I built a secluded home in the country, so I was concerned about security and used commercial doors with metal frames cemented into cement block walls for the exterior. One day, I arrived home and opened the screen door to find a huge footprint on one of the doors. I'm sure somebody took a trip to the hospital after failing to break in.
For interior doors I want solid wood _NOT_ MDF. For exterior doors I want insulated steel and steel frame for security and energy efficiency. I DO like that Endura locking mechanism.
This is one of the reasons I actually like my old home. They used extremely dense wood throughout the house, the doors are actual wood that are dovetailed/glued together. The floor joists are so dense and strong that I could barely even hammer nails into it for holding wiring.
I love this affinity towards higher end products & his attention to detail. I've gotten so many ideas from him. Don't see many builders like him any more. Now, it time to work on my home upgrade list...
I dunno if he mentioned it, but for actual residences, solid interior doors GREATLY reduce sound/noise transfer; That’s another reason to pay more if one’s budget allows for it. Secondly, there’s plenty of room on solid doors for ripping and planing, where you really have to be careful with hollow cores.
@Weekend Warrior only if you have an inferior hvac setup like central air returns. if you have return vents and or you have different means of that, you dont need to have a huge wide open part under the door. you just use a sweep or seal type thing
Only if covers my house too. But I’m saying that if you have the minority of homes you would not need a opening and thus there would be no sound leak concern there
I replaced all my hollow core with solid core last year. Wife wasn't convinced it would be a big difference. She praises the new doors and the sound transfer reduction. It obviously doesn't eliminate sound transfer but it made a big difference.
I have been in the trades for over 40 years (yes,I’m old) in my career I have stick built over 10,000 doors. If it is hung properly and maintained with a good paint seal. Any door is a good door if it is installed and maintained. Just one carpenters opinion.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video Matt. For 30 years I have enjoyed high quality, Solid Wood doors throughout our log home. In fact, I have come to take them for granted. This comparison video has reminded me just what terrific doors they are. Now that I am finally looking at down-sizing, I know for a fact that Additions, Repairs and Upgrades will almost certainly be a part of my future as I transition. Your video has enlightened me to the many fine options I will have to choose from. I am looking forward to the possibilities. Thanks again for the valuable content ! From "The Farm" in Michigan. Keith
I installed wood doors (interior) for the first time and the difference was so remarkable that surprised me even though I was expecting improvement. The “feel” of the door in general and specially when operating the door; oooohhhhh! Worth every penny 👌🏻
Brent exposes the turn and burn conglomerate national builders with initials in their names. Their unofficial motto is profits over well built homes. We just bought a home in the northeast built in 1860, that’s a freaking well built home. Love you and Brent Hull’s vids, wish I could afford your gentlemen’s expertise fixing all the mess ups of the former owners. Leaves me drooling and ogling at many projects we see here on YT. Well done guys.
I needed an exterior door that could handle a very large dog flap. The only way I could get that and have it hold up, was to use solid core. Instead of cutting a large hole in an expensive door, I just made a plywood sandwich with different thicknesses to give me the thickness I needed. Glued them all together, cut my hole to install the flap, and voila: A nice solid door that has held up for about 15 years so far.
Wood entry doors with clear finishes (stain and varnish) remain a problem if the wood is exposed to sunlight. There is no finish that is truly UV stable. A porch sheltered mahogany entry door is going to require sanding and revarnishing every 3 to 5 years regardless of how well sheltered the door is.
Brent is a very knowledgeable guy and his dedication to preserving craft is admirable, but the land he lives in has no correlation to reality for 99.9% of folks buying houses. There’s a long list of things that we as builders need to do better before we get to interior doors, and having outrage about hollow core interior doors seems a little silly when we’re still sheathing houses with cardboard and bubblegum in certain parts of the country.
He wouldn't be doing videos if he did that. He does videos for all kinds of price points and this one is entry level to mid tier. Which happens to be 80 percent of houses in the U.S.
but, like, ball bearing hinges? if I need a door hinge I get the store brand at the hardware store and if they squeak they get a drop of oil. never done me no harm.
If it won't swing shut and latch with a casual push, it's too lightweight. The cheapo doors commonly used today simply are not fit for purpose. I have a 50 year old house with hollow core doors that weigh more than double modern versions from a big box store. Like many other manufacturered items, they've gone too far to reduce costs. A starter home has less than 15 interior doors so an incremental cost of a few thousand dollars should be a no-brainer.
Live in Flagler Beach, FL now.. Moved (retired) from Acworth (north) Georgia.. Our new home is a 1900 sq ft 3/bdrm 3/ba. every door is a 3.0 x 8ft.. 5 years now and fit finish and operation is flawless. My comment is you didn't cover 8 ft tall doors which have become very popular here.. Would like to hear the Pro opinions on 8 footers as they seem to be the new standard here in Florida... PS we are looking to move to higher ground after 4 huricanes which have brought yard flooding and this latest got our pool.. Thanks, Rob...
@@buildshow Matt, you did a vid on a product for weather-proofing the overhead door- "ThermoTraxs" division of Endura Products. Did you forget or is there more available on the market?
Yes to this. I replaced a gas furnace with a heat pump but it is inside my garage and outside of the thermal envelope of my house. This would be super helpful.
Endura's product page for Panolock says they don't do retail or direct-to-consumer sales. What would you suggest for an owner-builder that wants to do their own millwork for the door?
In a sort of building Inception moment, I think I was at this BFS looking at windows when you were filming this because of your Mar Vista BFS video about windows.
We use a lot of hollow core handicap doors. I really like the bigger openings. Makes it so much easier to move things. When it comes to handicap doors the lighter the better. When we build a handicap house it sells fast and over value. Not a whole lot of handicap houses on market. And more people looking to live in house as long as possible.
What can I do to view the rest of Brent Hull’s rant (5:18 onward)? That’s the Christmas present I wish I got all year long. He’s a man after my own heart.
Nice! -- QUESTION -- Hey Matt, I hate to do this to you, but I think it is about time to start planning for a new "Real House Build" series.. Maybe you can do it in the north east or Canada, a cold climate, that most of us live in, to show how it is done from beginning to end. Ask all those suppliers to get on board and lets start this all again please! You may be surprised what a success this will become.
