Having a temper can be expensive..

Last night one of our room doors was shut and just froze in place.. No lock on the door handle, but apparently the guts somehow wore out and the door was shut and couldn't be opened.. the handle just spinned and spinned.. So, no problem.. I unscrew the screws holding the handle and the handle on my side - and on the other side in another room - both fall to the floor.. Yet, the door was still locked shut.. Again, the handle had no lock of any kind..

So, I spin the mechanism of what's left in the door handle - the part that spins to retract/extend the lever thingy that keeps the door shut - with a screwdriver.. it just spinned and spinned, so apparently was worn out.. I beat that part out of the hole in the door with a screwdriver and hammer.. so the ONLY part of the handle left is the part with the latch that screws to the leading edge of the door.. and STILL the door is locked shut ,so NO way to even get to that part..

I try to pry the door open between the frame and leading edge of the door.. doesn't happen, and then the door wood splits.. by now I'm fuming, so I take a hammer and just annihilate the door, which flies open and the latch part falls to the ground..

So, now I get to replace the door ($85) but the new doors don't have the hinge area routed out and hinges need to be flush with the door edge.. Of course a router is the ONE tool I don't own, so hafta order one $(70) and you really need a door hinge jig to route the recessed area perfectly ($30).. I already have additional hinges (3 @ $8 apiece) and a new door handle ($15) and now this weekend I get to route the new door and hang it - after I paint it, of course, so throw in another $30 for a pint of paint, which I plan to spray with a paint gun/compressor..

So, roughly $254 and a buttload of work because the door handle guts stripped out in the door closed position.. had the door been open, no problem.. would have been easy to unscrew the offending part.. and yeah, you hafta go through THAT door to leave and enter the house, through the garage, so had to be done..

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Friendship is like peeing your pants.. Everybody can see it, but only you can feel the warmth..