How To Buy A Door

I find when most customers think about doors, they think, “It’s simple. Unscrew my door from the hinges and slap a new door right back on them.” Nine times out of ten a customer will describe their door as a “standard size door.” Saying you have a standard door size is like saying you have a standard shoe size.

I understand the confusion. Intuition says that there shouldn’t be much to a door. In fact, many older doors come in a range of sizes. And as little as a 1/2 inch from a modern door size can make a world of difference. It can make something simple incredibly complicated. And we've all experienced a door that jambs in the frame or has gaps all along it. That's the result of an door set in an improper frame. In this section I’ll cover the most common formats in buying a door. There is much more to cover, be sure of that, but this list will give you the first sense in how to think about a door when ordering one. I’ll review pros and cons of each format in hopes that it’ll reveal the best choice for you, which will save you money.

Book Door
A book door is the door alone without any cutouts for hinges or door locks.

Pros: The least expensive of all the formats. Typically, 1-3 days to order.
Cons: The most expensive to install. First, a book door will need the door to be prepped for hinges and locks. There are specific tools used to do this correctly that could cost thousands dollars alone. Most people hire a door installer who already owns these tools, which gets me to my second point. You will need a qualified installer to install a book door that can cost you more because of the level of craftsmanship required. Very often people order the door alone but find its much more involved and expensive to install then they had considered.



Machined Door
A machined door is the door alone, except this door has been manufactured prepped for both the lock and hinges.

Pros: Less costly than prehung and prefits. Least involved installation. Typically, 3-10 days to order.
Cons: A machined door is the most particular to openings. If the opening isn’t square, then a machined door isn’t even an option. And MOST openings are not squared. They are also the most involved in ordering. There are at least 10 different things that need identifying. Essentially this door gets prepped for your particular opening. Knowing how to identify each and every item is key. Want more info? Email me and I'll send you a form on what and how to identify to have a door machined.





Prehung Door

A prehung door is a door already prepped with hinges and a bored-out hole for the lock and comes with the jamb.

Pros: This door is ready and squared to be installed. No master craftsman needed. It can be the best value considering all that comes with it: door jamb, weather stripping, hinges, threshold and sweep.
Cons: The installation can still be intensive, especially in regards to demolition. Existing frame of door needs to be removed. Typically, anywhere between 3 days and 4 weeks to order.

Prefit Door

A prefit door is the same as a prehung door except that the jamb comes separated and normally with casing attached to the jamb.

Pros: The same as the prehung. Casing comes with jamb, unlike prehung which require casing to be purchased and applied after. Typically, 3-4 days to order.
Cons: Existing frame will need to be removed. Prefit doors are only available for interior doors.