# Replacing Prehung Front Entry Door in Stucco



## o2284200 (Jun 3, 2013)

What should I expect to be included on the labor end of installation of a  single pre-hung front entry door in stucco?  i.e. My first proposal includes:  "Remove existing wood door and install owner;s door into opening. Secure  with tapcons into existing block opening.  Add jamb extensions to door  along with new casing.  Putty,prep and painting of jamb and door by  others.  Caulk exterior jamb at new stucco surface with white urethane  caulking."

ALSO:

The threshold on the new pre-hung door is 3/4" shorter than my current  threshold; 1.5" shorter, if you include the exterior molding strip.  The  3rd pic down shows a pencil mark where the new threshold would reach,  if I keep the new pre-hung door flush with walls on the inside.  The 1st  installer says I have 2 options but either way, I will lose the  exterior molding strip & not be able to replace it:

1) Keep the new pre-hung door flush with walls on the inside & fill  in the gap left in the front with more stucco, which means I have to  hire a stucco guy.
2) Push the new pre-hung door forward to stucco and then add strips of wood on the inside to make it flush with the walls.

All helpful thoughts & opinions are greatly appreciated, Thanks!


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## nealtw (Jun 3, 2013)

Two things to consider. You want the door to be a close to the wall surface so that the door can swing all the way open with out running into anything but you also want some of the hinge screws and stricker plate screws to be able to anchor into the substructure.


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## Fireguy5674 (Jun 3, 2013)

If I am looking at the pictures correctly the original is an outswing door.  Is the new unit an outswing as well or does it swing back into the house?  If so putting extention jambs on the inside should not effect the swing of the door at all.  It will just make the door sit a little forward in the opening.  If the new door is an inswing and you want it to sit flush with the inside then why can't your guy install extension jambs on the outside of the door frame to take up your extra space before putting the door in the opening?  There may be a valid reason I just can't tell from the pictures.


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## WindowsonWashington (Jun 4, 2013)

I would specify and inswing so as to keep the components in towards the home and therefore more secure and not rusting.

At that point, you can trim out the exterior jamb to stucco connection with any number of PVC trim pieces and you will not need a stucco repair aspect of the job.


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## o2284200 (Jun 4, 2013)

Thanks! The original & new are both right out-swings.  I'm still looking into it but I think out-swings are preferred or required; I believe it has something to do with being in a hurricane zone.


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## nealtw (Jun 4, 2013)

o2284200 said:


> Thanks! The original & new are both right out-swings.  I'm still looking into it but I think out-swings are preferred or required; I believe it has something to do with being in a hurricane zone.


 
That's a reasonable point and with that in mind it is important to have the screws into the framing. You might consider an industrial steel door frame.
They are adjustable to different wall thickness and the hinges are welded to the frame.


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## o2284200 (Jun 7, 2013)

It appears that fiberglass doors are becoming very popular down here because steel rusts.


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## nealtw (Jun 7, 2013)

They really look good too.


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## WindowsonWashington (Jun 7, 2013)

+1


Some of the newer grained fiberglass units are great looking.


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## o2284200 (Jun 14, 2013)

Here's the new door I got at HD; it comes primed white.  Also, I confirmed with local building dept that all ingress/egress doors must be outswing per Florida Building Code for High Wind Hurricane Zones (HWHZ)


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## nealtw (Jun 14, 2013)

If you move the frame out to the stucco, you may not find anything for the sucurity screw for the hinges and stricker plate. As the door is inset it will never swing all the open anyway so I would install it flush with inside. The filler strip between the frame and the stucco may have to be custom cut, but this not really not a big deal.
http://zenseeker.net/Randomness/HomeSecurity.htm


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## o2284200 (Jun 17, 2013)

THANKS!
Nice link!

Any thoughts on trying to save the existing exterior molding, which sits  between the jamb & the stucco by separating the jamb from the  molding?   Thus not disturbing the stucco at all.


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## nealtw (Jun 17, 2013)

Find the nails and drive them right thru the molding


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## WindowsonWashington (Jun 17, 2013)

That or cut them from the backside.

Be sure to cut the stucco loose from the door frame as mentioned before.


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## nealtw (Jun 17, 2013)

WindowsonWashington said:


> That or cut them from the backside.
> 
> Be sure to cut the stucco loose from the door frame as mentioned before.


That's what he wants to avoid, the trim will be nailed to the framing and covered with stucco, if he uses a sawsall he will damage the trim he wants to keep.


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## WindowsonWashington (Jun 18, 2013)

That is why I recommended cutting the stucco from the frame first with an angle grinder and masonry blade.  

