Salvaged Doors

A salvaged door can add character and function to your home.Salvaged doors often offer a level of quality and design that is difficult or expensive to find in a new door. Salvaged doors are available in a wide range of styles from one-of-a kind masterpieces, to French doors, to basic hollow-core bedroom doors, to everything in between. Salvaged doors are available either "pre-hung" with a door and a jamb (frame), or as "stand-alone" doors that need to be placed in a jamb. Depending on the location for which the door is needed, a used door may either fit right in place, or need some fine-tuning and adjustments before providing a snug fit.

Plan in advance
Think through your project before you choose a door. Here are some key questions to ask yourself:

• Does the door need a jamb (frame)?
• Will the door swing in or out of the room?
• Should the handle be on the left or right side?
• Is the door interior or exterior? Interior doors generally have two hinges and exterior doors are heavier and typically have three hinges.
• What is the width of the jambs? Interior and older exterior doorjambs tend to be for 4" thick walls but newer exterior doorjambs may be for 6" thick walls.
• What is the condition of the door? Look for rot, warping, and loose joints.

Whether pre-hung or stand-alone, make sure you are purchasing a door that meets your needs or that can be easily manipulated to fit.

Pre-hung doors (with jambs)


A pre-hung door includes the door and entire frame in which the door swings and closes. Pre-hung doors are desirable because the door is made specifically for the jamb in which it fits. Once installed, this typically means the door itself will not need to be adjusted to swing and close properly. Pre-hung doors are ideal for new spaces, where the existing jamb has been damaged and needs replacement, or in spaces where the door trim has been removed, exposing a "roughed-in" opening.


Once a pre-hung door is set into place, it is secured and trim is installed to cover both sides of the jamb and adjoining walls. Pre-hung doors generally come with the hinge hardware and, after installation, just need a handle and possibly a lockset. Be sure to consider fire safety and energy efficiency guidelines if you are purchasing an exterior door for a new construction project or major addition.

Stand-alone doors (without jambs)

Although doors come in a variety of sizes to fit many applications, there are some common heights and widths.The first step is to measure the inside of your existing jamb, and then find a door that will fit in it. Common door widths are 28", 30", 32", and 36".


Very often, an old door jamb in a home is not perfectly square. Even a door that measures the right size may often need fine-tuning on one or more sides to fit an existing jamb.In some cases, such as with a solid wood door, it may be possible to cut a larger door down to a size that will fit your jambs. If you have a new or remodeled space and you find a stand-alone door that you just can't live without, you may also want to consider building a jamb for it.

Door handles &; hardware


Authentic historic doorknobs and locksets can add character to any door. Ideally, you will want to match any new door hardware to existing door hardware in the home. If you are installing all new doors, make sure to match the correct time period. Art Deco doorknobs will look out-of-place in a turn-of-the-century home. Used building material reuse stores have a large selection of vintage handles, locksets, and hinges to meet your needs.

Installing your door

Do your homework in advance. A salvaged pre-hung door can be installed similarly to any pre-hung door. If you are installing a door for the first time, with or without a jamb, set aside enough time to research and plan the installation.Detailed descriptions and pictures will help you complete a successful project. Good door installation references include books (e.g. Taunton Press), hardware/woodworking stores.

Door trim

As with door hardware, try to match door trim to other trim in your home. Older trim tends to be wider and newer trim narrower. Exact trim widths and styles indicate the time-period when the home was built. To avoid splitting the wood, make sure to predrill trim before installing it. A search of the trim section of your local used building materials retailer may yield materials that match your existing trim, ensuring continuity of look. If you are installing an exterior door, make sure to weatherstrip it.