They make threshold strips that do this , that are meant to just provide that little raise to create a sealed system when closed. My house uses a low but standard sill for exterior since there is a little bit of a lift to the flooring of my basement. just because of the stuff on top of the concrete, otherwise its the same level as garage.,
On the security aspect of the garage to house door (and the front door too): Wouldn't a door that swings out be more secure? Certainly much harder to ram through.
Anyone that breaks in can get into a house in a few seconds no matter what you do. Yes outswing are more secure but cost quite a bit more for the amount they give. Especially since there is a piece of glass a few feet away that you can go through. Check data on break in location and its basement, through window wells usually, and the garage that account for most break in location. Once they're out of site in either location it's seconds. FYI if you want to secure glass buy commercial security tint, goes on the inside and then it's epoxied to the frame. Much better than laminated safety glass since no one will know what they're dealing with and have to move on to the next house.
@JessBerndt - typically, the hinges are exposed on the side of the swing. Additionally, weatherstripping would be a nightmare on an outward-swinging exterior door. With the proper deadbolts, the direction of the swing is a non-issue.
I'm going to be the contrarian but I like hollow core six panel doors. They look okay, fairly nice... But what I really really like is that they are lightweight. Easier and faster installation, cheaper, and I personally I like them being lighter, and I don't need them to be sound proof.. However, in some cases, for exterior doors or sound proofing doors as an example, something other than hollow core is necessary. But for interior doors? They're just fine.
Totally agree. The purpose of most doors in a house are essentially curtains. They need to shield view and that's it. I mean, think of an interior wall...2x4 with thin drywall on both sides. Sounds just like a hollow core door to me. You want to slightly upgrade on a laundry room, probably bathroom, kitchen pantry and walk in closet. Anything you might want a hook or mirror or spice rack or deaden sound. Of course, exterior is a totally different consideration. Essentially, you want something nice in front and zero maintenance around the side and back. Can't believe we can't more practical advice. Think purpose.
I grew up it in what would be considered a "McMasion" home. It had all 6-panel hollow core doors. What I would say matters more is the air sealing around said door to eliminate sound travel. I used weather strips on the other rim edges of the door and reduced the noise from downstairs by about 85% (it was an open high ceiling home. If budget and retrofit is your thing, I recommend trying this before spending $15,000 on solid core doors.
Great video, I was thinking about MasterCraft before but came to realize how much junk is out there.. Thanks Matt for helping out the folks who are not the Bob Vila type.
Mastercraft exterior doors are literal PSYOPs I cant emphasize how much of a joke these things are. We have a exterior door thats only warped itself more than 3 times in such I had to bend the door on bottom, or top , or from the sides. Ive had to adjust hinges. Ive had to replace screws and use epoxy. The metal clad wood framed, foam filled door with a window had my one hinge pull out from the door and the wood was GREEN . like it was a injury on a small tree. the threshold is also low quality, and the top of the door bowed down but that MAY have been installation so just a note on that... The weathr stripping it came with was subpar and poor color choice(IMO but not big deal) I went and got some magnetic strips Door bottom seal wore out bad but my step dad had used expanding foam under the threshold and after digging that Out I noticed the threshold actually jacked up in the center, so it gets a pass for htat specifically Low quality materials, wood thats unsuitable for a DOOR.
MasterCraft exterior is garbage. However, I was pleasantly surprised by their solid core interior doors. It was as good if not better than the 'nice' doors I ordered from a dedicated window and door store.
We should note ; anyone with any experience in fit-outs knows that low cost internal (or that dodgy replacement laundry exit) doors are filled with a cardboard spacing web.... It has been that way for 50 years... (probably more)... A decent door isn't terribly hard to make, but the profit margins slim down - for "value" products. Luxury, custom fitting manufacturers on the other hand have "discerning clients" willing to pay a surcharge for their custom router cutters. (or other custom design element, which to the millwright makes darn-near as no difference in cost or setup time)
@@stevecrawford6958 Definitely better than paying 500-1500 like risinger is talking about... Only door I'd pay money like that for is an exterior door, never an interior.
Fiberglass doors had a problem with warping, especially when using a full-glass storm door with full sun exposure. Due to heat build up between the two. These were $500-$600 big box store doors. Cant go wrong with steel, even for rentals. Theyll certainly get dented, but I keep a can of Bondo on hand.
That answers my question. I was going to ask…fiberglass door or metal door with a full glass storm door and no overhang and facing south. Now I have my answer. 😊
Had a similar issue on our previous house. Front door faced due west with a full glass storm door. Only difference was ours was a steel insulated door with a window up high. The paint was cooked, no big deal. The PLASTIC mullions around the window warped and fell out. THAT was a problem since replacements weren't available.
Yeah, some of the fiberglass door manufacturers won't warranty a fiberglass door with a glass storm. Some, like ThermaTru, will only warranty a certain storm manufacturer with their doors.
ooh, those door stud things look handy. I bought some steel clad fire doors at an auction for $60 ea. They are so heavy, but I really like having the one between the house and the garage. I also extended a fire wall to the peak of the roof.
"Builders Quality" has always attempted to convey to the buying public some higher level of quality or durability. For appliances and most other stuff, it means the cheapest models. I agree that MDF is chancy as any water or over trorquing a screw and you are in trouble. I suspect they sell them on basis of them being "solid core" which the buyer takes as as wood or just as good. I had solid interior wood doors in a house. Even "sealed" they all eventually warped. And nobody ever visited and said : 'wow, those doors are really solid!'
Dig on cheap cardboard doors but my parents "starter" home with the cheapest of doors in 1981 that they raised six kids, four dogs, had the first Nintendo in the neighborhood and my sister and her husband and their four kids moved in for 4 years ( parents were over seas) still are looking like cheap doors but are going strong 41 years later with no need to replace, 218 human years in that house and counting.
Matt loves to rag on cheap stuff. He neglects to mention the obvious that there’s a nice markup for the builder if they can sucker the owner into upgrading
@@randomrazr depends on if the owner controls humidity. Solid wood interior otherwise just buy a cheap door. Other than entry door it’s not something that adds value to a home.
Any ballpark on cost to add the panolock system to your door? Can't find an estimate anywhere, it's annoying when manufacturers are that hush-hush about pricing. I know it can vary, but if it's all top secret, it means they're gouging somebody somewhere. Even on your old video specifically about the cost of endura hardware, they didn't let you mention a price for the panolock that features in probably a third of the video.
