HD Pre-Hung Hollow Core Doors

CookeCarpentry

I (reluctantly) do work for a customer who owns a few rental properties (that he rents to local college students).

Most of the time it is drywall repair, window replacement, etc, etc.

Get a call today that the bathroom door needs replacing, go and size it up, the jamb is broke, HD is around the corner, so I go pick up a pre-hung off the shelf.

I install it like I do all pre-hungs, and when it is said and done, there is barely a 1/8" reveal between the door and strike. I check with a square and see there is no bevel on either door edge.

So, I have to remove the door, route a 3 degree bevel on each edge, rehinge, re-set strike and install.

Now, I must say it has been a long time since I purchased a HD door, but is this no reveal/edge bevel something new? Did I get a bad door? The tag claims it is Jeld-Wen...uncertain if I could buy the same door at a lumber yard.

Anyone encounter this before?

neolitic

Every box store door I've had
the misfortune to encounter has
been so for a couple of years now.
Apparently some bean counters have
decided to save a few pennies a door
and just let us do it if those doors
ever really needed a bevel anyway.

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valleyman

I bought a bunch of slab doors from HD a few months ago. To go along with these, I had a few "quality" doors that I came across from other jobs. As you said, the HD doors had no bevel and were noticably lighter in weight. But the biggest problem was they were made exactly to size. Meaning a 30" door was exactly 30 inches. So I had to plane down each door to fit. My quality doors had a bevel, were about 1/4" smaller and fit perfectly in the jam. But at $19 each, I'd go back to HD again.

woodworkbykirk

ive had this problem with the masonite brand prehung doors among many other problems with the masonites... hinges not gained to proper depth, header too short for the door to close properly,, header too long so that the latch bolt wont catch the striker plate when its closed....

ive found the jeldwens much better to work with of the ones ive hung although lately been making my own jambs more often

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dkillianjr

I have had the same problem with the HD prehungs. There is a door/millwork shop a couple miles from me, so I always try to get everything I can from them. I have used doors from the depot or lowes. What I hate is the doors from lowes the stops are not movable and are always set to tight! Also the doors from both places are never put together right. And the preprimed jambs have a sorta coating on them, that if you have to cheisel the lock mortise or something like that, the coating chips like cheap crap!


Dave

CookeCarpentry

I've been using my millwork supplier for doors for many years, but like I said, HD was down the road, money is always a factor with a rental, etc, etc.

I just was amazed at how crappy the whole unit was compared to one from my supplier.

I also agree about the jambs having a coating, almost like a plastic-paint. It doesn't gouge like wood, it chips, and if you cut the jamb to length, you can see the coating is like 1/8" thick...very weird.

Think that is just another strike against HD.

lavrans

And, even at $19/door... they cost too much.

dvon104

you get what you pay for ...if you pay 19.00 per door ..well you get a 19.00 door...why do you think the big boxes do that ??..because their business is geared towards Joe Homeowner not the "professional"...and when you need that chisel or plane and all the other extras to make the door work ....they will sock it to them....so how much does the 19.00 dollar door cost...

lets break it down...your a professional and say your rate is 45.00

door = 19.00
1/2 hr labor @ 22.50 to make door work
gas and travel and time in general = 55.00 ... 10.00 for gas and 1 hr of time @ 45.00

that door cost you 96.50

now this is just to get the 19.00 door ready to install...you still havent installed it..

Above scenario is hypothetical and your situation maybe different ..point is buy local ....my company would have sold that door for about 35.00 and if you give me your prep locations my door shop would prep it for 15.00 ...delivered it to you for 19.95 = 69.95 and its ready prepped and all....you just hang it

genecarp

The rumor has always been that the big box stores deal in SECONDS. I have also noticed a lesser quality when dealing with HD doors. Come to think of it, around here pre hung doors in general have declined in quality over the last 10 years.G

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Darwin

I agree with Gene. the quality of doors have gone down over the years. But, just try installing some of big box bi-fold closet doors. They are the worst! They always seem to go off track, and we are always repairing them to fit back up. It must be that weak MDF bullcrap they build them with.

jarhead0531

Don't even talk about those dam bi-folds. I installed 4 in a home recently and not one of the four had a straight edge. I got them installed but fought them the entire time. I'll be damned if I ever install a HD or Lowes bi-fold again, unless I need the money, then we all know how that goes....

jkfox624

Was it one of those reversable doors where you can change the swing by moving the top jamb to the bottom? If so ive always had trouble with those things fitting like crap. Its like they always make the top jamb 1/4" to narrow and no matter what you do the door drags at the top corner. If you do get lucky and it operates right the strike is always off 1/2" one way or the other.

BKFranks

Those pre-hung doors at home cheapo are junk. I've even had the screws pull out after installation.

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ChrWright

I'm as big a snob for craftsmanship as the rest of you, but I would have probably just 'persuaded' the jamb a little and called it a day. You don't put nice stuff in a rental--it's just going to get torn up anyway.

I commend you for going the extra mile to do the job right.

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Mike Finley

We are the same way. A 2x4 placed against the jam and wacking it with a hammer is usually all you need to do to get the reveal corrected.

Then just apply 3-4 tubes of caulk.

ChrWright

That's "structural" caulk, right?

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Mike Finley

Of course.

It has ground up rebar in it.

TBFGhost

dkillianjr

I know what you mean cook, I hate the depot and lowes with a passion. But its a tough call, most of the local suppliers closed. So for a lot of stuff its either drive 14 miles or 4 miles for some stuff I just can't justify the drive. Also picking up sruff at night for the next day is nice sometimes too. You just got to go after 830 or so, all the stupid home owners are mostly gone


Dave

jkfox624

Lol yeah even the local supplier ive learned to avoid it on saturdays and after 4:30 on weekdays. All the weekend warriors storm the place. Always park in front of the bay's for 1 2x4 then disappear for hours while i have to sneak around em hand loading 50 sheets of plywood. You should have to take a common sense test to be able to enter a lumber yard.