Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo
KittyKat, I think you'll find that many doors will come "pre-hung", meaning they're already mounted to a door frame with hinges in place. It's obviously the way to go in a new-build situation. But I'd suspect that some contractors would rather do the same on a retro-fit - just pull out the entire old door set-up (perhaps saving the trim for reuse) and pop in the new.
Not saying at all that what you're wanting to have done isn't viable - you'll just need to find someone willing to go that route.
Bill  |
I've done it both ways and a pre-hung door is much easier. As Bill said, you just remove the old door and install the new one, frame and all. You have to make sure the frame is square then you just hammer or screw it in and reattach your trim.
With a slab door you have to mortise the door for the hinges. This shouldn't be a big deal for a carpenter, good handyman or a real woodworker. I'm none of these.
There are jigs available for this job and the cut is made with a router. I had none of these luxuries and probably wouldn't have known how to use them if I did. I used a wood chisel and cut out a little at a time until I had everything right. The job came out nice but it took awhile.
Slab doors are pretty routine for a pro but it still takes considerably longer than hanging a pre-hung door.