Over here watching these videos, looking at products that cost thousands of dollars, while I'm remodeling a house on a lunch money budget 😂 On that note though, I've been super surprised how tight of a budget I've been able to maintain while using mid to high end products by religiously checking my local supply stores' sections for special orders that weren't picked up, clearance items, etc. I've found some insane deals - picked up a ~$1.2k glass shower door for $50 a few days ago, Menards had a half pallet of LSL studs someone ordered and never picked up for $4.50/stud, BFS had some somewhat uncommon sized triple glazed windows that were a manufacturer's error that I picked up for $275/window that I was able to buy because I've got a really good relationship with the GM at the local BFS, and I was able to make work because I was residing the house anyways, etc!
Didn't hear one major reason for better quality doors fire rating a solid door will provide so time to escape from fire or vice Vesa help contain fire till fire can be put out
Hey Matt. I greatly appreciate your videos! I’m currently in the process of building a home. Trying to decide on interior doors. I got a quote for TruStile MDF 8’ doors for $580 each. These will be painted white. This would be the top end of my budget for doors. Curious if you recommend anything more affordable? Thanks!
After Hanging and fixing over a Thousand Doors ~ Im Cool with the ( light ~ Fake ones ) they do what you need them to Do... and they don’t weigh 300bls ...
34% of US burglars in 2021 entered through a homes front door. 22% utilized the rear door. Not the place to cheap out or utilize glass imho unless its laminated glass. Door Armour, a US company has pretty good retrofit kits for those looking to upgrade existing door security. I don't own a exterior door that doesn't have one of their kits on it because no doors on the market within my budget met my needs.
hes gotta get past my claymore roomba and my punji stick trap outside and Legos scattered. I think we should be more worried for *him* afterall, welcome to the jungle comes on when he encounters the first obstacle.
I used the Defender Security U 10893 on 3 of my doors now, and it's awesome. It actually completely wraps around the wood of the jamb, making it impossible for the jamb to just crack and splinter out when kicked. The sad thing is that i cant find this on on their site anymore, they only have a one sided cheap "Jamb shield" now. You can still find the good one on amazon tho.
@@fredrelay1052 That'll show those burglars you're no pushover. They'll have to walk 5-10 feet and break a window to get in instead. (In 2021, 23% of US burglars entered through a window.)
Who makes the Door Sills with articulating weather stripping. That look like a real nice system. I didn't think I saw a link for that. Sorry if I missed it. Warm Regards,
I sell doors and other building materials for a living: -I describe hollow core molded doors as a punchlist item. Code says you must have a door, therefore here's the cheapest thing that satisfies code. -Solid core molded are excellent for noise insulation (1-3/4" thick are better than 1-3/8" thick in that regard). They're a bit more durable but that's about it. They're no prettier. They can't really be repaired. -Primed stile & rail doors (wood stave core on the stiles & rails, MDF veneer over the stiles & rails, and with MDF panels) generally cost a little bit less than an equivalent solid core molded door, look far better, and are far more repairable. The panels can move so you should expect to repaint the perimeter of the sticking. They definitely look part of a painted all-wood door. -Woodgrain stile & rail doors (again with a wood stave core, but now a 1/16" wood veneer and usually with a solid wood panel) cost a fair bit more than the primed version and look basically identical once you've primed and painted them. The veneer reduces the durability, but that's generally fine as long as you don't sand the veneer to strip it. Use chemical strippers and a little light sanding afterwards. -Or we can get away from in-stock doors entirely and get a quote for solid wood doors with traditional joinery instead. The prices will multiply but solid wood can be sanded and repaired indefinitely. Those are the interior doors that should last for centuries, especially with good locks.
To add to this... my market is New England. I don't disagree on interior door hinges, but I'd personally upgrade to a higher quality pin hinge before going to a ball-bearing hinge. Basic hinges (unbranded/OEM and Penrod) are typically steel with loose tolerances (so your barrel is usually a little uneven). One of my first upgrades is to an unbranded square corner pin hinge (big aesthetic improvement). Next up is to Emtek or Baldwin brass hinges (which are far more durable and don't form the same dark spots on the jamb/door). I don't usually do ball-bearing hinges on 1-3/8" thick doors, but I do make those my standard spec on all 1-3/4"+ doors when not other specified. Those Therma-Tru exterior doors are excellent. They (and Jeld-Wen) make flush-glazed (direct-glazed in Jeld-Wen parlance) in full-lite, 3/4-lite (with 1 raised panel below), 1/2-lite (with 2 raised panels below), & craftsman-lite (with 2 flat panels below). Always make sure you're getting composite-edge doors in at least a FrameSaver (or full-composite) jamb. On the first Simpson corner (18:04), that's a Nantucket door corner. They've got a 10-year no-overhang warranty on all Nantucket doors. It's 2 pieces of solid wood laminated together, so all the properties of a full solid wood door with less chance of cracking/splitting through it. You are best off with an overhang or at least a storm door over it, but you can install them without an overhang so long as you finish them first (and keep up with the finish, mainly cleaning and adding clear-coat every 1 to 3 years). Masonite also makes a Torrefied door that offers up to a 20 year no-overhang warranty. The wood's color tends to be darker than Simpson's in my experience. As for the overhang, on a veneer door, you require a 50% overhang. Ask the salesperson to clarify what that spec is as I've had to repeatedly deny warranties when the overhang was inadequate. The general requirement is that, starting from the bottom of the door to the leading edge of the overhang, you need at least 50% of that height to be the overhang's distance from the door (in front as well as left & right). I've had guys build a 4/0 x 4/0 roof that's 8/0 above the bottom of a door-- and that's entirely inadequate. The overhang should be 11/0 W x 4/0 if it's centered 8/0 above the threshold of a 3/0 door. That'd give a 4/0 overhang to the left, front, and right of that door. Needless to say, you don't see many overhangs of that size for single doors, so you're best off avoiding a wood veneer door (at least from Simpson, Rogue Valley, and Lemieux/Masonite). Prepare to spend the extra for a wood door with a no-overhang warranty.
@@aboutwhat1930 Excellent write-up. My home/market is Southeast and our home isn't a million+ dollar home so our fit and finishes don't have to be top-tier, but we appreciate value and longevity out of products. That said for the interior, we currently have builder grade 6-panel hollow-core doors (circa 2005) and I'm thinking of upgrading to Baldwin hinges, maybe Baldwin or a mid-upper tier set of knobs, and Solid core molded or Primed stile & rail doors. We don't have kids or dogs so minimal risk of long-term damage and the like. What door brand(s) would you recommend that fit this tier? Appreciate your valued insight.
