Need Help Choosing a Front Door

Repair help for the do-it-yourselfer.
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Moderators: Greg, Mark, mhrAJ333, JD

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kailor
Posts: 79
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 11:25 pm
Location: Huntsville, Alabama

I need to purchase a new 34" x 76" out-swing, left-hinged front door. What are the doors you folks up north use. What are the pros and cons of having a window in this door? Can someone recommend a website with a quality product? Thanks, Keith.
Thanks!
Two 14x66's
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Greg
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Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

I would do some figuring and see if you can reframe & install a full size door. As for the window, in many homes light is an issue, plus I want to see who is at the door.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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JD
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Joined: Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:57 pm
Location: Fresno, CA
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I picked up two 74x30 outswing doors today. One has a gunslot window the other has a non-opening "9 lite" window, which is basically a dual pane window with the fake white grids like you see in vinyl windows. I believe you will find that all mobile home doors, outswing or inswing, to be comparable. The inswings are nicer doors than outswings but all mobile home specific doors are at the lower end of the quality curve. But if a new door is not abused, it will last a long time.

There are blank doors with no windows, a door with a vertical slider, one with a gunslot window (approx 6x27) installed over the door know area and the 9 lite as described above. The gunslot window door I bought today has clear glass, but I think you can special order obscured glass. The slider comes with obscured glass. The doors with the vertical slider used to have a problem with the window latches. You were actually able to operate them from the outside! For the last couple of years, the sliders I have seen were changed, as well as the overall size of the window (a little smaller). I am not sure if it is a change in design or a change in manufacturers, so check the slider out closely before you buy.

Again, mobile home specific doors all seem to be of the same quality. The doors that are available through Ashville MH parts and mobilehomepartstore.com are the same doors as I buy here locally in CA.
☯JD♫
Today is PERFECT!

All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
joedirt63
Posts: 195
Joined: Tue Mar 02, 2010 9:57 am
Location: Pocono Lake, P A
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hello you could go with a prehung door unit. and resize the door opening like greg said. THE BOOK that's available on this site can help you with that project. also there is a news artical somewhere in here about cutting a door to size.doing that same thing to my back door. too small. 30x79 i like the swing in.especaily when carring groceries in, just a push and your in.plus you have a frame to put a strom door on.
"a man has got to know his limitations", clint eastwood. " i haven't found mine yet," me
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Brenda (OH)
Posts: 325
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:57 am

there is frosted contact paper that you can get and cover over most of a door window and just leave a small hole for you to peek out of... I got a used door that had a large window in it, and I put the contact paper on it... it has been on for over a year now, it is holding up well.
Brenda (OH)
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