Doors are at the heart of any property, keeping cold air in and warm air out and protecting you from unwanted intruders.
They are also the very first impression that a visitor will have of you and your home and create a smooth transition between internal and external space.
Keeping them in top condition is a must, therefore, and tackling any issues as soon as they arise will help you do just that.
How to tell if your doors need to be repaired/replaced
Some common issues with external doors that indicate that repair or new door installation is required include:
- Difficulty in opening and closing the door
- A rise in energy bills
- Draughts beneath the door or around the frame
- Loose or stiff locking mechanism
- Water leaks
- Visible damage to the frame or panels
- Damage to the glass pane of the door
- Warping
The extent of these issues, and how severe they are will play a major part in determining if repair will resolve them or replacement is required.
What issues can be resolved by door repair?
When you discover a problem with your door, your first thought will be can this be fixed, or is a new door required.
Door repairs can often be simply an expensive way to delay the inevitable, putting a temporary resolution in place only for the same issue to occur again a few months down the line.
Whilst replacing your door is certainly the more expensive option, the long-term savings you will make both by avoiding repair bills and by making your home more energy efficient will more than cover the cost over the years to come. Furthermore, a new door is a fantastic way to refresh the look of your home, and express your sense of style, increasing curb appeal and impressing visitors and passers-by alike.
A new door from an expert Glasgow doors company should also come with a warranty of at least 10 years, meaning that any future repairs that are needed will be covered, protecting both your wallet and the future of your home.
That said, replacing your door when a quick repair would have it back in tip-top condition once more is unnecessary so it is important to be able to tell the difference between a minor and major issue. The easiest way to do just that is to have your door inspected by a professional windows and doors Glasgow company, who will quickly be able to examine your door and give you a better idea of the extent of the problem and the cost of getting it fixed.
Here are a few of the more common door issues that can normally be resolved via repair:
Swelling
Swelling is an issue that is most common in older style solid timber doors that causes the door to change shape during damp or rainy weather.
This can make opening and closing the door impossible, a major safety hazard. Many people believe that once a door has swollen, a new one is the only option, but this doesn’t have to be the case.
Swollen doors can normally be sanded down and treated to regain their original shape and ensure the issue doesn’t happen again.
Damaged hinges
If the hinges of your door are damaged or rusted but the door panels themselves and the frame are in good working order, these can normally be replaced without too much difficulty.
The hinges of a uPVC or composite door will often deteriorate at a faster rate than the door itself, compromising the structural integrity of the unit but simply replacing the hinges can prolong the lifespan of the door by many years in most cases.
If you are good with DIY the chances are that you can even do this by yourself and won’t require the services of a professional door company.
Alignment issues
Doors that are used on a regular basis, particularly wooden ones that can be extremely heavy, will often become loose on their hinges, changing their alignment with the frame, lock, and other components of the door.
This can lead to a range of additional issues that can make a completely new door seem like the only available option, but a door specialist may well be able to fix your problems by tightening a few screws.
It is important that you have any door alignment issues fixed as soon as possible, however, as using a mis-aligned door can lead to the locking mechanism of your door becoming damaged beyond repair.
If this happens the only way to fix the problem will be to have a new door installed, as the cost of realignment plus a new locking mechanism will likely make repair no longer the most cost-effective choice.