@@progression_decibel Primed stile & rail doors will certainly fit the bill for something nice. Search for Reeb -> Resources -> Catalogs -> pick the blue Interior Doors catalog (for primed stile & rail). Most all of that book is their own RSP (unbranded) stuff. Quality is comparable to Simpson and others while costing half or a third as much. Most of my vendors only stock the stave core stuff, with 3 prehungs usually somewhere around $1000. The indie dealers can order assembled prehung doors to your spec. I'd recommend double rabbet (solid, $$), single rabbet (very solid, $$$), or if you're having them install casings on both sides I'd strongly consider split jambs (kinda flimsy, $, but both sides can have a lot of commodity casings precut & already stapled). They can assemble the doors with basic hinges (I like the RSP square pin hinges $ and the finish is an "A-" match IMO, but you can upgrade to Baldwin's sheet steel $$ or their most durable brass $$$ hinges for an A or A+ match to other Baldwin). As for knobs/levers, I'd recommend you avoid Baldwin Prestige (it's just overpriced Kwikset) and instead look at Baldwin Reserve or Estate.
Floor guy forever, when they came out with laminate floor I really hated it even though installer pay was pretty good back then, and I said the same thing, it's a pretty picture of a wood floor, don't get it wet! Installed 10k feet of t&g glued together with clamps and tape and lots of cursing. Particle board replacement was big back then as well, you'd think people would learn.
Can we also talk about the elephant in the room: window pricing almost 30% up??? I mean, I just ordered a few Pella's and they were $600 each in Oct. Now, $900 each, same vendor, same features. Client looked at me, sadly, and was like, shoulda coulda woulda back in Oct. And, 4 month lead time (sure, it will be shorter but best to cover that expectation too).
Agree; fiberglass for exterior doors, for weather resistance and energy efficiency; but you have to close them to make it work... :poke: A couple decades ago, and a couple careers ago, I worked for Jeld-Wen. I replaced all my interior doors with 1-3/4 solid core flush birch doors. Had to fix one door this past summer because the air handler plugged up and soaked the carpet - which soaked the MDF core of the door. I made my own solid birch jambs - and used polished brass roller bearing hinges. They really upped the feel of our "cheap" track home. I did the same for our front door but Phoenix monsoons killed it so a few years back it was replaced with a fiberglass unit. Which I had known about those endura jambs. Pretty trick.
I'm not a builder, other than my own house or my own remodels. I don't mind too much the cheapo doors except that they are so light that they are more like a membrane on a snare drum compared to a piece of wood. If I were a builder I would be agreeing with Matt about door quality. However far more important in my mind than doors, I object far far far more to using MDF anywhere in the house since I have seen that junk swollen and chafed and otherwise damaged by any moisture. While I can tolerate a cheapo door, I have no room for MDF. The cheapo doors have actually served us well and look nice. But as I kid I do recall helping my dad with "real" doors made of real wood that can be cut, planed, shaved, trimmed. Those doors were fantastic, but I think they need really straight grain wood which is much more expensive these days.
Hi, I would love to know your opinion on solid teakwood flush doors with High Pressure Laminate and sealed with matching edgebands that prevents any water decay. I think you would approve of it considering that it has very high durability and is very strong as well. All within the price range of budget doors. Do respond if you think it's something you would recommend for your homes. Cheers!!👍
I appreciate Brent's poetic take, but building as cheaply as possible should be celebrated as an option. Housing costs have risen dramatically in many areas and we need more options for new homeowners. Matt's video is great in showing the options and price ranges. It's good for interested buyers to understand what they're getting, but in general more lower cost options is great for buyers.
I built a secluded home in the country, so I was concerned about security and used commercial doors with metal frames cemented into cement block walls for the exterior. One day, I arrived home and opened the screen door to find a huge footprint on one of the doors. I'm sure somebody took a trip to the hospital after failing to break in.
For interior doors I want solid wood _NOT_ MDF. For exterior doors I want insulated steel and steel frame for security and energy efficiency. I DO like that Endura locking mechanism.
This is one of the reasons I actually like my old home.
They used extremely dense wood throughout the house, the doors are actual wood that are dovetailed/glued together. The floor joists are so dense and strong that I could barely even hammer nails into it for holding wiring.
I love this affinity towards higher end products & his attention to detail. I've gotten so many ideas from him. Don't see many builders like him any more. Now, it time to work on my home upgrade list...
I dunno if he mentioned it, but for actual residences, solid interior doors GREATLY reduce sound/noise transfer; That’s another reason to pay more if one’s budget allows for it. Secondly, there’s plenty of room on solid doors for ripping and planing, where you really have to be careful with hollow cores.
Yeah, we tried to save a buck on our house, so we used solid doors for bedrooms and bathrooms, and hollow for closets.
@Weekend Warrior only if you have an inferior hvac setup like central air returns. if you have return vents and or you have different means of that, you dont need to have a huge wide open part under the door.
you just use a sweep or seal type thing
Only if covers my house too. But I’m saying that if you have the minority of homes you would not need a opening and thus there would be no sound leak concern there
@Weekend Warrior but I do get what you mean about the sound thing. Since most homes have the central return.
I replaced all my hollow core with solid core last year. Wife wasn't convinced it would be a big difference. She praises the new doors and the sound transfer reduction. It obviously doesn't eliminate sound transfer but it made a big difference.
Those 60 dollar doors, prepandemic were 25 dollars. At 25 they made sense cuz u could replace later
I have been in the trades for over 40 years (yes,I’m old) in my career I have stick built over 10,000 doors. If it is hung properly and maintained with a good paint seal. Any door is a good door if it is installed and maintained. Just one carpenters opinion.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video Matt. For 30 years I have enjoyed high quality, Solid Wood doors throughout our log home. In fact, I have come to take them for granted. This comparison video has reminded me just what terrific doors they are. Now that I am finally looking at down-sizing, I know for a fact that Additions, Repairs and Upgrades will almost certainly be a part of my future as I transition. Your video has enlightened me to the many fine options I will have to choose from. I am looking forward to the possibilities. Thanks again for the valuable content ! From "The Farm" in Michigan. Keith
I installed wood doors (interior) for the first time and the difference was so remarkable that surprised me even though I was expecting improvement. The “feel” of the door in general and specially when operating the door; oooohhhhh! Worth every penny 👌🏻
Brent exposes the turn and burn conglomerate national builders with initials in their names. Their unofficial motto is profits over well built homes. We just bought a home in the northeast built in 1860, that’s a freaking well built home. Love you and Brent Hull’s vids, wish I could afford your gentlemen’s expertise fixing all the mess ups of the former owners. Leaves me drooling and ogling at many projects we see here on YT. Well done guys.
