How do I Know I Need a New Entry Door?

You probably already know you need a new entry door. If it’s sticking or is warped, lets the cold air in, or looks completely unattractive and worn, it is time to change it. When is the“best time” to change your exterior front door? When all your other renovations are done is when you should install a new entry door. It is a detailed and costly product, and you want to protect it from any revamp accidents.

Much goes into measuring, manufacturing, and installing a new door or entry system. 

The first thing you’ll notice about a new door, especially if you haven’t talked to anyone who has recently gone on a new door journey, is it is a downright significant investment. Of course, there are lesser-made versions of front doors, which may be perfectly fine for your purposes. 

However, owning a forever (or almost) door, you pay for the culmination of sciences that make entry door systems live up to our expectations. How do contemporary fibreglass-composite entry door systems last for so many years? They:

• Insulate against the cold, even their glass panels, much better than earlier door iterations by using foam insulation in void areas.
• A thermal break prevents the cold from transferring through the skin and frame and frost from forming on the inside of the door. 
• Resist warping, even a scorching southern-facing door, for at least 8-10 years.
• Combine the mechanics of wood and fibreglass to provide a simulated grain pattern that makes this more robust door look like natural wood.
• Keep the combination of parts; wood, glass, metal, fibreglass, and paint or stain coating from separating or peeling while still allowing for slight expansion and contraction throughout the seasons. 
• Use a paint finish that will resist fading and Ultra Violet (UV) damage for many years. 
• High-end doors are thicker than lesser-priced doors with panels that are also thicker.

You may, and likely will need/want to, replace your current door frame, jambs, or threshold.

Most new doors come pre-hung with new hinges connected to a new frame. And this means you can change the swing direction of your door if it’s practical to do so.

Your new door will likely be a custom order and may take a while to arrive. Read ‘How to Choose an Entry Door.’

It is 99% likely that renovation materials and construction waste will go in and go out through your front entry.

If you are planning on future renovations or are currently taking on renovations in the interior of your home, save your worry and anxiety.  Leave the entry door system as a final icing on top of your newly renovated (cake)/home.

New elements of a home renovation that can be nicked, dented, scratched, or broken, like flooring and (sometimes, windows), should be left until the end or protected with solid construction-grade paper.

“Even if you aren’t planning on renovating for a couple of years, it may make sense to live with your current entry system and avoid the chances of damaging; some would say, the focus of your home’s exterior.”

Making a ‘for-now’ door last until you are ready to replace it:

A handyman/woman worth their salt will be able to make a big difference in a for-now door and help get you through a year or two.

Cracking and separating: Use spray foam insulation, sand, and paint. Apply masking tape and plastic on both sides where you need to spray to protect adjacent finishes. Sand the spray foam or use an Exacto knife to achieve a degree of flatness and paint close to the door’s colour.

Warping and the ensuing cold air movement: Head to a big box store to take advantage of the many styles of weather stripping for both vertical edges and the lower door sweep to prevent the cold from entering. 

Squeaking hinges or improperly hanging door: It may require that the door be removed to add spacers behind the hinges to achieve plumb: a good household oil or a spray lubricant might also suffice.

The door rubs along the floor or doesn’t close properly: The wood may have rotted behind the hinge screws, so installing longer screws will ensure they grab solid wood. The door can be removed and the lower portion planed off, although you should first do everything you can to ensure the door is hanging straight (or plumb).

If you would like to know more about signs you should replace your door, read  ‘Signs You Should Replace Your Exterior Door.’

Call Forest City Window & Door Ltd. at (519) 659 6906, London, Ontario’s trusted window and door installation company, when you are ready for a new entry door system.