Replacing Prehung Front Entry Door in Stucco

House Repair Talk

Help Support House Repair Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

o2284200

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
227
Reaction score
11
What should I expect to be included on the labor end of installation of a single pre-hung front entry door in stucco? i.e. My first proposal includes: "Remove existing wood door and install owner;s door into opening. Secure with tapcons into existing block opening. Add jamb extensions to door along with new casing. Putty,prep and painting of jamb and door by others. Caulk exterior jamb at new stucco surface with white urethane caulking."

ALSO:

The threshold on the new pre-hung door is 3/4" shorter than my current threshold; 1.5" shorter, if you include the exterior molding strip. The 3rd pic down shows a pencil mark where the new threshold would reach, if I keep the new pre-hung door flush with walls on the inside. The 1st installer says I have 2 options but either way, I will lose the exterior molding strip & not be able to replace it:

1) Keep the new pre-hung door flush with walls on the inside & fill in the gap left in the front with more stucco, which means I have to hire a stucco guy.
2) Push the new pre-hung door forward to stucco and then add strips of wood on the inside to make it flush with the walls.

All helpful thoughts & opinions are greatly appreciated, Thanks!

dsc0212rj.jpg
dsc0434pf.jpg


dsc0282hr.jpg
dsc0210hc.jpg
 
Last edited:
Two things to consider. You want the door to be a close to the wall surface so that the door can swing all the way open with out running into anything but you also want some of the hinge screws and stricker plate screws to be able to anchor into the substructure.
 
If I am looking at the pictures correctly the original is an outswing door. Is the new unit an outswing as well or does it swing back into the house? If so putting extention jambs on the inside should not effect the swing of the door at all. It will just make the door sit a little forward in the opening. If the new door is an inswing and you want it to sit flush with the inside then why can't your guy install extension jambs on the outside of the door frame to take up your extra space before putting the door in the opening? There may be a valid reason I just can't tell from the pictures.
 
Last edited:
I would specify and inswing so as to keep the components in towards the home and therefore more secure and not rusting.

At that point, you can trim out the exterior jamb to stucco connection with any number of PVC trim pieces and you will not need a stucco repair aspect of the job.
 
Thanks! The original & new are both right out-swings. I'm still looking into it but I think out-swings are preferred or required; I believe it has something to do with being in a hurricane zone.
 
Thanks! The original & new are both right out-swings. I'm still looking into it but I think out-swings are preferred or required; I believe it has something to do with being in a hurricane zone.

That's a reasonable point and with that in mind it is important to have the screws into the framing. You might consider an industrial steel door frame.
They are adjustable to different wall thickness and the hinges are welded to the frame.
 
It appears that fiberglass doors are becoming very popular down here because steel rusts.
 
Here's the new door I got at HD; it comes primed white. Also, I confirmed with local building dept that all ingress/egress doors must be outswing per Florida Building Code for High Wind Hurricane Zones (HWHZ)

7wx5.jpg
s3c2.jpg


3ype.jpg
01d9.jpg
 
If you move the frame out to the stucco, you may not find anything for the sucurity screw for the hinges and stricker plate. As the door is inset it will never swing all the open anyway so I would install it flush with inside. The filler strip between the frame and the stucco may have to be custom cut, but this not really not a big deal.
http://zenseeker.net/Randomness/HomeSecurity.htm
 
THANKS!
Nice link!

Any thoughts on trying to save the existing exterior molding, which sits between the jamb & the stucco by separating the jamb from the molding? Thus not disturbing the stucco at all.
 
That or cut them from the backside.

Be sure to cut the stucco loose from the door frame as mentioned before.
 
That is why I recommended cutting the stucco from the frame first with an angle grinder and masonry blade.

At that point, the door can vibrate all it wants and it won't disturb the stucco.
 
Thanks!
How do I cut the stucco from the frame first with an angle grinder and masonry blade as you are recommending and not disturb the stucco?

And what size & type of angle grinder are you recommending?
 
Small angle grinder with a masonry blade.

Cut a small kirf cut between the old frame and the stucco.

Plan on making a bunch of dust.
 
Thanks!
I had another installer come by and he says "the way his company would install it, (move the frame out to the stucco) the problem is that the stucco guy put too much stucco on each side, which basically buried the entire brick molding."

However, if I had told him not to stucco around the door or he had put on less stucco like he did on the top, I'd be in better shape. Now, he says I need to "chip out about an inch of stucco on each side.". Another lesson learned...Hopefully not too costly a one.

Anyone have any thoughts?

xfgq.jpg


op7j.jpg


q35w.jpg
 
If you move the frame out to the stucco you will not have anything to screw the Security screws into
You can leave the brick mold there. Just remove all the nails holding the frame in place, don't do anything with the brick mold and with the door still in place and the frame loose, give the door a few wacks with a heavy hammer from the outside and the frame will pull away from the brick mold. The brick mold is never glued to the frame and the two ussually seperate reasonably easy.
 
Back
Top