Loved the commentary from the guy who took apart the doors. So true !
I needed an exterior door that could handle a very large dog flap. The only way I could get that and have it hold up, was to use solid core. Instead of cutting a large hole in an expensive door, I just made a plywood sandwich with different thicknesses to give me the thickness I needed. Glued them all together, cut my hole to install the flap, and voila: A nice solid door that has held up for about 15 years so far.
Great rundown on what’s out there. This vid. helped us make better decisions. Thanks Matt!
Being able to walk though a door like the coolaid man has its benefits! Doors are definitely some of the most overlooked items In a house for sure.
Wood entry doors with clear finishes (stain and varnish) remain a problem if the wood is exposed to sunlight. There is no finish that is truly UV stable. A porch sheltered mahogany entry door is going to require sanding and revarnishing every 3 to 5 years regardless of how well sheltered the door is.
That is why I'm not getting a wood door!
Brent is a very knowledgeable guy and his dedication to preserving craft is admirable, but the land he lives in has no correlation to reality for 99.9% of folks buying houses. There’s a long list of things that we as builders need to do better before we get to interior doors, and having outrage about hollow core interior doors seems a little silly when we’re still sheathing houses with cardboard and bubblegum in certain parts of the country.
He wouldn't be doing videos if he did that. He does videos for all kinds of price points and this one is entry level to mid tier. Which happens to be 80 percent of houses in the U.S.
I agree. Why would I pay more for a more solid interior door where strength doesn’t matter that much? Lots of better places to put my money
I buy solid because the price isn’t much different and they sound and feel nicer
but, like, ball bearing hinges? if I need a door hinge I get the store brand at the hardware store and if they squeak they get a drop of oil. never done me no harm.
If it won't swing shut and latch with a casual push, it's too lightweight. The cheapo doors commonly used today simply are not fit for purpose.
I have a 50 year old house with hollow core doors that weigh more than double modern versions from a big box store. Like many other manufacturered items, they've gone too far to reduce costs.
A starter home has less than 15 interior doors so an incremental cost of a few thousand dollars should be a no-brainer.
Live in Flagler Beach, FL now.. Moved (retired) from Acworth (north) Georgia.. Our new home is a 1900 sq ft 3/bdrm 3/ba. every door is a 3.0 x 8ft.. 5 years now and fit finish and operation is flawless. My comment is you didn't cover 8 ft tall doors which have become very popular here.. Would like to hear the Pro opinions on 8 footers as they seem to be the new standard here in Florida... PS we are looking to move to higher ground after 4 huricanes which have brought yard flooding and this latest got our pool.. Thanks, Rob...
went with 1 3/4" solid doors for my interior doors, love them.
Loving these videos. Especially as a new outside sales rep for Builders FirstSource. Learning so much
Can you do a video on how to get an air and weather tight garage door?
Good idea. Yes I’ll add the to my list
@@buildshow Matt, you did a vid on a product for weather-proofing the overhead door- "ThermoTraxs" division of Endura Products. Did you forget or is there more available on the market?
Yes to this. I replaced a gas furnace with a heat pump but it is inside my garage and outside of the thermal envelope of my house. This would be super helpful.
35 years ago, I made my own rail & stile doors for my house. It’s a project unto itself, I think it took me 6 weeks to build the 11 doors.
Endura's product page for Panolock says they don't do retail or direct-to-consumer sales. What would you suggest for an owner-builder that wants to do their own millwork for the door?
That Door Stud install product is awesome. Makes it so even a homeowner looks like a professional
Needed the awning tip! Excellent!
In a sort of building Inception moment, I think I was at this BFS looking at windows when you were filming this because of your Mar Vista BFS video about windows.
We use a lot of hollow core handicap doors. I really like the bigger openings. Makes it so much easier to move things. When it comes to handicap doors the lighter the better. When we build a handicap house it sells fast and over value. Not a whole lot of handicap houses on market. And more people looking to live in house as long as possible.
1:16 what's the link to this video? cannot find it, seems very interesting!
What can I do to view the rest of Brent Hull’s rant (5:18 onward)? That’s the Christmas present I wish I got all year long.
He’s a man after my own heart.
Nice! -- QUESTION -- Hey Matt, I hate to do this to you, but I think it is about time to start planning for a new "Real House Build" series.. Maybe you can do it in the north east or Canada, a cold climate, that most of us live in, to show how it is done from beginning to end. Ask all those suppliers to get on board and lets start this all again please! You may be surprised what a success this will become.
He can lead the build on our home. We're in the holding pattern phase because of interest rates but would like to build in the next 24-30 months.
Exterior needs 3- 5 foot overhang - helpful- thank you!
It's Their Jam 😂
24m:52s mark
Grateful for your Kindly Sharing 🙏
You know what they used to call hollow fragile things that looked like the real thing? Props.
I need a garage to basement door, mounting it on flush concrete floor, so I'd like a very minimal threshold. Any products fit that need?
They make threshold strips that do this , that are meant to just provide that little raise to create a sealed system when closed. My house uses a low but standard sill for exterior since there is a little bit of a lift to the flooring of my basement. just because of the stuff on top of the concrete, otherwise its the same level as garage.,
On the security aspect of the garage to house door (and the front door too): Wouldn't a door that swings out be more secure? Certainly much harder to ram through.
Anyone that breaks in can get into a house in a few seconds no matter what you do. Yes outswing are more secure but cost quite a bit more for the amount they give. Especially since there is a piece of glass a few feet away that you can go through. Check data on break in location and its basement, through window wells usually, and the garage that account for most break in location. Once they're out of site in either location it's seconds. FYI if you want to secure glass buy commercial security tint, goes on the inside and then it's epoxied to the frame. Much better than laminated safety glass since no one will know what they're dealing with and have to move on to the next house.
