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Renovating your home comes with a price. But it doesn’t have to drain your life savings to get what you want. Sometimes it’s just as simple as making smarter, budget-friendly choices. Here are some tips to renovate your doors on a budget without sacrificing quality.
How can I update my exterior or interior doors without replacing them?
The simple answer is yes!
It may seem counterintuitive for us, a door installation company, to tell you, our customers, that you don’t always need us to replace your doors. But it’s the truth and something to consider before calling us or another contractor.
Sometimes all your doors need is a little TLC. What do I mean by that? Paint or stain them, and perhaps, purchase new hardware. These little upgrades can make your doors look and feel like new. While we don’t recommend doing this in all cases, especially if your door is rotted, it’s worth looking into if you don’t have the funds for new doors.
The best part of this plan is the cost. Instead of spending $4,000 or more on a new front door, you can get away with spending as little as a few hundred dollars for paint and handle sets. If you’re thinking about getting new hardware, keep in mind the dimensions of your current door locks before you purchase the new locks. You can seriously mess up your door if try to install locks that don’t fit, especially if you don’t have the knowledge or jigs to adjust the opening.
The downside of this plan is that it is labor intensive to paint or stain your own door. So, if this is not something you’re comfortable with, it might be a good idea to at least hire a painter. It won’t be cheap, painters often charge the same amount a door installer will cost, but it’s still cheaper than replacing your doors.
What if you must replace your door? Or what if your current door is just not to your liking?
Here are some tips to save money.
What is the cheapest way to get a new exterior door or interior door?
There isn’t a simple answer to this question, because it will depend on your situation. But the easiest way to save money is to shop discounts. Many door suppliers (and window and trim suppliers) will have discounts throughout the year to offload inventory. Even some will sell rejected doors (that are still fine) for reduced prices.
If you’re planning multiple projects like an entire house of doors and windows, you might buy your materials upfront to gain a discount. This, however, will vary between companies and is not always an option.
The great part of this inexpensive option is you can get a new door for relatively inexpensive, but there are cons for bargain hunting.
You will have to take whatever you can get. These discounted or returned doors are limited in supply, styles, color, and size. And often, they may be made of lower quality materials, which could mean you’ll be replacing your door sooner, which will cost you more money in the long run. Depending on your door needs, this may not be an option for you.
Another door replacing the tip is to just replace the door and not the frame. While this option will save you on material costs, it will not save you money on labor, especially for exterior doors. The reason is that the doors do not come with weatherstripping and are not prepped for hinges or other hardware.
This is not the case for interior doors, however, consider the state of your door frame before proceeding with this method. If they are warped or if you are concerned with light filtering through the cracks, installing pre-hung doors would be a better option for you.
Slab door replacement is complicated and not every contractor in the Orange County area is equipped to handle this type of renovation. It’s essentially becoming one of those dying skills.
We’ve installed slab exterior doors several times and repaired slab installs that did not go well. Be sure to talk with your contractor to see if they have experience with replacing just the slabs, especially with exterior doors. Otherwise, it could cost you more than replacing it with an entire door with its frame.
Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Quality should take precedence over cheap materials.
It may tempt you to purchase the less expensive doors, especially if you’re on a tight home improvement budget. But the saying you get what you pay for is very apt for this situation.
Low-quality materials wear our faster, which leads to more repairs and replacements which will cost you. Pick out durable, high-quality options, like fiberglass. This eliminates the need to call your contractor annually for repairs and replacements. And while we would love for you to spend your money with us, it’s a waste in the long run.
Invest in Professional Door Installation Services
That’s right, I used the word “invest”.
Hiring a qualified licensed door contractor will save you time and money. It is an investment in the longevity of your home. While we love seeing a fantastic DIY project, improperly installed doors, windows, and trim and lead to drafts, water damage, and even structural issues that could damage more than the door.
Not to mention, handymen (who are not allowed to work on projects over $600 in the state of California), and other unlicensed contractors are not bonded and insured in accordance with the rules of your homeowner’s insurance.
What does that mean for you? You may be liable for any issues with the installation, destruction, or injuries on your property. If your unlicensed contractor hits an electrical wire that starts a fire, your insurance company may not cover the bill.
Skip the Custom Door
Custom doors are some of the most expensive doors you can purchase. They often start in the $10,000 rage just for the materials and climb from there.
What can you get instead?
One option is grabbing a semi-custom door. You can also request to have them insert windows into their designs, giving you a custom look for a budget price. Most door suppliers will also take slab doors and turn them into dutch doors. Just make sure they are providing the weatherstripping needed as part of the door price.
Another option is just select a regular door from the door manufacturer’s catalog with no changes. Depending on your door size, it may not be an option, but most door companies can change the door to your size. Just speak with your contractor and door seller.
Final Thoughts
Saving money on home improvements is possible. Budget-friendly stunning results are possible with durable materials, strategic timing of purchases, professional help, and cost-effective upgrades.
Ready to start your next project?
Contact Integrity Woodworking to see how we can save you money.
We hope you found our blog beneficial. Sharing is caring (unless it’s an infection) so please subscribe to our blog for future helpful hints and share with your friends. If you have a question or would like us to give you a free over the phone estimate for your home improvement project, please contact us, we’d love to hear from you.
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