# HD Pre-Hung Hollow Core Doors



## CookeCarpentry (Feb 26, 2009)

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?


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

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 (Dec 18, 2007)

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.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

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 (Aug 28, 2006)

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


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## CookeCarpentry (Feb 26, 2009)

dkillianjr said:


> 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


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.


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## lavrans (Jul 6, 2008)

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


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## dvon104 (Jun 23, 2007)

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


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## genecarp (Mar 16, 2008)

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 (Apr 7, 2009)

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.:001_huh:


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## jarhead0531 (Mar 5, 2008)

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....


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## jkfox624 (Jun 20, 2009)

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.


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## BKFranks (Feb 19, 2008)

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


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## ChrWright (Jul 17, 2007)

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. :thumbsup:


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

ChrWright said:


> 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. :thumbsup:


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.


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## ChrWright (Jul 17, 2007)

Mike Finley said:


> 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.


That's "structural" caulk, right? :laughing:


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

Of course. 

It has ground up rebar in it.


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## TBFGhost (Oct 9, 2008)

ChrWright said:


> 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.


:thumbsup:


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## dkillianjr (Aug 28, 2006)

CookeCarpentry said:


> 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 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:laughing:


Dave


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## jkfox624 (Jun 20, 2009)

dkillianjr said:


> 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:laughing:
> 
> 
> Dave


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.


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## john5mt (Jan 21, 2007)

> 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.


Huh, around here paintable hollow cores dont come anyother way.


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## charly (Oct 11, 2009)

It is all about price. 
All bigbox stores stock a full width door, so you can plane it to fit your opening. If you want it prefit, order it that way but you will pay for it. The coating on the jamb, get used to it. I see it on all primed product. I geuss to many painters dont like the prep of a raw jamb. As far as HD or Lowes having cheap doors, There are only 2 manufatures of molded door skins, and there are only a hanfull of layup shops. Lumber yard, local distributor, or big box if you buy a cheap hollow door, you get what you pay for.


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## BillD (Jun 9, 2008)

I have found that not only do the doors from HD not have the bevel, but they have less solid material (funny how we used to be able to say wood huh) at the rails and stiles. When I get a door from my millwork guy I can cut 1/2" off the bottom and be comfortable that there is at least another 1/2" left on the door. I cut 5/8" off a HD door and had to re-build the bottom because there was nothing left. 

This all may be changing though. I am finding that the local yards are starting to use some of the same material, I guess this is so they can compete with HD pricing.

Unfortunately, as others have said, sometimes I have no choice but to use the depot.

Bill


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## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

I don't have any particular problem with the full width doors. It allows me to choose which side of the blank will be most visible and orient it accordingly. Then I set up my portable electric planer and bevel it however I wish.
I have gotten blanks from one supplier that had both sides beveled, which actually worked out pretty good. It just doesn't allow you to hide any small imperfections in the product by selecting which side will show from high traffic areas.:thumbsup:


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

All I do is door work and when it comes to interior doors I won't even do a slab change. It's a new prehung or I don't do the job. There is usually some kind of "issue" already with the door and that is why the HO wants it changed. I tell them if I use the same jamb, the "issue" is still there because I didn't set that jamb and I have no control over how it was done. If I install a new prehung it is all on me and I set the door the way I want it.


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## jradziew (Nov 5, 2009)

Hi

The HD's around here if the door is pre hung it has a standard bevel, if it is a slab no bevel. They are jedwin doors also

John Rowley Ma


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## Framer53 (Feb 23, 2008)

jradziew said:


> Hi
> 
> The HD's around here if the door is pre hung it has a standard bevel, if it is a slab no bevel. They are jedwin doors also
> 
> John Rowley Ma


This is the problem with the internet.

Every area of the country that Lowes or HD operate in have different millwork shops putting the prehungs together. This means that you may or may not have a good prehung from HD or Lowes.

I have found around me that their doors are fine, but do not have much or any bevel. The real problem I have found is they change suppiers at odd times and what was fine a month ago, may not be so today.

One other thing, my local guy or lumber yard, is so overpriced, I can fix a lot of problems before it is advantageous to use them.


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## jradziew (Nov 5, 2009)

I agree with stock doors at lowes or HD but if you have to order a door or window my local lumber yard is as cpmpetitive as the lowes or HD and you don't have to wait three weeks. I odered a storm door extension it came in two days HD quote was 5-7 days. price difference was $2.50


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## stp57 (Dec 12, 2007)

Yea, I've found the same thing. Here in Texas, I get my doors from BMC West.
http://www.bmcwest.com/
They put a fiberglass exterior door with composite spliced jambs together in three days, whereas at HD or Lowes it takes 2-3 weeks. Plus BMC's jambs are yellow pine & the other guy's jambs seem like balsa wood. $300 for a 9 lite pre-hung seems like a lot but the quality is worth it.



jradziew said:


> I agree with stock doors at lowes or HD but if you have to order a door or window my local lumber yard is as cpmpetitive as the lowes or HD and you don't have to wait three weeks. I odered a storm door extension it came in two days HD quote was 5-7 days. price difference was $2.50


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## carpentershane (Feb 9, 2009)

CookeCarpentry said:


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


Do you do this with a certain bit or do you have a jig that you do this with? I have been dealing with doors like this more often lately...


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## BillD (Jun 9, 2008)

carpentershane said:


> Do you do this with a certain bit or do you have a jig that you do this with? I have been dealing with doors like this more often lately...


I make the bevel with my Rockwell door plane. It has a fence that you can set for the bevel. My newer power plane does not have that capability. I do not know if there are any newer ones that do.

Bill


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## custrel (Jun 30, 2009)

Darwin said:


> 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.:001_huh:


Did ten floors of units with cheap bi-folds and I swear that they were made out of cardboard or pressed paper with just a couple of 1" thick rails at the top and bottom for the hardware.


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## custrel (Jun 30, 2009)

BillD said:


> I make the bevel with my Rockwell door plane. It has a fence that you can set for the bevel. My newer power plane does not have that capability. I do not know if there are any newer ones that do.
> 
> Bill


Bosch has a decent planer that will do this as well.


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