Pre Hung door vs other

captainj98

Hi,

I am finishing my basement and am curious to know if there is a preferrence between pre hung door vs non pre hung. My wife likes a style of door that does not come in a pre hung form....they are solid doors and I am curious if I am making a lot more work by going this route. Is there any advantage vs disadvantage to going this route....any input would be appreciated.

Thanks

JEB

Bud Cline

YES you are.

kwikfishron

A pre hung door is MUCH easier to install.

I can’t think of any style of door you can't get pre hung. Go to a lumber yard instead of the box store for your door, they will be able to get you what she wants.

Unless you can pull it off the shelf box stores offer very little help when it comes to doors.

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Joe Carola

Any door can be prehung if you get it from a real lumberyard. Home Depot and Lowes aren't real lumberyards if that's where your buying it from. What room is this door for?

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Joe Carola

LIHR

I concur with all above. Go to a "Real" supply house and have them make up the doors to your liking. They will even have the mill shop make up any size you want, especially for older basements with low overhead.

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captainj98

Thanks for the input...this is for a couple of doors in the basement. One for a bedroom, one for a office, one for a closet, and one for the untility room. I am also throwing in a pocket door.

Thanks again,

JEB

Joe Carola

Are you putting an egress window in the bedroom and getting permits and inspections?

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Joe Carola

DrHicks

^ What he said.

Unless you have the tools, and are an experienced carpenter or DIYer, don't try to install slab doors.


Regarding the "real lumberyard" versus "apparently fake lumberyard" debate... You will get what you pay for. If you are framing in the wall, and do it correctly, you can get standard sized pre-hung doors from any of the box stores - doors that will be perfectly fine, and very easy to install. You'll be able to find doors in all styles and price ranges. If you want cheap, you can get them. If you want expensive solid-core doors, you can get them too.

If you need to retrofit an off-standard door, you won't find them at the box stores.

chrisBC

The doors being referred to are probably the stain grade solid pine doors-at HD.They only come in slabs, not pre-hung; guess they are meant more for retrofits.

chrisBC

So by finishing your basement I take it there are no doorframes currently in place where you want to install the doors?

If this is the case you would have to make your own doorframe or have the door pre-hung. In that case pre-hung is much less labour wise.

If you have doorframes in place where you want to install the new ones , you have the option to hang the door in the opening; if this something you would be comfortable doing.

Just remember a solid door should have 3 hinges, so it may be necessary to add a middle hinge to the frame.

I find this is only worth doing when the frame is in good condition as well as the casing (trim) and you want to avoid the labour of redoing all the trim and whatnot. I.E. when everything is all painted and pretty and fine as it is. I do it for upgrading doors (hollow to solid) or replacing a damaged door, I find this is the way to go. You can buy a jig to drill out for the door hardware.

I don't know you are working with so just throwing it out there.

captainj98

I have framed in the doorways...I have a walk out basement and I am in the process of pulling the proper permits.

Thanks again for all of the input.

P.S. I am going with solid oak doors....I don't like the hollow core...too cheap in my opinion.

Ron6519

I've never experienced not being able to get a prehung door in any style slabs were available in.
Chris, Home Depot sells stain grade doors in both slabs and prehung around here.

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Ron
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
B. Franklin 1759

Millertyme

just something to add. You can buy those doors and bring them to a place to get hung You dont need to but the slab from the lumber yard or shop. They will just charge you for the selected jambs and labor to hang them.