Door Maintenance

Doors are an important aspect of a home’s interior and exterior. For one, they protect your home from the entry of both unwanted people as well as cold air and heat. This is why it is critical to keep the condition of your doors in check at all times. However, as they are constantly exposed to various factors that can cause damage, deterioration is inevitable. But if you know the factors to look out for, it could be possible for you to stop damage in its tracks.

Read on to know what things commonly affect the performance and condition of the doors in your home.

5 Performance Factors for your Door

1. Installation of a Door

It can never be said enough: doors should be properly installed to ensure lifelong performance. Mistakes during installation can lead to premature damage and a reduced lifespan. Imagine a door that isn’t level: its sides will likely graze against the door frame while its bottom will scrape against the floor. Water and moisture can also seep through unnecessary gaps, causing metal parts such as hinges to rust.

2. Quality

Just as with everything else installed in your home, quality should always be a priority. High-quality doors can last longer and withstand wear and tear better than low-quality alternatives. Top-notch quality is a combination of reliable materials and advanced design and manufacturing technologies. When you buy doors for your home, make it a point to get products from trusted brands and door companies.

3. Age

Everything ages. Unfortunately, doors are among the things that do not get better with time. When a door is old and worn out, it becomes more susceptible to damage. You can expect it to start showing some signs of damage if it has been installed for years, especially if it has been constantly under a barrage of factors brought on by the weather over the course of its lifetime.

4. Weather

Weather is probably the single most prominent challenge to any door. Moisture exposure and temperature changes may cause the door material to contract or expand — especially if you have wooden doors. Metal doors, on the other hand, can be susceptible to rusting when not treated for moisture and oxidation, particularly when installed in homes in coastal areas.

5. Door Maintenance

Want your door to have a good fighting chance against the factors listed here? Prioritize maintenance! Regular cleaning, inspection, and lubrication of moving parts and hinges can help extend a door’s life. Furthermore, when you check your doors from time to time, you’ll catch issues and possible causes of problems early, giving you ample time to have the problems checked and resolved by professionals.

Signs You Need a New Door

If, in the unfortunate event that you’ve noticed the problems too late, you might need to replace the door altogether. There are a number of telltale signs that could tell you that you need a new door: For instance, if light streams in from the outside through to the top, bottom, and sides of the door. If the bottom or sides of the door no longer touches the weatherstripping, it could mean that the door is no longer balanced or properly attached.

Here are the other signs that you need to check for.

Patio Doors: The Beautiful Option

When the time comes to replace the doors in your home, you will find yourself studying your options again. Sure, the easiest thing to do would be to get the same kind of door as the existing one that you are about to replace, but wouldn’t you want to take this opportunity to give your home a different look at the same time?

If you are after aesthetics, performance, and efficiency, why not consider patio doors?

If you need door replacement, high-quality and durable patio doors offer a number of qualities that make them a worthy option, including the following:

• When it comes to patio doors, you have lots of different choices. They can be either sliding or hinged, and come in a wide range of colors, finishes, and designs. In fact, patio doors are some of the best-looking doors around, thanks to their expansive glass.
• Patio doors are no longer exclusively used to lead onto your patio or backyard. They can be used for indoor installation, too. Patio doors create a smooth transition between the indoors and the outdoors, as well as between the different areas within the home. French patio doors open either inward or outward, and offer a wide entryway. Sliding patio doors, on the other hand, are space-savers that also offer a unique appeal.
• Energy efficiency. Renewal by Andersen patio doors, to name one of the better-performing, well-known brands, are equipped with features that can help make your home more energy-efficient.

Knowing which factors can affect your doors helps you to better understand their condition and allows you to regularly keep an eye out for signs of damage. If your old doors are beginning to show signs of needing to retire, just be sure to get your replacement doors installed by experienced and certified professionals. Doing so should assure you of longevity and enable you to get your money’s worth.

About the Author

Alex Esler serves as marketing manager for Renewal by Andersen dealerships in Southern New England, Greater Philadelphia, and Colorado. Always eager to help and known for her positive outlook in life, Alex remains driven and inspired by her work and the various causes that she cares about.