@JessBerndt - typically, the hinges are exposed on the side of the swing. Additionally, weatherstripping would be a nightmare on an outward-swinging exterior door. With the proper deadbolts, the direction of the swing is a non-issue.
I've found that if you don't punch, or kick the door in, usually they hold up pretty well.
No kids?
@@plowboy5220 6 actually. 😃
Thats the only way to know if it will hold up
Lol. True words.
A better sound barrier is a top reason people chose not to use cheap hollow doors 👍🏻
I'm going to be the contrarian but I like hollow core six panel doors. They look okay, fairly nice... But what I really really like is that they are lightweight. Easier and faster installation, cheaper, and I personally I like them being lighter, and I don't need them to be sound proof.. However, in some cases, for exterior doors or sound proofing doors as an example, something other than hollow core is necessary. But for interior doors? They're just fine.
Totally agree. The purpose of most doors in a house are essentially curtains. They need to shield view and that's it. I mean, think of an interior wall...2x4 with thin drywall on both sides. Sounds just like a hollow core door to me. You want to slightly upgrade on a laundry room, probably bathroom, kitchen pantry and walk in closet. Anything you might want a hook or mirror or spice rack or deaden sound. Of course, exterior is a totally different consideration. Essentially, you want something nice in front and zero maintenance around the side and back. Can't believe we can't more practical advice. Think purpose.
I grew up it in what would be considered a "McMasion" home. It had all 6-panel hollow core doors. What I would say matters more is the air sealing around said door to eliminate sound travel. I used weather strips on the other rim edges of the door and reduced the noise from downstairs by about 85% (it was an open high ceiling home. If budget and retrofit is your thing, I recommend trying this before spending $15,000 on solid core doors.
Great video, I was thinking about MasterCraft before but came to realize how much junk is out there.. Thanks Matt for helping out the folks who are not the Bob Vila type.
Mastercraft exterior doors are literal PSYOPs
I cant emphasize how much of a joke these things are. We have a exterior door thats only warped itself more than 3 times in such I had to bend the door on bottom, or top , or from the sides. Ive had to adjust hinges. Ive had to replace screws and use epoxy. The metal clad wood framed, foam filled door with a window had my one hinge pull out from the door and the wood was GREEN . like it was a injury on a small tree. the threshold is also low quality, and the top of the door bowed down but that MAY have been installation so just a note on that...
The weathr stripping it came with was subpar and poor color choice(IMO but not big deal) I went and got some magnetic strips
Door bottom seal wore out bad but my step dad had used expanding foam under the threshold and after digging that Out I noticed the threshold actually jacked up in the center, so it gets a pass for htat specifically
Low quality materials, wood thats unsuitable for a DOOR.
MasterCraft exterior is garbage. However, I was pleasantly surprised by their solid core interior doors. It was as good if not better than the 'nice' doors I ordered from a dedicated window and door store.
We should note ; anyone with any experience in fit-outs knows that low cost internal (or that dodgy replacement laundry exit) doors are filled with a cardboard spacing web.... It has been that way for 50 years... (probably more)... A decent door isn't terribly hard to make, but the profit margins slim down - for "value" products. Luxury, custom fitting manufacturers on the other hand have "discerning clients" willing to pay a surcharge for their custom router cutters. (or other custom design element, which to the millwright makes darn-near as no difference in cost or setup time)
Was a pleasure meeting you at the gas station today! Your on another Level!!!
Can get pre hung solid wood doors at the big box stores for 130-150$, best deal you'll find.
i think you meant to say cheapest deal you'll find.
@@stevecrawford6958 Definitely better than paying 500-1500 like risinger is talking about...
Only door I'd pay money like that for is an exterior door, never an interior.
Fiberglass doors had a problem with warping, especially when using a full-glass storm door with full sun exposure. Due to heat build up between the two. These were $500-$600 big box store doors. Cant go wrong with steel, even for rentals. Theyll certainly get dented, but I keep a can of Bondo on hand.
That answers my question. I was going to ask…fiberglass door or metal door with a full glass storm door and no overhang and facing south. Now I have my answer. 😊
Had a similar issue on our previous house. Front door faced due west with a full glass storm door. Only difference was ours was a steel insulated door with a window up high. The paint was cooked, no big deal. The PLASTIC mullions around the window warped and fell out. THAT was a problem since replacements weren't available.
Yeah, some of the fiberglass door manufacturers won't warranty a fiberglass door with a glass storm. Some, like ThermaTru, will only warranty a certain storm manufacturer with their doors.
ooh, those door stud things look handy. I bought some steel clad fire doors at an auction for $60 ea. They are so heavy, but I really like having the one between the house and the garage. I also extended a fire wall to the peak of the roof.
Man, can that heavy duty Chevy handle the weight of that laptop bag?
The more info the better! Thanks guys!
"Builders Quality" has always attempted to convey to the buying public some higher level of quality or durability. For appliances and most other stuff, it means the cheapest models. I agree that MDF is chancy as any water or over trorquing a screw and you are in trouble. I suspect they sell them on basis of them being "solid core" which the buyer takes as as wood or just as good. I had solid interior wood doors in a house. Even "sealed" they all eventually warped. And nobody ever visited and said : 'wow, those doors are really solid!'
Just another marketing term to scam the public
Hi. Thank you always for great videos. I wanted to ask about the door that separates your home from the garage, who makes it?
I finally found a door video that doesn’t suck. Thank you
Interesting , Thank You . Happy New Year
Dig on cheap cardboard doors but my parents "starter" home with the cheapest of doors in 1981 that they raised six kids, four dogs, had the first Nintendo in the neighborhood and my sister and her husband and their four kids moved in for 4 years ( parents were over seas) still are looking like cheap doors but are going strong 41 years later with no need to replace, 218 human years in that house and counting.
Matt loves to rag on cheap stuff. He neglects to mention the obvious that there’s a nice markup for the builder if they can sucker the owner into upgrading
Matt you are the man. I love how you build everything.
Your house is beautiful. I only saw in progress construction. Love the doors and hardware. Nice job.
I love that articulating sill
13:06 I wish you showed a picture or a video to explain this. I can't envision it
MDF doors suck I can’t tell you how many custom houses I’ve had to fix because the screws strip out at hinges. The cheapest hollow doors last longer.
