Interior Door fitting - price

I paid an apprentice under a ton for two doors to try to support him and gain traction. Job was absolutely awful in every way. Massive regret. I did it much better myself doing it for the first time.
 
No, that's the wrong size.
There is only so much you can take off each edge, and that's too much.
You need 726. That allows a few mm each side for space.
You can always fill a gap with a sliver of wood, but if you take too much off a door it is ruined. But 726 should be a perfect fit.
bUt BnQ oNlY sElL tHaT sIzE
 
The doors options are: So which size would you recommend for a 73cm wide door frame? Seems 762mm is the only option and it will need to be sanded/cut down.

All doors between 700mm and 800mm at Homebase are 762mm wide.


Available in 726mm which is probably ok assuming your door frame is actually square.

Otherwise it's available in 762mm but can be trimmed by 32mm (16mm each side), which gets you to bang on 730mm (but I wouldn't want to trim that much if it can be avoided)


Alternatively you could get a bespoke size made:
 
Seriously, don't buy the wrong size. It makes it really difficult to fit them (because you have to take so much of each side, how are you going to get that even to start? If it's not even then the entire door sits wrong because the hinges are wrong.) and you risk the danger of reducing the width too much and ruining the door. Not only that but using a plane to reduce that much is dodgy at best. You need thickness for the latch and hinges to bind to. Just don't go there!

I have trimmed doors that much, to fit obscure sizes, but it's a scary experience. To trim a door that much, I only use a track tool. Usually, actually, a large router, because it doesn't tear the surface, but whatever, it's still an expensive tool.

But the amazing thing is, it seems the 726 is perfect for you, without any trimming, so I am not sure why you are even considering doors that are too big. It's worth the extra cash to get the right size.
 
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It's simple. Buy the door you have to trim the least. This is not due to hassle, it's due to structural integrity of the door. Even my 40KG fire doors only allowed a certain amount trimmed off sides and top/bottom. You can go over it sure. Loooaaads do. But you only want to go over by the smallest amount possible.
I learned the hard way that if you DIY and have the tools and patience, you can usually do a better job than even pros. Pros are pro because they bash out the job to a good enough standard, quickly, with confidence. It is their living after all.
 
Man maths this, you’ll need a track saw to cut
It's simple. Buy the door you have to trim the least. This is not due to hassle, it's due to structural integrity of the door. Even my 40KG fire doors only allowed a certain amount trimmed off sides and top/bottom. You can go over it sure. Loooaaads do. But you only want to go over by the smallest amount possible.
I learned the hard way that if you DIY and have the tools and patience, you can usually do a better job than even pros. Pros are pro because they bash out the job to a good enough standard, quickly, with confidence. It is their living after all.

This 100%

It’s also their experience, they’ll be able to tell where it’s going to cause them issues if it’s not square etc probably have jigs already made up to do the handles etc

I’ve made an arse of a door before. I used a track saw and slowly kept taking off a tiny tiny bit then got a plainer and the stupid thing still kept getting caught on the new carpet. Kept going and eventually exposed the bottom core. It took me way longer than needed but no one will ever see the bottom!

And that was one that already had the hinges fitted!!
 
5 of the 6 doors I bought are 762mm and the frame sizes are 760mm so they are all good.

The last frame is 73cm, I chedk 4-5 sites and none of them listed 726mm door options. I will probs source the last door in 726mm size, even if a different brand etc. The doors I picked are generic style doors and many brands seem to do them in the same look, so it shouldn't be difficult to find the last one at 726mm.

These are the doors I ordered. https://www.diy.com/departments/jel...-h-1981mm-w-762mm-t-35mm/5016622333858_BQ.prd

As you can see no 726mm option from that link, but there are a few links provided here who offer the same (looking) door in 726mm size.


Finally one question I have. The below says primed ready for finishing in your choice of colour - is painting 100% required, or is that optional - I want the doors to remain white.

Features and benefits

  • Solid core for a heavyweight feel, as well as improved performance and durability vs hollowcore doors
  • Supplied Primed with a white base coat, ready for finishing in your choice of colour
  • Woodgrain textured effect finish
  • Made from responsibly sourced, Forest Friendly timber
  • The solid core can reduce sound from neighbouring rooms and can offer added insulating benefits due to there being less air pockets within the door. An ideal choice for today’s home working environment.
 
