One of our many projects last year was to replace our back exterior door. It is in a converted porch, unfortunately, which means it's an odd size.
Specifically, it's 75-76" x 30". Unfortunately, none of that is negotiable – more than 30" and the door opens over the steps to the basement, and more than 76" and the jamb would be cutting into the structural supports. It's also not straight, because the porch has a bit of a lean to it.
Last year, we bought one of these, a 30×80 composite wood door, from Home Depot. We cut it down to the requisite size – managed to do a decent job of that, amazingly – and installed it.
Unfortunately, despite being an "exterior" door, the wood started peeling almost immediately. This is Northern Illinois, so a bit harder on doors than warmer locations, I suspect.
The question is, what options do we have here? What's our best bet to get something that will last at least a few years? I suspect eventually we'll take out the porch and make improvements to extend the whole house back some – our house is the shortest in the neighborhood in terms of how much of the lot is used by the house itself – but that's 5-10 years down the road at least.
- Buy another slab, cut it down again, and try better finishing options.
- Buy a steel slab, like this one, and cut it down – but can you cut a steel door like that?
- Find an all-hardwood slab door that can be cut down (do these exist?)
- Something else?
Is there a "best" approach here that doesn't involve a few grand for a custom door? Is that the only real solution to this kind of problem that won't need replacement every year or two?
Best Answer
Some suggestions:
Regardless of the door type, a good coat of primer and exterior paint will be the better of the finishing options.
a fiberglass or steel surface should outlast a wood one (they should both be 'trimmable' with the right saw blade)
Check to see if your door slab could benefit or be harmed with the inclusion of a storm doors. Some doors benefit (water protection) other's can be damaged by it (over heating in the sun).
consider ripping out the entire door and door jamb and installing a whole new all-in-one pre-hung exterior door. This will allow you to re-square up the opening and also likely give you the most water-tight seal.