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Make Money Fixing Damaged Doors

Owners or tenants pay you to replace damaged wooden doors, doorjambs, and locks. These items typically are damaged when an angry spouse or boyfriend, a burglar, or the police kick a door in. With the hard times we are having, people will be getting more frustrated and burglars will be getting bolder. Thus, the demand for this type of service should remain strong indefinitely. (This is article #1 in a series of emergency handyman services.)

Since this is an emergency service, you should be able to make money without much trouble. Use a simple classified advertisement in the local newspaper or on craigslist.org to get customers. Also, advertise in any property owner's newsletter.

Preliminary job activities

After greeting the customer at the job site, you can inspect the damages to the door. Then you should confer with the customer about the options available. These options are whether to install a pre-hung door, repair or replace the existing door and/or doorjamb, and replace the locks.

The customer may be in a hurry and want you to work on a weekend or at night to get the door repaired or replaced. In addition, you may be asked to paint or stain the door, doorjamb, and door trim to make them attractive and weatherproof.

The price for your services should cover all materials and any other costs, such as dump fees. In addition, you need to make money sufficient to reward your effort and experience.

Main job activities

After determining what services and materials are needed, here is how to get the job done.

Installing a pre-hung door -- A pre-hung door consists of a complete doorjamb and its attached door. This pre-hung door may also include a standard lockset and possibly a deadbolt lock. (On the other hand, it only may have the holes cut out for these locks.) It also may include a threshold and door sweep.

Before purchasing a pre-hung door, remove the trim around the existing doorjamb. Then you can verify that the doorframe opening is properly aligned vertically and horizontally, and has sufficient clearance. If you need to make large adjustments when installing the new door, then it may be easier to use separate pieces rather than a pre-hung door.

Before installing the pre-hung door, remove the damaged door and doorjamb. Then pull the pins from the hinges of the pre-hung door to remove the door. Install the new doorjamb and perform any required adjustments with wood shims. The two sides of the doorjamb should be vertical, the top should be level, and the opening should allow clearance for the door to shut. Lift up the door to join the hinge halves together. Then reinsert the pin. If the door closes properly, install the locks if not already done.

Repairing a damaged door -- If only the recessed panels of a door are damaged, they can be replaced or covered over. If the main framework of a door is damaged, then the door usually has to be replaced.

For the most attractive appearance, replace the damaged panel with a matching panel prepared by a woodwork shop.

A door panel normally is held in place by trim around the outside edges of the panel on both sides of the door. Carefully remove this trim from one side of the door. Then remove the damaged panel and insert the replacement panel. Reattach the trim around the replacement panel.

Replacing a damaged door

If the door cannot be repaired, you need to confer with the customer about the type of door to use for a replacement. If the desired type of door is not available locally, the customer may decide to use whatever is available.

When determining the height for the door, you should consider any new or existing threshold and door sweep to be attached at the bottom of the door. This door sweep should bear against the threshold when the door is closed. The final door height should allow for any required adjustment up or down when attaching the door sweep.

In some cases, the replacement door will have to be cut to the proper height and/or width. This cutting can be done at a woodwork shop. However, if you are careful and use a fine-tooth saw blade, you may able to do the cutting yourself.

If the existing doorjamb and hinges will be retained, remove the pin from the hinges. Then remove the hinge halves from the existing door. Use these hinge halves as a guide for the location of the hinges on the replacement door. You will need to cut out areas on the replacement door to allow the hinge halves to be recessed into its edge. The setback for these hinges should allow the door to close neatly against the doorstop on the doorjamb. After chiseling out the location for the hinges, place a hinge at its location on the replacement door and drill out pilot holes for the screws. Then use the screws to attach the hinge halves to the replacement door.

To hang the door, prop it up and join the hinge halves together. Then reinsert the pin. If the door does not close properly, you may have to shift the location of the hinges on the doorjamb. This usually requires you to plug the existing screw holes and drill pilot holes for the new location of the screws. After you have hung the door properly, install the locks if not already done.

Repairing a damaged doorjamb -- If the damaged doorjamb is still firmly attached to the doorframe, it usually can be repaired with an extra-long strike plate. This extra-long plate extends for almost the entire length of one side of the doorjamb. You use screws long enough to go through the doorjamb into the 2x4 stud behind it. You also should put one long screw through each hinge. Now the door probably cannot be kicked in. An example of this special strike plate is the StrikeMaster II manufactured by Safe Homes International.

Besides installing this extra-long strike plate, the customer may also want you to install a "high security" lockset and/or deadbolt lock. (A deadbolt lock provides more protection that using only a lockset.) However, remind the customer that even the best lockset and/or deadbolt lock cannot always prevent a determined burglar from entering the home.

Replacing a damaged doorjamb -- The damage to a doorjamb normally occurs on the sidepiece where the strike plate for the door latch was attached. This sidepiece can be removed and replaced with new doorjamb material. In some cases, both sides of the doorjamb have been severely damaged. Then you will have to remove the entire doorjamb, or at least both of the damaged sidepieces.

To remove doorjamb pieces, first pry off the inside and outside trim that butts against the affected pieces. Then remove the nails or screws that attach the doorjamb pieces to the doorframe (the 2x4 studs). It may be necessary to use a hacksaw blade or reciprocating saw to cut through the nails or screws.

Any replacement material for a doorjamb may have to be cut to the proper width and/or length. Use a fine-tooth saw blade to cut through the material. Align the replacement piece with any existing doorjamb pieces. Use wood shims to align the replacement pieces and to provide clearance so the door shuts properly.

The sides of the doorjamb and its attached door should be perfectly vertical (plumb) and the top should be level. If the doorway floor is not level, then you may have to cut one side of the doorjamb shorter than the other side. Alternatively, you may have to shim up one side of the doorjamb.

Use long casing or finish nails to attach the doorjamb piece, through any shims, to the doorframe. Cut off the portion of any shims that stick out beyond the outside edges of the doorjamb material. Replace the inside and outside trim.

Installing a lockset and/or deadbolt -- You will need to confer with the customer about the cost and type of lockset and/or deadbolt to be installed. The customer may also want a surface mounted lock on the inside of the door as extra protection.

A deadbolt lock or "high security" lockset will provide more resistance to being forced open than a standard lockset. However, you need to warn the customer that a determined intruder may still be able break into the home.

Follow the directions of the lock manufacturer when installing a new lock. A lock installation kit or jig makes easy work of positioning and boring holes in doors for locksets and deadbolt locks.

When purchasing new locksets or deadbolts for an existing door, select locks with the same hole sizes and backset as the previous locks.

Final thoughts

This business idea lets you make money while providing a needed service. You can start out as a part-time venture. Then, if the demand is sufficient, you might want to make it into a full-time venture.

For more details on this subject go to the [http://www.moneymagic1-2-3.com/start-a-business-fixing-damaged-doors.html]Fixing Damaged Doors page on my website.

You can find many useful ideas on having more money, success secrets, starting a home business, and business basics on my http://www.moneymagic1-2-3.com/ website.

Charles Moorehead was a CPA (certified public accountant) for 40 years. Now he is devoting his free time to helping people improve their lives.

Copyright (c) 2010 Charles Moorehead. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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