Composite door casing/frame

[jgp12000]

My shop side door is metal with a wood casing/frame. In just 4 years the wood has began to rot, there is no gutter over the door so all rain splashes up from the concrete. To make things "worser" the door is in full sunlight most of the day, the paint just gets baked and peels. I am thinking of trying a composite casing/frame, the guy at Lowes told me you have to cut the grooves for the hinges? Has anyone here tackled this job before?
thanks,
JGP

[Wompus Cat]

I have hung a few Doors  in my day . If you just buy a door by itself then yep you may have to score and chisel out the hinge areas to recess them .IF you  are buying a Pre-hung door with the casing it SHOULD be ready to install . Different brands have different options for the locks and knobs.
If your door is just bunged up at the bottom and otherwise in good condition I would look in to buying a stainless steel kick plate for the bottom portion and go on my happy way .  

[Swami805]

It's not terribly hard, remove your existing frame in one piece and use that as a template.  Not sure what material the frame is but you'll need something to cut it, a router if you have one would work. Might be worth hiring someone if you don't have the tools
Might think about installing an awning over the door while you're at it to protect it from the elements

[Midway Tommy]

You can go old school like I do most of the time and score the outline of the hinge and chisel the recess. I always look at the project and decide which way takes less time. I can chisel them in quicker than I can make a jig or template (if I don't already have one), but you need to be precise and your chisel needs to be sharp. Measure the door's hinge locations precisely, remembering to leave the gap/reveal at the top (the thickness of a nickle is about right). Scoured the outline of the hinges with a utility/drywall knife and chisel them out to the appropriate depth. Depending on the composite material, hopefully fiberglass, not plastic or fiberboard, it may be somewhat of a tedious job. Composites can be pretty hard.

[jigmaster501]

You can get cellular PVC and make casings Waterproof with clear PVC glue.

For the Door, get 2 sheets of 3/4 inch pvc in 8x4 sheets. glue together and cut your door to size.

It will be heavy but will not rot. Not necessarily a security door but will stand up to water.

[Wompus Cat]

IF the rest of door is in good shape  as I mentioned above there are various sized Stainless Kick plates you can purchase to fix your problem .

[Midway Tommy]

Henry, he says the door is metal and in good shape, only the jam and trim are deteriorating.

Also, anything PVC will eventually succumb to UV deterioration and crumble unless it has some kind of protective coating.

[Wompus Cat]

Henry, he says the door is metal and in good shape, only the jam and trim are deteriorating.

Also, anything PVC will eventually succumb to UV deterioration and crumble unless it has some kind of protective coating.

OH!!
Well that's a Color of a Different Horse.