I had five doors to install in my home this summer but ended up throwing my back out after the second one. So, I decided to hire a contractor who had done a great job with various handyman tasks before. However, after he hung the doors, I noticed several big issues that are making me regret my decision. I'm not an expert carpenter, and I'd love to get some advice before I act. Here are the problems I've found:
1. **Primary Bedroom Door:** The hinge stile is out of plumb by over 3/8", the reveals vary by 1/8", and the door won't stay open because it's not level.
2. **Bathroom Door:** The reveal varies by 1/4" from top to bottom on the hinge side.
3. **Second Bedroom Door:** The hinge stile is out of plumb by over 5/8", one side is flush with the frame, causing the door to open on its own.
4. **Third Bedroom Door:** The hinge stile is out of plumb by over 5/16", and the shims were damaged during installation, leaving brad nails floating. This door is not flush with the drywall by about 1/8".
The contractor reviewed the work while I was at work and got angry at my co-owner before leaving. I'm unsure whether these results are acceptable since I typically expect about a 1/8" gap and minimal variation on reveals. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
Honestly, if you're seeing these kinds of issues, it's clear this guy is more of a handyman than a qualified carpenter. You’ll want to consider hiring a real carpenter to either fix the mess or redo the installations completely because it sounds like this work won't meet your standards. If you’re up for it, you could try to tackle the fixes yourself too, but it seems like you're expecting a higher level of quality than what you received.
It sounds like you hired someone on the lower end who delivered low-end results. A good handyman or carpenter shouldn’t mess up hanging prehung doors. It’s pretty straightforward if you know what you’re doing. You probably would have been better off getting more quotes; for $350 a door, a legit carpenter should've jumped at that chance!
You're not being too picky at all—those problems definitely aren't up to par for a professional installation. Pre-hung doors should be consistent and functional. Variations over 1/8" aren’t ideal, so 3/8" to 5/8" out of plumb indicates some sloppy work. If you paid for an install, you deserve something better than this, so don't hesitate to push back on it!