Do You Think You Need to Replace Your Front Door? Read This First
Take a good look at your front door. Is it in disrepair, peeling or rotting? Replacing it might be your best option, not only to help keep you safe but because it might make your home more valuable, too. If your front door does not function properly, it can also make your home much more drafty and less energy-efficient. If the lock will not work properly, that is a safety concern, as well. It can be very frustrating if you are living in a home that has an exterior door that is old and worn out. Perhaps you can not see through your exterior glass door because the glass has become foggy, which can be even more frustrating. The problem is, you need to decide whether you should repair door, replace door or refinish that door. Which is best for you?
There are several things you will need to think about before you decide to replace, repair or refinish your door. Why does it need this type of work done on it? What is the cause of the disrepair besides age and wear? If the front entry door is made of wood, if it is a stained and that stain is fading, what type of sun exposure does that door have to "put up" with? If the door is stained and has a polyurethane finish, it might have become faded because of the sun exposure is greater than industry standards allow. About 15 years ago, polyurethane used on exterior doors was much more "sturdy" than today. This means that even 15 years ago, polyurethane finishes stood up well in the sun, better than the polyurethane finishes do today. Additionally, if the door itself is stained a red color or has a red pigment, like red mahogany or cherry, the sun first "pulls" that color pigment out from the staining, so a red tint is the first to fade. This may mean that your color turns from red mahogany or cherry to a more "brown" color in just a few months. So, even though your door still might look good, the red pigment itself will be bleached out by the sun.
What is more important, though, is that the polyurethane coating is not doing what it is meant to do any longer, which is to protect your front door. Although this might not be obvious right away, it is happening and it can be a problem. First, this may mean that small cracks will open up in the polyurethane coating, which will allow moisture to penetrate. In turn, this can make the wood swell, split or crack. It does not matter what type of wood it is, either. Whether it is cherry, oak, pine or cedar, it will not stand up to this brutality, this wear and tear. Once the polyurethane coating has worn off and if it is not maintained, it is indeed going to fail so that the wood becomes damaged in this way. If you want to maintain this type of protection, you will need to redo the coating several times for any type of wood you use.
If your door is painted and you have indeed painted over it several times, it may still be rotting and in disrepair. Again, the most likely culprit for the damage is the sun. In addition, the wood itself expands and contracts with exposure to cold, heat, snow and rain. Again, the sun is the biggest reason your door is wearing out. If the door is peeling and you paint over it, it might make the door look nicer, but the door (wood) itself is still going to be rotting underneath that paint. Even if you do paint over it, moisture is still going to find a way to penetrate the cracks that have happened and that you can not see with a simple glance. Again, the sun is the reason for this damage, whether you paint or stain, eventually it is going to make the wood rot. This means that eventually, your door is going to fail and will need to be replaced.
As with a door you stain, you will need to maintain a painted door exposed to the sun. Using paint for a painted door or stain with a polt top coat for a stained door is absolutely necessary. You can also use a topcoat of marine wax for a stained door. With every seasonal change (three or four times a year), you should wax the door to protect it, much like you wax your car to protect it, too. This can help keep the cracks you can see with a simple glance from happening. If you can see these cracks, you can be sure that they have been there for a while and that you had better repair the door quickly to avoid irreparable damage.
Again, it is very important to understand that exposure to the sun is the most common reason doors are damaged over long periods of time. Just imagine if you had left wood furniture unprotected on your deck for a long period of time. Any type of wood needs constant maintaining to protect it from the UV rays of the sun. How can you tell if your door has been exposed for prolonged periods of time to the sun, to the point where it is above industry standards?
The direction your door faces is very important. Stand in your door and notice where the sun rises and sets based upon where you are standing. You know that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so you should be able to tell which direction your door faces. If the door faces south, southwest or west, this means it gets significant sun exposure and therefore is going to have the most damage.
Most door manufacturers will require that you have an overhang equal in size from the bottom of your door to the bottom of the overhang. This means that if your door is 7 feet and your overhang is an additional 3 feet above the door, the total overhang amount should be 10 feet. This will mean that you are within warranty standards. If you know what your warranty covers and what the exposure is, it can save you a lot of money over the long haul as well as avoid the headaches.
It can be confusing to know what the warranty you have is going to cover and what it will not. Indeed, manufacturers are very strict when it comes to enforcing their warranties, but knowing what yours covers will protect you and will help you make the proper decision when it comes time to repair or replace your exterior door. Whether your exterior door has foggy glass or whether the door itself needs to be refinished or replaced, you can do so much more effectively if you know what your exposure is so that you don not have future problems. Make sure your manufacturer warranty is in writing and that everyone understands what the warranty will and will not cover. Most exterior door warranties will not cover labor to replace the door and will not cover anything at all if sun exposure is too great. Therefore, that may influence what your decision will be as to whether or not you should repair door, replace door or refinish your exterior door.