At that point, the door can vibrate all it wants and it won't disturb the stucco.


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## o2284200 (Jul 3, 2013)

Thanks!
How do I cut the stucco from the frame first with an angle grinder and masonry blade as you are recommending and not disturb the stucco?

And what size & type of angle grinder are you recommending?


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## WindowsonWashington (Jul 7, 2013)

Small angle grinder with a masonry blade. 

Cut a small kirf cut between the old frame and the stucco.

Plan on making a bunch of dust.


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## o2284200 (Jul 12, 2013)

Thanks!
I had another installer come by and he says "the way his company would install it, (move the frame out to the stucco) the problem is that the stucco guy put too much stucco on each side, which basically buried the entire brick molding."

However, if I had told him not to stucco around the door or he had put on less stucco like he did on the top, I'd be in better shape.  Now, he says I need to "chip out about an inch of stucco on each side.".  Another lesson learned...Hopefully not too costly a one.  

Anyone have any thoughts?


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## nealtw (Jul 12, 2013)

If you move the frame out to the stucco you will not have anything to screw the Security screws into
You can leave the brick mold there.  Just remove all the nails holding the frame in place, don't do anything with the brick mold and with the door still in place and the frame loose, give the door a few wacks with a heavy hammer from the outside and the frame will pull away from the brick mold.  The brick mold is never glued to the frame and the two ussually seperate reasonably easy.


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## o2284200 (Aug 28, 2013)

Thanks!
I apologize for the delayed reply.   I guess I won't know until I remove the old door but I see concrete block when I look inside the door latch strike plate.  

Someone please talk to me about measurements and they mean to me.   A couple of installers have said that I have an "odd sized" or "special order" door @ 36"x80"...One went as far as to recommend a 34"x80" and that I should return the one I bought.

OLD FRAME 38 1/4" x 81 3/4"
OLD DOOR 36 1/4" x 80 1/4"

NEW FRAME 37 1/4" x 80 3/4"
(1" narrower & 1" shorter than old frame)
(1 1/4" narrower & 1 3/4" shorter than rough opening)

NEW DOOR  35 3/4" x 79 1/4"
(0.5" narrower & 1" shorter than old door)

"Rough Opening" posted on label of new door 38 1/2" x 82 1/2"


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## nealtw (Aug 28, 2013)

Label is wrong, rough opening is door plus 2" wide and door height plus 2.5 except for out swing, then it is height pluse 1 3/4".
Your contractors may have been trying to solve problems with trim outside. But short of that they are smoking something funny. As long as it is smaller than the hole it fits.


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## o2284200 (Aug 29, 2013)

Thanks!
And why does it say the door is 36" x 80" when it's actually 35 3/4" x 79 1/4"?
I think they want to sell me a door, too. 
FWIW, what do I do, if I have to scrap the idea of saving the existing brick mold?


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## nealtw (Aug 29, 2013)

Ya saving the old brick mould wood require the same size door jam. That would explain why the sales people were talking about a different door.
The only thing that comes to mind is extending the door jam forward and add the trim where the stucco turns. The stucco in the ressess may have to be removed.
I went looking for examples and only came up with this one. You can see the extension on the frame is where the red paint starts


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## o2284200 (Sep 2, 2013)

nealtw said:


> ...The stucco in the ressess may have to be removed...



Thanks!
But, not quite sure what you mean here.?


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## nealtw (Sep 2, 2013)

You won't like but. You have a recess to the door that is stucco about 6". You could remove that stucco for the six inches and install the door where the old one is and add wood to extend the jam all the way out and put the brick mold out against the stucco.


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## o2284200 (Sep 4, 2013)

Thanks!

Yes, I was wondering whether I needed to cut straight in from the front and just take a small "slice" out of each side to make the opening wider...

OR

Cut in the sides of the recess i.e. "carve out" the piece of brick mold from  and leave a corner of the front part of the recessed stucco for the new door to butt up against.

FWIW, It appears the solid door I bought is typically used for garage entry doors so, I may just use this door on the garage and get a nicer door with full view impact glass for the front entry.  Ideally, what measurements would you look for? 

Also, any particular grinder & blades you like for this job?


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## nealtw (Sep 4, 2013)

Best bet is to find a door shop, buy a wood door and have them cut to fit and install hardware and leave the old frame in place. We have done that where you just drop off the old door in the morning and pick up new door in the afternoon. We had one way out of square and just told them what we had and they cut the door to fit.

A small angle grinder with an abrasive masonary blade will cut stucco and make dust.


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