Replacement Door

[Tom Bender]

I plan to replace an interior door with an inexpensive solid wood door from the big blue box store. I'll have to install hardware and maybe saw off the bottom and paint it. Any worries?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

If you are using the old frame, just a quick double check of square is good. You may need to fix a frame, or trim the door slightly on the sides, much easier to do before you mount hardware. This is pretty much the only thing I've ever used a track saw for in construction.

[Jim Becker]

I agree with Steve. Take the time to make the mounting location as true as you can...that will make mounting the actual door easier and help insure it operates smoothly. This may require pulling trim and adjusting/shimming, etc., to get things back in square.

[Mel Fulks]

Some of those frames for the lite weight doors won’t hold a real door. I would pull the trim off and shim and plumb .

Oops I see you guys have that covered. Only problem with a real door is that when your wife locks you out of the bed room .
You won’t be able to have the experience of banging on it so hard that it falls onto the floor. So there goes the laughter and spontaneous
loving.

[Jim Dwight]

Solid wood doors are sometimes exterior doors and 1 3/4 thick versus 1 3/8 for interior doors. Something to check. I also trim doors with my track saw. I would use the existing door as a pattern for the replacement.

I had trouble my last major home change getting real jambs on my interior doors. They wanted to give me split jambs. I used them once but they are real hard to shim to the studs since the trim is already stapled on. I am pretty sure that most guys just hang the door by the trim and do not shim the jambs to the studs. That approach will work for a hollow core door but I doubt it will for a solid door. Stapled on trim would be a clue (as opposed to pneumatic nails).

[Bruce Wrenn]

Most of the "solid wood" interior doors today are finger jointed block construction with a thin veneer overlay. Makes it a real PITA when you need to narrow it down, as you cut thru veneer, leaving an exposed edge of blocks, that are finger jointed together.

[Mike Wilkins]

Use the original door to line up the new one for hinge and lockset locations, as well as dimensions, just in case you have to do some trimming.

[Meryl Logue]

Some of those frames for the lite weight doors won’t hold a real door. I would pull the trim off and shim and plumb .

Oops I see you guys have that covered. Only problem with a real door is that when your wife locks you out of the bed room .
You won’t be able to have the experience of banging on it so hard that it falls onto the floor. So there goes the laughter and spontaneous
loving.

Interesting relationship you have, Mel. 😁

[Mel Fulks]

Thanks ! Rona. My secret is I rejected courses on human magnetism and bought real magnets and steel jamb !