SO WHATS HT EBEST DOOR TO GET
@@randomrazr depends on if the owner controls humidity. Solid wood interior otherwise just buy a cheap door. Other than entry door it’s not something that adds value to a home.
Any ballpark on cost to add the panolock system to your door? Can't find an estimate anywhere, it's annoying when manufacturers are that hush-hush about pricing. I know it can vary, but if it's all top secret, it means they're gouging somebody somewhere.
Even on your old video specifically about the cost of endura hardware, they didn't let you mention a price for the panolock that features in probably a third of the video.
Over here watching these videos, looking at products that cost thousands of dollars, while I'm remodeling a house on a lunch money budget 😂
On that note though, I've been super surprised how tight of a budget I've been able to maintain while using mid to high end products by religiously checking my local supply stores' sections for special orders that weren't picked up, clearance items, etc. I've found some insane deals - picked up a ~$1.2k glass shower door for $50 a few days ago, Menards had a half pallet of LSL studs someone ordered and never picked up for $4.50/stud, BFS had some somewhat uncommon sized triple glazed windows that were a manufacturer's error that I picked up for $275/window that I was able to buy because I've got a really good relationship with the GM at the local BFS, and I was able to make work because I was residing the house anyways, etc!
Those are super deals! You're lucky that you're so resourceful and can take advantage!
You were fantastic in Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Didn't hear one major reason for better quality doors fire rating a solid door will provide so time to escape from fire or vice Vesa help contain fire till fire can be put out
Hey Matt. I greatly appreciate your videos! I’m currently in the process of building a home. Trying to decide on interior doors. I got a quote for TruStile MDF 8’ doors for $580 each. These will be painted white. This would be the top end of my budget for doors. Curious if you recommend anything more affordable? Thanks!
What a great showroom!
After Hanging and fixing over a Thousand Doors ~ Im Cool with the ( light ~ Fake ones ) they do what you need them to Do... and they don’t weigh 300bls ...
34% of US burglars in 2021 entered through a homes front door. 22% utilized the rear door. Not the place to cheap out or utilize glass imho unless its laminated glass. Door Armour, a US company has pretty good retrofit kits for those looking to upgrade existing door security. I don't own a exterior door that doesn't have one of their kits on it because no doors on the market within my budget met my needs.
hes gotta get past my claymore roomba and my punji stick trap outside and Legos scattered.
I think we should be more worried for *him*
afterall, welcome to the jungle comes on when he encounters the first obstacle.
I used the Defender Security U 10893 on 3 of my doors now, and it's awesome. It actually completely wraps around the wood of the jamb, making it impossible for the jamb to just crack and splinter out when kicked. The sad thing is that i cant find this on on their site anymore, they only have a one sided cheap "Jamb shield" now. You can still find the good one on amazon tho.
@@fredrelay1052 That'll show those burglars you're no pushover. They'll have to walk 5-10 feet and break a window to get in instead. (In 2021, 23% of US burglars entered through a window.)
@21:50 Glad to see other people do the same thing as I do:)
Can you send the detail or do another video for your awning? Great design!
I remember the awning in another video
I found it for you. ruclips.net/video/3Ba10bofHhA/видео.html
Where’s the link to full video? It’s not in description!
Looking forward to info dense videos!
I’m told I can be dense when it comes to new info…
Love the channel. Just wondering if anyone would have a different choice for doors in a rental apartment?
Hi, Can we install an exterior door fiberglass for interior room?
can’t believe i just watched a 30 min video about doors
Who makes the Door Sills with articulating weather stripping. That look like a real nice system. I didn't think I saw a link for that.
Sorry if I missed it.
Warm Regards,
What Doors do you use for Passive Haus and others that need tight doors
why doesnt the people garage door auto close as per code?
ive seen hinges range from $5.00 to $100. for the same thing, depending on the manufactures name and the supplier or distributor.
I sell doors and other building materials for a living:
-I describe hollow core molded doors as a punchlist item. Code says you must have a door, therefore here's the cheapest thing that satisfies code.
-Solid core molded are excellent for noise insulation (1-3/4" thick are better than 1-3/8" thick in that regard). They're a bit more durable but that's about it. They're no prettier. They can't really be repaired.
-Primed stile & rail doors (wood stave core on the stiles & rails, MDF veneer over the stiles & rails, and with MDF panels) generally cost a little bit less than an equivalent solid core molded door, look far better, and are far more repairable. The panels can move so you should expect to repaint the perimeter of the sticking. They definitely look part of a painted all-wood door.
-Woodgrain stile & rail doors (again with a wood stave core, but now a 1/16" wood veneer and usually with a solid wood panel) cost a fair bit more than the primed version and look basically identical once you've primed and painted them. The veneer reduces the durability, but that's generally fine as long as you don't sand the veneer to strip it. Use chemical strippers and a little light sanding afterwards.
-Or we can get away from in-stock doors entirely and get a quote for solid wood doors with traditional joinery instead. The prices will multiply but solid wood can be sanded and repaired indefinitely. Those are the interior doors that should last for centuries, especially with good locks.
To add to this... my market is New England.
I don't disagree on interior door hinges, but I'd personally upgrade to a higher quality pin hinge before going to a ball-bearing hinge. Basic hinges (unbranded/OEM and Penrod) are typically steel with loose tolerances (so your barrel is usually a little uneven). One of my first upgrades is to an unbranded square corner pin hinge (big aesthetic improvement). Next up is to Emtek or Baldwin brass hinges (which are far more durable and don't form the same dark spots on the jamb/door). I don't usually do ball-bearing hinges on 1-3/8" thick doors, but I do make those my standard spec on all 1-3/4"+ doors when not other specified.
Those Therma-Tru exterior doors are excellent. They (and Jeld-Wen) make flush-glazed (direct-glazed in Jeld-Wen parlance) in full-lite, 3/4-lite (with 1 raised panel below), 1/2-lite (with 2 raised panels below), & craftsman-lite (with 2 flat panels below). Always make sure you're getting composite-edge doors in at least a FrameSaver (or full-composite) jamb.
On the first Simpson corner (18:04), that's a Nantucket door corner. They've got a 10-year no-overhang warranty on all Nantucket doors. It's 2 pieces of solid wood laminated together, so all the properties of a full solid wood door with less chance of cracking/splitting through it. You are best off with an overhang or at least a storm door over it, but you can install them without an overhang so long as you finish them first (and keep up with the finish, mainly cleaning and adding clear-coat every 1 to 3 years). Masonite also makes a Torrefied door that offers up to a 20 year no-overhang warranty. The wood's color tends to be darker than Simpson's in my experience.
