etc.
PRO
Windows on Washington Ltd
10 years ago
+1

If you are trying to make a door (i.e. install hinges, make the jamb, frame it, etc.), that is a very advanced carpentry job.
Related Professionals
Idylwood Window Contractors · Lauderhill Window Contractors · Atlantic Beach Window Contractors · Rio Linda Window Contractors · White Center Window Contractors · Alhambra General Contractors · Everett General Contractors · Foothill Ranch General Contractors · Harvey General Contractors · Mishawaka General Contractors · Palm River-Clair Mel General Contractors · Holliston Carpenters · San Marcos Carpenters · South Miami Carpenters · Whitney Carpenters
millworkman
10 years ago
Especially trying to retrofit wood doors into a frame manufactured for steel doors as depending on the manufacturer of the steel door the weatherstrip may be magnetic in which case it would not even work for a wood door. The sweep/sill may be an issue as well.
kendog2
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you all for your advice. The ad says that the doors are solid but I don't know how to tell if they really are. Maybe the owner just thinks they're solid? I didn't know that jambs are designed differently for metal doors. If that's the case, we might be better off just to stay with what we have for now.
HomeSealed
10 years ago
Putting those doors into an existing frame and achieving a good finished product will be extremely difficult and time consuming-- even for a skilled pro. I venture to guess that if you hired someone to make that happen you'd end up spending more than you will to just buy a new unit at the end of the day. If you are really in love with those slabs perhaps it would be worth it to you, but if your primary goal is improved performance, I'd move on.
kendog2
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you HomeSealed. I will take your advice. I don't really care for the wood doors. I was considering them only because they're solid. I would have wanted to paint them so the refinishing alone would have been time-consuming. We can't afford to pay a professional installer.

I'm curious about why the doors would be so difficult to install. Would that statement apply to all used doors? If we bought new doors and intended to install them ourselves, would it be easier if we got pre-hung doors?

I thought fiberglass would be nice but I've read that a good quality metal door is better than a cheap fiberglass door. Any recommendations on what material is available at a reasonable cost? How much should we expect to spend for decent quality doors that don't have windows? Our opening is 72 x 80".