If your home is more than just a few years old, you have probably had to complete a few touch-ups here and there and perhaps have had to even replace a few items around your home. Your front door faces all sorts of extreme elements and is at the front line when it comes to keeping your home safe and secure. Over the years your door may begin to look a little tired, but how can you tell it is time to replace your front door?
A quick inspection of your front door will let you know if a door replacement is in order.
-
Does Your Door Stick?
When your front door is difficult to open or close, it could drive you crazy. You may second guess if you closed your door properly when you leave, and you may need to give it an extra little push to open it. Your front door gets a lot of use and a lot of abuse over time. From slams, kicks, bumps, and pushes the hinges on your door may start to loosen or your door may begin to warp and lose its original shape. You may be able to adjust your hinges or even file down a small portion of your door to fix the issue, but in many cases, a new door is your best solution.
-
Worn and Warped Doors
Above and beyond the physical abuse mentioned above, your door faces all the elements, wind, rain, snow, hail, and extreme heat. Over time the punishing weather will cause your door to fade and get worn out, and the expanding and contracting caused by the change of temperatures can lead to your door warping. Not only will this leave your door looking old and tattered, but your door will no longer seal properly either.
-
There are Drafts
Air passing in and out of your home from around your door can be an expensive issue to have. The drafts will allow heat to escape your home in the winter and enter your home in the summer months causing your HVAC system to work harder to keep your interior temperature comfortable. This will cause your energy bills to climb. Replacing your door in this scenario will help reduce your energy bills and eventually it will pay for itself with the savings.
-
Style
Your front door is the shining star of your home’s exterior appeal, or at least should be. If your door is worn out and looking run down, how does that reflect on the rest of your home? Sometimes the main entrance door needs to be changed just to update the look and feel of your home. After all, a new front door will automatically increase your home’s appeal. If your old door is still in fairly good shape, you can repurpose it or donate it to help keep worthwhile material out of the landfills.
Ensuring your front door is in good shape will not only help your home’s curb appeal, but it will save you money on your energy bills and help keep you safe and secure. If your door suffers any unexpected damage, look into having the door replaced as soon as you can. A door with visible damage may be seen as an easy target by would-be burglars.