Entry Doors

Because they are exposed to the elements, entry doors often show their age earlier than the rest of the house. This is particularly true of wood doors, which homeowners like for their warmth and natural attractiveness, as they tend to warp and crack with exposure and age. Fiberglass composite and steel entry doors, which can be made to closely resemble wood, are much more durable and maintain their appearance longer. However, there is significant overlap in the construction materials of entry doors – wood doors can have steel interior frames and vice versa. Fiberglass entry doors can have solid wood veneers.

Unless you are looking for a basic replacement for a single door, you will likely have to purchase what is called an “entry system.” An entry system contains entry doors pre-hung in their frames and includes weather stripping, hinges and locksets. Sometimes entry systems also come with matching side lights. All entry doors are classified as either flush or paneled. Flush doors are flat on both the exterior and interior faces; paneled doors have recesses and imprints replicating those usually seen on wood doors or doors with glass window inserts.

When replacing your entry doors, measure your current doors for their width, thickness and height. If you are replacing the doors with complete entry systems, you must also measure the thickness of the door jamb and any interior or exterior molding. You also need to know whether your entry doors are “right hand doors” or left hand doors.” You can tell by looking at the placement of the door knobs. If the knob is on the right, you have a right hand door; if it is on the left then you have a left hand door.

Quality is of the utmost importance when shopping for entry doors, and a good rule of thumb to spot high quality doors is that the more intricate the carvings and moldings, the thicker and more durable the door itself is. If purchasing an entry system, be sure all the components are from the same manufacturer as, often, distributors will assemble systems with different parts. If you are looking for entry doors with windows, look for dual, low-E glazing on the windows which makes the windows more durable and energy efficient. If you are in a cold climate and purchasing a steel or fiberglass door, be sure that it has a thermal break, which keeps cold air from passing through the door face and frame.

Once you’ve installed new entry doors, a little bit of maintenance is required to keep them looking attractive and working properly for years to come. Steel and fiberglass doors should be cleaned with soap and water seasonally, and steel doors may need to be re-painted from time to time. Wood doors should be wiped down with an exterior wood cleaner periodically and may need to e re-finished or re-sealed from time to time.

Entry doors do have maintenance issues that crop up from time to time, usually caused by the settling of the house over time. If your entry doors are sticking, then give their tops a good cleaning to make sure that paint or dirt build up isn’t causing the problem. If they still stick they may be sagging, in which case you may need to plane your doors.  Sometimes simply tightening the door hinges can solve this problem. If your entry doors are loose in their frames, the solution is to install weatherstripping. If they don’t latch properly, try tightening the hinges or adjusting the strike plate. If the hinges on your entry doors squeak, oil them.

Even if it costs you a little more money and a little more maintenance time, purchasing high-quality entry doors and maintaining them, is a great investment in your home and will pay you back for years with beauty and security.