As for the overhang, on a veneer door, you require a 50% overhang. Ask the salesperson to clarify what that spec is as I've had to repeatedly deny warranties when the overhang was inadequate. The general requirement is that, starting from the bottom of the door to the leading edge of the overhang, you need at least 50% of that height to be the overhang's distance from the door (in front as well as left & right). I've had guys build a 4/0 x 4/0 roof that's 8/0 above the bottom of a door-- and that's entirely inadequate. The overhang should be 11/0 W x 4/0 if it's centered 8/0 above the threshold of a 3/0 door. That'd give a 4/0 overhang to the left, front, and right of that door. Needless to say, you don't see many overhangs of that size for single doors, so you're best off avoiding a wood veneer door (at least from Simpson, Rogue Valley, and Lemieux/Masonite). Prepare to spend the extra for a wood door with a no-overhang warranty.
@@aboutwhat1930 Excellent write-up. My home/market is Southeast and our home isn't a million+ dollar home so our fit and finishes don't have to be top-tier, but we appreciate value and longevity out of products. That said for the interior, we currently have builder grade 6-panel hollow-core doors (circa 2005) and I'm thinking of upgrading to Baldwin hinges, maybe Baldwin or a mid-upper tier set of knobs, and Solid core molded or Primed stile & rail doors. We don't have kids or dogs so minimal risk of long-term damage and the like. What door brand(s) would you recommend that fit this tier? Appreciate your valued insight.
@@progression_decibel Primed stile & rail doors will certainly fit the bill for something nice. Search for Reeb -> Resources -> Catalogs -> pick the blue Interior Doors catalog (for primed stile & rail). Most all of that book is their own RSP (unbranded) stuff. Quality is comparable to Simpson and others while costing half or a third as much. Most of my vendors only stock the stave core stuff, with 3 prehungs usually somewhere around $1000.
The indie dealers can order assembled prehung doors to your spec. I'd recommend double rabbet (solid, $$), single rabbet (very solid, $$$), or if you're having them install casings on both sides I'd strongly consider split jambs (kinda flimsy, $, but both sides can have a lot of commodity casings precut & already stapled). They can assemble the doors with basic hinges (I like the RSP square pin hinges $ and the finish is an "A-" match IMO, but you can upgrade to Baldwin's sheet steel $$ or their most durable brass $$$ hinges for an A or A+ match to other Baldwin). As for knobs/levers, I'd recommend you avoid Baldwin Prestige (it's just overpriced Kwikset) and instead look at Baldwin Reserve or Estate.
No self closing hinge on your garage door Matt?
Thank you for all your awesome info!
Floor guy forever, when they came out with laminate floor I really hated it even though installer pay was pretty good back then, and I said the same thing, it's a pretty picture of a wood floor, don't get it wet! Installed 10k feet of t&g glued together with clamps and tape and lots of cursing. Particle board replacement was big back then as well, you'd think people would learn.
Lot of great info thanks for the video.
We have a lot of cheap (and not so cheap) shitty stuff here but nothing compares to that cardboard door.
Cheers.
What about iron doors? how do they stack up?
Can we also talk about the elephant in the room: window pricing almost 30% up??? I mean, I just ordered a few Pella's and they were $600 each in Oct. Now, $900 each, same vendor, same features. Client looked at me, sadly, and was like, shoulda coulda woulda back in Oct. And, 4 month lead time (sure, it will be shorter but best to cover that expectation too).
how do you clean the black on trim from budget hinges
Agree; fiberglass for exterior doors, for weather resistance and energy efficiency; but you have to close them to make it work... :poke:
A couple decades ago, and a couple careers ago, I worked for Jeld-Wen. I replaced all my interior doors with 1-3/4 solid core flush birch doors. Had to fix one door this past summer because the air handler plugged up and soaked the carpet - which soaked the MDF core of the door. I made my own solid birch jambs - and used polished brass roller bearing hinges. They really upped the feel of our "cheap" track home.
I did the same for our front door but Phoenix monsoons killed it so a few years back it was replaced with a fiberglass unit. Which I had known about those endura jambs. Pretty trick.
I'm not a builder, other than my own house or my own remodels. I don't mind too much the cheapo doors except that they are so light that they are more like a membrane on a snare drum compared to a piece of wood. If I were a builder I would be agreeing with Matt about door quality. However far more important in my mind than doors, I object far far far more to using MDF anywhere in the house since I have seen that junk swollen and chafed and otherwise damaged by any moisture. While I can tolerate a cheapo door, I have no room for MDF. The cheapo doors have actually served us well and look nice. But as I kid I do recall helping my dad with "real" doors made of real wood that can be cut, planed, shaved, trimmed. Those doors were fantastic, but I think they need really straight grain wood which is much more expensive these days.
Is there a link to that last door for where to purchase? tia
outstanding video
Where can I get the same door for the garage door?
Hi, I would love to know your opinion on solid teakwood flush doors with High Pressure Laminate and sealed with matching edgebands that prevents any water decay. I think you would approve of it considering that it has very high durability and is very strong as well. All within the price range of budget doors.
Do respond if you think it's something you would recommend for your homes. Cheers!!👍
so what brand do you suggest for top rating?
Awesome information
Really great info, thanks Matt.
I want to see more of that other guy ripping stuff apart complaining on how things are built poorly. He’s right. Things are made cheap
Who makes the dining room chandelier? its great looking! Happy Holidays Matt!!!
Matt, what type of garage door opener do you recommend?
I have some cheap mohagany skinned bi-fold closet door. What's the best hardware to use? I need to replace pretty bad
Wow. A decent quality 4 panel internal solid pine door is only £70 in the UK
I appreciate Brent's poetic take, but building as cheaply as possible should be celebrated as an option. Housing costs have risen dramatically in many areas and we need more options for new homeowners.
Matt's video is great in showing the options and price ranges. It's good for interested buyers to understand what they're getting, but in general more lower cost options is great for buyers.
@tswtx There needs to be a better balance, though, between "as inexpensive as possible" while also not being disposable.
How did your home perform during the freeze?
who makes the replaceable deck sil? is it endura?