Updating Your Front Door: Making a Big Impact with a Small Change

Your front door is one of the more important elements of your house. It’s what people see when they first walk up, it sets the style of your home and serves as a welcoming entrance. It also serves a utilitarian function, allowing an entryway into the otherwise connected box that is your home. Because of this, the quality of your door is very important when considering energy costs and overall maintenance.

Worn out weather stripping, dry rotted frames and uninsulated doors could be costing you more than you realize, beyond the poor first impression you’re making on friends and visitors. At Rothrock Renovation & Remodeling replacing doors is one of the more common smaller jobs we do. We’ve seen first and just how big of a difference it can make to a house in both appearance and energy costs to have a new door, free of rot and properly hung.

Here are a few things to consider to see if it might be time for you to consider a new front door.

Dry rot.

It is important to inspect your front door at least once a year. Often this door isn’t used as much as the other doors of the house and problems can arise without being known immediately. Door frames are susceptible to dry rot if they have water splashing up during rain that finds its way into cracks where it doesn’t completely dry right away, causing the wood to start to rot. Once a door frame has succumbed to dry rot it can cause drafts and even structural damage.

If you see rotted wood around your door, it’s important to know that in addition to replacing the door and the rotted wood, you’ll also want to fix the problem that led to the rot in the first place. Our team is experienced in looking for leaks and structural issues that can cause water to collect around the door, and we can build what’s necessary to redirect the flow of water and keep your new door free of wood rot.

Proper Insulation.

Depending on the age of your door and what materials it’s constructed of, you might be losing quite a bit of energy efficiency. Steel and fiberglass doors usually have a higher energy efficiency rating than wood. But you’ll also find energy efficient cores and double or triple-paned insulating glass to help improve the energy efficiency of doors. When shopping for a new door, look for an r value between 7-9 if possible.

Also, be aware that weather stripping breaks down over time. A properly hung door with good weather stripping can cut down on the amount of air leaked into (or out of) your home.

It’s important to have the door properly hung and installed in order to ensure the utmost energy efficiency and safety. Most doors come pre-hung in a frame, which might seem like an easy job, but a skilled carpenter will make sure the door is level and hung properly, so it will lock and close with ease.

If you’re looking for ways to improve your energy efficiency or just update your home’s look, a new door is an easy fix. Call us today for help with your new door project.