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A lot of chippies will charge different pricing on how many doors they're quoting for, wether they're hollow core or solid etc. Expect to pay anywhere from 60/70 a door upto £lol depending on where you live
 
Our doors are 726mm x 2040mm they are hard to source but B&Q have them in some designs.
Just google the size loads will show up.Actually just noticed we have the same Jeld-Wen doors in that size but are 40mm thickness.
 
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If they say primed, they generally come in a sort of, off white, cream colour. This is the factory primer coating which should mean you don't need to apply a base acrylic primer coat of anything like that. You just go straight on with your finishing white. Most would do a couple of coats depending on the paint. I use Dulux Trade Diamond Satin Wood for wood work.

EDIT: However you should apply a base coat to the exposed edges which you plane down to seal it all up.
 
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The carpenter who installed the laminate flooring & trimmed two 1000 wide fire doors in our new study charged us £150/day + materials (at cost: £28 for 2 thresholds & grey silicon sealant).
He took 2 days (9-5 first day, 9-3 second.day).

He usually does bespoke kitchens & interiors, but had a cancellation the same week we wanted to finish our room. Really impressed with his work and I didn't begrudge paying the full day rate, when he finished earlier than expected.
He vacuumed & swept up his mess (even asked if he could mop!) and took waste off-cuts with him as he already had a booking at the tip.

We've already booked him to come back and install our kitchen in June (estimated 8-10 days, same rate) and redo the rest of the ground floor laminate in July (we installed it, badly, when we moved in).

Finding a decent tradie who charges fairly and takes pride in their work is getting harder & harder, it seems.
 
The carpenter who installed the laminate flooring & trimmed two 1000 wide fire doors in our new study charged us £150/day + materials (at cost: £28 for 2 thresholds & grey silicon sealant).
He took 2 days (9-5 first day, 9-3 second.day).

He usually does bespoke kitchens & interiors, but had a cancellation the same week we wanted to finish our room. Really impressed with his work and I didn't begrudge paying the full day rate, when he finished earlier than expected.
He vacuumed & swept up his mess (even asked if he could mop!) and took waste off-cuts with him as he already had a booking at the tip.

We've already booked him to come back and install our kitchen in June (estimated 8-10 days, same rate) and redo the rest of the ground floor laminate in July (we installed it, badly, when we moved in).

Finding a decent tradie who charges fairly and takes pride in their work is getting harder & harder, it seems.

Yup and when you do find one you keep using them, even for small jobs! It’s completely worth it.
 
Unless you’re getting hardwood doors, you should always get them fully finished so once they are hung. That’s it done! :D
I have to disagree with that m8
Pain in the bum in my experience,too easily marked and you still would need to paint the edges
I always hated fitting pre finished doors :(
 
I swapped all the doors in our house and I can absolutely see why trades charge what they charge.

It’s a pig of a job which you need good tools for. If you are hanging into existing hinge points, it’s very fiddly and you have to be spot on. I’m a pretty competent DIYer and the most I managed in a day was 3 and that was not a 9-5 day.

We were putting in oak (not solid) and they weighed a ton, the wider doors on the ground floor I couldn’t safely lift on my own.
 
I swapped all the doors in our house and I can absolutely see why trades charge what they charge.

It’s a pig of a job which you need good tools for. If you are hanging into existing hinge points, it’s very fiddly and you have to be spot on. I’m a pretty competent DIYer and the most I managed in a day was 3 and that was not a 9-5 day.

We were putting in oak (not solid) and they weighed a ton, the wider doors on the ground floor I couldn’t safely lift on my own.

Arguably all you need is a sharp chisel, a hammer and a drill. :) You can buy door lifter air bags you pump up with your foot for about £10. Most other things a DIYer would have; pencil, ruler, screwdriver etc.

You can make a jig and use a router for the hinges if you have loads to do. I think it comes down to confidence, time, money.

Agree, the 30-40kg solid oak/fire doors are very hard to man handle on your own and to hold in place when you want to mark out where to cut/trim etc.
 
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