Exteriors
Doors
Entry, patio, storm, and interior doors, hung square and sealed tight.
A door that sticks, drags, or lets daylight through the weatherstrip is usually a frame problem, not a door problem. St. Louis houses sit on clay that swells in spring and shrinks in August, and door openings move with it. Hanging a door square in an opening that is not takes shimming and patience, not muscle.
The carpenter who hangs the door is the one who measured the opening, so nothing gets lost between the order and the install. What you are buying is spelled out before we order: the unit, the hardware, the threshold, and the trim. We finish the trim inside and out so the job looks done rather than installed.
Most people are weighing a slab swap, a new pre-hung unit, or adjusting what they already have. All three are real answers depending on the frame.
What is included
- Measurement and ordering
- Removal and disposal of the old door
- New pre-hung units or slab replacement
- Threshold and weatherstripping
- Lockset and hardware installation
- Interior and exterior trim
- Paint or stain touch-up
Options
- Fiberglass and steel entry doors
- Sliding and French patio doors
- Storm doors
- Solid-core interior doors
- Barn doors and pocket doors
- Smart locks
How the job runs
Doors, step by step.
Quote
We measure the opening, check the frame and threshold for rot and square, and quote the door, hardware, and trim as one number.
Prep
The unit is ordered, and on install day we protect the floor and clear the entry so the opening is never open longer than it has to be.
Work
We pull the old door, repair the sill and jamb as needed, set the new unit plumb and square on shims, and fit the threshold and weatherstrip.
Finish
Hardware goes on, trim goes up inside and out, the finish gets touched up, and you work the door yourself before we call it done.
Questions
Straight answers.
Can you widen a doorway?
Yes, and the cost depends on whether the wall carries load. A non-bearing interior wall is a half-day plus drywall and trim. A bearing wall needs a header sized for the span, temporary shoring, and usually an inspection, which is a different scope and a different price.
Do you install doors I bought myself?
We will, and we will tell you straight what we see when it shows up. The catch is that if the unit is the wrong size, out of square, or missing hardware, that is the order's problem and the trip still costs you. We warrant our labor, not somebody else's product.
How long does an entry door take?
A straight pre-hung swap is usually four to six hours including trim and hardware. Add a day if the sill, framing, or brick mold is rotted and has to be rebuilt. A storm door adds about two hours.
Fiberglass or steel for an entry door?
Fiberglass holds up better here: it will not dent from hail or a kid's bike and it does not rust at the bottom edge. Steel costs less and feels solid, but a dent stays a dent and a scratch on a south-facing door will rust. On a door with no overhang over it, we lean fiberglass.
Can you fix a door that sticks instead of replacing it?
Often yes. Sticking usually comes from loose hinge screws, a settled jamb, or swelling behind a failed seal, and all three are adjustments rather than replacements. We try the cheap fix first and tell you if the frame is too far gone to save.
Related
Often done together.
Residential window installation
Replacement and new-construction windows, flashed and sealed so they stay dry.
See details →Finish carpentry
Trim, built-ins, stairs, and millwork that make a room look finished.
See details →Framing
Structural framing for additions, new builds, and interior changes.
See details →