ENTRY DOORS
The Learning Center
You can either replace the door blank, the entire door blank and frame, or use a method that is somewhere in between.
Replacing the door blank alone may be doable if you are installing a wood door blank that you can cut to fix the existing opening, which
more than likely will not be square and plumb. This is not really practical with a fiberglass or steel blank.
Some companies sell systems that can be installed inside an existing frame opening after removing the original door blank. Most of these
doors have a steel frame that sets inside the original door frame. The new blank can be either steel of fiberglass. The advantage to this is
that you can install them faster because you are not tearing out the old frame and blending in a new one. The disadvantage to this type of
replacement is that the door blank itself ends up being somewhat smaller and it may be more difficult to do the finish trim work on the
inside and the outside so that it looks good.
The best way to replace an old door is with a new construction door custom made to fit the existing opening. This type of door has a totally
new frame and door blank. If the unit has side-lites, they typically are built right into a master frame system. These custom made doors are
available with wider width frames and thresholds so they are much easier to finish off on both the inside and outside. They are available
with custom-formed cladding to cover the exposed exterior wood and the color match casing on the interior. From finished appearance and
performance perspectives, replacing your old door and frame with a custom-sized new construction frame is the best bet.
13. Do replacement doors and new construction doors differ?
< back to list of questions about entry doors
3245 Miracle Drive
Murrysville, PA 15668
724-387-2991
PA Contractor ID
PA001856
The Learning Center
You can either replace the door blank, the entire door blank and frame, or use a method that is somewhere in between.
Replacing the door blank alone may be doable if you are installing a wood door blank that you can cut to fix the existing opening, which
more than likely will not be square and plumb. This is not really practical with a fiberglass or steel blank.
Some companies sell systems that can be installed inside an existing frame opening after removing the original door blank. Most of these
doors have a steel frame that sets inside the original door frame. The new blank can be either steel of fiberglass. The advantage to this is
that you can install them faster because you are not tearing out the old frame and blending in a new one. The disadvantage to this type of
replacement is that the door blank itself ends up being somewhat smaller and it may be more difficult to do the finish trim work on the
inside and the outside so that it looks good.
The best way to replace an old door is with a new construction door custom made to fit the existing opening. This type of door has a totally
new frame and door blank. If the unit has side-lites, they typically are built right into a master frame system. These custom made doors are
available with wider width frames and thresholds so they are much easier to finish off on both the inside and outside. They are available
with custom-formed cladding to cover the exposed exterior wood and the color match casing on the interior. From finished appearance and
performance perspectives, replacing your old door and frame with a custom-sized new construction frame is the best bet.
13. Do replacement doors and new construction doors differ?
< back to list of questions about entry doors
3245 Miracle Drive
Murrysville, PA 15668
724-387-2991
PA Contractor ID
PA001856
