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Real Deal Builders

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Doors

Real Deal Builders installs entry doors, patio sliders, French doors, and interior doors. A door is the most used moving part on a house, so how it is set matters more than the door you buy. A door hung out of square binds, drags, and stops latching, and an exterior door that is not flashed and sealed lets in water and air at the threshold. We set every door square, plumb, and level, flash and weatherstrip the exterior openings, adjust the strike and hardware so it latches clean, and finish the casing so the opening reads original. A door set right operates smoothly the day it goes in and still does years later.

Installer fitting a handleset and latch into a new exterior door, adjusting the hardware so it closes cleanly
Typical timeline
Hours to a day per door
Trades we manage
Demo, set, shim, flash, weatherstrip, hardware, casing
Permits
Rarely, unless the opening is enlarged
Typical scope
An interior slab to a custom entry or wide slider

Behind the work

How this comes together

01

Square, plumb, and level is the whole job

A door is hung inside a frame, and that frame has to be set square, plumb, and level or the door fights it for the rest of its life. A frame that is out even a little means a door that swings open or shut on its own, drags on the jamb, or will not latch without a shove. We shim and fasten the frame correctly so the reveal is even all the way around and the door operates the way it should.

On an exterior door the sill is where it lives or dies. The threshold has to shed water out, the sill has to be flashed, and the weatherstripping has to seal, or the most used opening in the house becomes the one that leaks air and water. We detail the sill so the door seals tight without sticking.

02

Entry, patio, and interior

An entry door sets the face of the house and takes the most use and the most weather, so it rewards a solid door, a properly flashed opening, and hardware set to latch clean. A patio slider or French door is a large opening that carries weight and takes weather across a wide sill, so the sill detail and the flashing matter even more than on a window.

Interior doors are simpler but still reward a level set, an even reveal, and hardware that latches without a fight. We handle prehung and slab doors, closet and barn door systems, and the casing that finishes the opening.

Exterior door set square in a rough opening A door in a wall opening with the frame set plumb and square, shims at the hinge and strike points, an even reveal gap around the slab, a sill pan under the threshold that sheds water down and out, weatherstripping at the jamb, and the strike aligned to the latch. Exterior door, set and sealed Plumb and square latches, the sill sheds water out Water sheds down and out over the threshold Even reveal 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 · Sill pan and threshold This is where an exterior door leaks. The pan sits under the threshold and sends water out. 2 · Shims at hinges and strike Set behind the frame so it stays true under load. 3 · Plumb and square frame A frame out of square binds and stops latching. 4 · Even reveal The same gap all around means the slab hangs true. 5 · Weatherstripping Seals the jamb and head against air and water. 6 · Strike aligned to latch The latch meets the strike, so it closes and locks. A door set out of square binds and stops latching, and the sill is where it leaks.
How an exterior door is set square, and sealed. An exterior door does not fail at the slab, it fails at the setting. A frame set plumb and square keeps the door latching, and the sill pan under the threshold is what sheds water back out instead of into the framing.

What this service includes

  • Entry doors, including frame, threshold, and weatherstripping
  • Patio sliders and multi panel sliding doors
  • French doors, in swing and out swing
  • Interior doors, prehung and slab, including closet and barn doors
  • Security doors and storm doors
  • Door hardware: locksets, deadbolts, handlesets, and smart locks
  • Exterior openings flashed and sealed at the sill
  • Casing and finish so the opening reads original

Recent work

Doors in the Santa Clarita Valley

Carpenter hanging a new interior door and checking the reveal along the jamb before fastening the hinges
Wall of glass sliding patio doors installed in a finished room, opening the interior to the outdoors

Working with us

From first call to final walkthrough

  1. 01

    Free walk

    We come to your home or site, talk through what you want to change, and ask the questions that shape an accurate scope.

  2. 02

    Written quote

    A detailed, honest, written quote lands in your inbox. You know the scope and the number before any work begins.

  3. 03

    Trades in order

    We sequence the trades so each one sets up the next, with one point of contact holding the whole project together.

  4. 04

    Punch and walkthrough

    We walk every finish with you, correct anything on the list, and do not close the job until it is done rather than promised for later.

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Where we work

Real Deal Builders delivers this service across Santa Clarita, the San Fernando Valley, and the surrounding areas. Choose your city to see how we serve it.

Santa Clarita Doors in Valencia Newhall Saugus Canyon Country Stevenson Ranch Castaic Acton Agua Dulce Palmdale Edwards AFB Lancaster Quartz Hill Rosamond Mojave Lake Hughes Lake Los Angeles Frazier Park Thousand Oaks Moorpark Simi Valley Agoura Hills Newbury Park Westlake Village Oak Park Calabasas Hidden Hills Camarillo Fillmore Santa Paula Piru Sylmar Granada Hills Porter Ranch Chatsworth Northridge Mission Hills San Fernando Pacoima Sun Valley North Hollywood Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Studio City Encino Tarzana Woodland Hills West Hills Canoga Park Reseda Winnetka

Common questions

Frequently asked

The questions we hear most often, answered plainly. If your question is not here, call us and we will answer it the same way.

Do you install entry doors?

Yes. Entry doors including the frame, threshold, weatherstripping, and hardware. An entry door is the most used moving part on a house, so setting it square and adjusting the strike properly is what keeps it sealing and latching years later.

Do you install patio sliders and French doors?

Yes. Sliding patio doors, multi panel sliders, and French doors are part of the standard scope. A large door opening carries weight and takes weather across a wide sill, so the flashing and the sill detail matter even more than on a window.

Why does my door stick or not latch?

Almost always because the frame is out of square or the door has shifted on its hinges. A door that swings on its own, drags on the jamb, or will not latch is telling you the frame or the reveal is off. We reset or adjust it so it hangs true and latches clean.

Can you just replace the door and keep my existing frame?

Sometimes. A slab door can hang on a sound existing frame, which is cheaper and faster. Where the frame is out of square, rotted, or the wrong size, a prehung door in a new frame is the honest answer. We check and tell you which one your opening needs.

Do you install door hardware and smart locks?

Yes. Locksets, deadbolts, handlesets, and smart locks. We set the strike and the latch so the door closes and locks without being forced, which is what most cheap installs get wrong.

Do you install interior doors too?

Yes. Prehung and slab interior doors, closet doors, and barn door systems, with the casing to finish the opening. Interior doors are simpler than exterior, but a level set and an even reveal still separate a clean job from a sloppy one.

Will you flash and seal an exterior door?

Yes. The sill gets flashed, the threshold is set to shed water out, and the opening is weatherstripped, so the most used opening in the house does not become the one that leaks air and water at the floor.

How much does door installation cost?

Cost is driven by the door itself, whether it is a slab or a full prehung unit, whether the opening is exterior and needs flashing, and the hardware you choose. A large slider or a custom entry door is a different project than an interior slab. We price against a written scope.

Planning a project like this?

When you are ready for a number on your own project, we will walk it with you and put the price in writing.

Get a free quote (818) 276-7344