Replacement Front Door

[DGS49]

There are some things that invite retailers to **** your brains out. Weddings, funerals, matresses, jewelry, luxury car parts...you know the drill.

For some reason, the builder who built my house specified a steel door, and now, 30 years later, it's rusting and looks like hell. I want a new door that looks like wood, has glass in it, and is maintenance-free. These are not extreme specifications.

When talking to the companies who furnish replacement doors, I get basically the same story. "Well, the cost will be around $5,000, or more, depending on the particulars that you pick." After going through The Process with four different Reps, I'm getting quotes from $11-15,000.

Are you ******* kidding me? We are talking about a DOOR, for Christ sake! I could furnish a pretty nice woodworking shop for $15,000. A nice MOTORCYCLE.

I'm thinking about just telling one of them and saying my You know what I want; you have $8,000 to work with."

Fortunately, I'm retired, and this won't break me one way or another, but it's still aggravating.

 

[Missourian]

I think I'd make my own door.

Video to follow.

Found this in my research to build a workshop.

 

[MikeK]

You said you want a door that "looks like wood," which means a metal door. Unless you can find an in-stock metal door with glass that will fit your measurements you're talking about a custom-made metal door -- for which the $10k price range is still rather scary.

Why don't you want a wood door?

 

[fncceo]

Don't you wish you'd taken shop in school?

 

[DGS49]

OK, the state of residential door art is, if you want a "wood" front door, the makers have STAINED FIBERGLASS doors that look quite a bit like wood. In fact, the top of the line door at Lowe's looks like the best wooden door you ever saw. How it will look after 5 years of U - V exposure...well, that's yet to be seen.

My current best price is that door at Lowe's. With a 10% veterans' discount, it's a few bucks over eight grand.

Predictably, my wife is keen to buy the $12,000 door because the salesman was cute.

 

[Marion Morrison]

There are some things that invite retailers to **** your brains out. Weddings, funerals, matresses, jewelry, luxury car parts...you know the drill.

For some reason, the builder who built my house specified a steel door, and now, 30 years later, it's rusting and looks like hell. I want a new door that looks like wood, has glass in it, and is maintenance-free. These are not extreme specifications.

When talking to the companies who furnish replacement doors, I get basically the same story. "Well, the cost will be around $5,000, or more, depending on the particulars that you pick." After going through The Process with four different Reps, I'm getting quotes from $11-15,000.

Are you ******* kidding me? We are talking about a DOOR, for Christ sake! I could furnish a pretty nice woodworking shop for $15,000. A nice MOTORCYCLE.

I'm thinking about just telling one of them and saying my You know what I want; you have $8,000 to work with."

Fortunately, I'm retired, and this won't break me one way or another, but it's still aggravating.

Steel plate and hinges, done. I had a nice solid wood door, you should not have to pay more than $850.

#1 Do not go to Home Depot or Lowe's. Find decent carpenters in your area.

 

[MikeK]

There are some things that invite retailers to **** your brains out. Weddings, funerals, matresses, jewelry, luxury car parts...you know the drill.

For some reason, the builder who built my house specified a steel door, and now, 30 years later, it's rusting and looks like hell. I want a new door that looks like wood, has glass in it, and is maintenance-free. These are not extreme specifications.

When talking to the companies who furnish replacement doors, I get basically the same story. "Well, the cost will be around $5,000, or more, depending on the particulars that you pick." After going through The Process with four different Reps, I'm getting quotes from $11-15,000.

Are you ******* kidding me? We are talking about a DOOR, for Christ sake! I could furnish a pretty nice woodworking shop for $15,000. A nice MOTORCYCLE.

I'm thinking about just telling one of them and saying my You know what I want; you have $8,000 to work with."

Fortunately, I'm retired, and this won't break me one way or another, but it's still aggravating.

Steel plate and hinges, done. I had a nice solid wood door, you should not have to pay more than $850.

#1 Do not go to Home Depot or Lowe's. Find decent carpenters in your area.

I can't believe the price of an ordinary door is more than $1,500. The cost of the wood alone can't be more than $500 -- which is a lot. And who is doing the cutting and assembly? A team of neurosurgeons?

There is something very wrong with the prices being posted here. $12,500? $8,500? It can't be. I don't care if it's wood or metal, those prices are simply not realistic.

 

[MikeK]

OK, the state of residential door art is, if you want a "wood" front door, the makers have STAINED FIBERGLASS doors that look quite a bit like wood. In fact, the top of the line door at Lowe's looks like the best wooden door you ever saw. How it will look after 5 years of U - V exposure...well, that's yet to be seen.

My current best price is that door at Lowe's. With a 10% veterans' discount, it's a few bucks over eight grand.

Predictably, my wife is keen to buy the $12,000 door because the salesman was cute.

How do they justify those prices?

 

[DGS49]

They justify the prices by the fact that essentially all of them charge about the same. As I said abov, this is something where the sellers in the marketplace perceive that they can **** the public royally. Your front door is one of the main factors in the appearance of your home. Do you want to be cheap about it?

I do, but most women don't.

 

[MikeK]

They justify the prices by the fact that essentially all of them charge about the same. As I said abov, this is something where the sellers in the marketplace perceive that they can **** the public royally. Your front door is one of the main factors in the appearance of your home. Do you want to be cheap about it?

I do, but most women don't.

Price uniformity is susceptible to competitive price reduction, either by an existing competitor or an aggressive newcomer. The critical factor is the actual cost of producing a given item.

 

[Crixus]

There are some things that invite retailers to **** your brains out. Weddings, funerals, matresses, jewelry, luxury car parts...you know the drill.

For some reason, the builder who built my house specified a steel door, and now, 30 years later, it's rusting and looks like hell. I want a new door that looks like wood, has glass in it, and is maintenance-free. These are not extreme specifications.

When talking to the companies who furnish replacement doors, I get basically the same story. "Well, the cost will be around $5,000, or more, depending on the particulars that you pick." After going through The Process with four different Reps, I'm getting quotes from $11-15,000.

Are you ******* kidding me? We are talking about a DOOR, for Christ sake! I could furnish a pretty nice woodworking shop for $15,000. A nice MOTORCYCLE.

I'm thinking about just telling one of them and saying my You know what I want; you have $8,000 to work with."

Fortunately, I'm retired, and this won't break me one way or another, but it's still aggravating.

It’s expencive, aside from building your own, you should be able to get the old you want in steel or fiberglass (tougher then steel by far) for under a thousand bucks.