Wed 24 Jun, 2009 07:04 am
So we are looking for a new entry door. We talked to some neighbors and one company was recommended -- they wouldn't give prices over the phone but wanted to make an appt. to look. (Not a good sign, right? "If you have to ask, you can't afford it.")
The guy came over and it does seem like a good company. Total though, for two doors, is well over $4,000. And that's not top of the line or anything -- steel doors, not fiberglass or wood.
That's a lot more than we'd like to spend. I went to Home Depot and while the prices were much better, I was really not impressed by the selection there.
I've seen ads for an architectural salvage place that I'm going to check out.
Any other ideas or things to keep in mind? We want good solid doors with lots of windows in them (necessary for light where they're situated). Haven't ever bought a door before.
Thanks!
you get what you pay for.
@eoe,
OK, well that's part of what I'm going for. If we need to spend $4,000, we need to spend $4,000. I want to know more about it though before committing to that kind of money...
@sozobe,
how big is each door?...36", 48" 60"?
@sozobe,
$4,000 for a door sounds insane to me.
And entirely new roof for our house just cost $7,000.
@sozobe,
Here is a site that sells doors. Lots of pictures and ideas. I'm not endorsing their products but its a place to start.
http://www.millworkforless.com/6-8-doors.htm
Try googling "wood entry door"
I would get a breakout of labor and door cost. $2000 per door seems high unless they are doing more than just replacing the door with one that isn't very pricey.
Habitat for Humanity has a resale store here.
@parados,
Good point. Does the entire frame need to be replaced, or does the new door just need to be hung on the existing hinges?
@panzade,
36" by 80" (a tiny bit off standard, the guy who came in said that it wouldn't be a problem).
@DrewDad,
Two doors, so ~$2,000 each. But yeah.
@DrewDad,
Hmm, somewhere in between I guess. Because of the tiny-bit-off-standard sizing, and because we want to do different things with the locks than what we have now, it'd be more than just hanging a new door on existing hinges. But it's not that the entire frame needs to be replaced, I don't think.
@sozobe,
sozobe wrote:we want to do different things with the locks than what we have now
That might be difficult with an existing door, where you have to plug the holes where the locks are now.
A new door, you just drill holes where you need them. Easy-peasy.
@parados,
I love this one!
(We need just the door, not the sidelites... I'm having some problems deciphering cost though!)
The installation is something like $200. The doors themselves are the vast majority of the cost.
@sozobe,
Home Depot has free shipping on a lot of their doors purchased online.
The couple I've clicked on both say 36" by 80", so it don't see that you're off standard at all.
One other thing (sorry to be so staccato!), the price quoted to us includes storm doors (they're optional, we pay the same amount either way and either get them or not). With the door + storm door, we'd be eligible for an energy tax credit (~$700).
@DrewDad,
Yeah, I just noticed that too -- I'm looking at the quote sheet from the guy who came and it says 36" X 80", I think that the doors are actually a tiny bit bigger than that but that's the size he'd be ordering. Standard seemed to be an OK option at any rate, just might require some fiddling with the frame to get a tight fit. (Off to look at the Home Depot stuff online, thanks!! I just went to the store, makes sense they'd have greater selection online.)
@sozobe,
I'd suggest that you check Lowes, too.
@sozobe,
When I was installing entry doors I never accepted a job that required putting a new door on existing hinges...too much room for existing problems to continue...draft seal, misalignment...etc.
It's best to have a competent carpenter replace door and frame.
Good doors run around 1k...so with locks and a master carpenter you're looking around $3,200
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