BiggerPockets

I bought a duplex. The frame of the back door where the deadbolt goes in is torn to hell from what looks like a break-in. The actual hole where the deadbolt fits in is damaged. The door still locks with the deadbolt, but is very shaky and just looks like crap as well. The damage also has split some of the frame on the inside of the door.

Looks like an interesting project... how do you fix something like this?

You CAN do as Jon suggested. An easier way is to 'section' out the bad part and install a new section. harder and more important part is preventing from happening again. I saw a guy use 3/8 plate steel behind door frame,,,for dead bolt to throw thru,,, secured well so the guy has to really work to get thru that. basicly breaking the door in half to get in. A high quality lock and a solid core door and he is going to really have a chore of re breaking the door.

so to make a long story short,,,it probably is cheaper and easier to replace the whole door,place the steel while door is out, then use a high quality new door and it looks good too.

OR bubblegum up your old door with a section for 'one more go'.

Prehung is alot easier and more forgiving if this turns into a do-it-yourself project with less than pro skills.

I am a commercial door supplier by day. If you do not want to have this problem again I suggest a hollow metal frame and door. You do not have to buy it from me, but i can explain the step by step process for installation. fix a bunch of times or one time. let me know if i can help. I need your rough opening after the frame is ripped out wXh, and your wall thickness.

How you go depends on what you're trying to accomplish, what's there now, and how much time and money you want to invest.

Minor damage can often be fixed up with some glue and a few screws and be as good as it was before the damage. If the door frame is badly damaged, but the door is OK and only the latch side is busted up, then my method gets you back to where you were and is very cheap. It takes sometime though, and if you're paying someone to do it, it may not make sense.

Prehung exterior doors will take about as long to install as the repair I suggested, but may give a more secure result if a wood frame is replaced with a steel one. Prehung door are easier to install than doing it from scratch, but aren't trivial. Getting everything level and plumb takes time and care. The test of a properly installed door is that you can open it at about 45 degrees and it will just set there. Neither close nor open further on its own. And, that you can give it a light push and it will close complete and easily.

If this is a rental, ask yourself if a new $450 door, plus installation will earn you more rent than $20 in materials and an hour or two of your time. When I do this repair, or even just install new locks, I do always be sure to use long screws that reach all the way back into the 2x framing. Not as secure as steel plates, but better than a few 3/4" screws just into the frame. Keep in mind that if someone's determined to get in a brick through a window is a lot easier than breaking down a door.

In some areas, double cylinder locks are a code violation - even though the local hardware store sells them.

You need to check your local building code on the double cylinder lock. I know in Milwaukee you are required to have a thumb latch on the inside in case of a fire.

If it's a keeper, I'd replace the whole thing with a metal door. The other side, too.

If this is the sort of neighborhood where doors are kicked in, you have to think about the security of your tools and materials while you renovate.

If the door was a domestic dispute and the neighborhood isn't bad, you can cover a lot of repair work with a nice coat of paint. But only if you are selling. If you keep, you are legally responsible to a degree for the security of your tenants, and a bad patch job on a broken deadbolt might get you into lawsuit trouble.

Tony,

To fix something like that...I would take out my pen, write a check, and sign it. Somehow, I've found that the act of writing a check magically fixes things much better than I can! :wink:

Tony,

To fix something like that...I would take out my pen, write a check, and sign it. Somehow, I've found that the act of writing a check magically fixes things much better than I can! :wink:

Tony,

To fix something like that...I would take out my pen, write a check, and sign it. Somehow, I've found that the act of writing a check magically fixes things much better than I can! :wink: