4 Signs To Look Out For When You Need a New Door

We know that home improvement tasks can seem never ending, and it’s a regular occurrence that we’ll wait until things are beyond repair before actually repairing it, and while we can get away with this with a few things around the home, doors are no exception. Doors, internal and external, offer great practical and functional benefits to the home, as well as providing an aesthetic style and design. They provide us with much needed security, privacy and they even reduce our energy bills  and according to the National Association of Home Builders, exterior fiberglass, wood, and steel doors should last as long as an overhang is properly in place.

However, if your doors are unprotected, it means they are exposed to external elements that have the potential to damage the door over a period of time. That being said, doors could last for around 30 years whereas additional door accessories such as weather seals or hinges may need to be replaced every 5 to 8 years.

We have compiled a list of tips to help you decide if it’s time to replace your internal or external door within your home, so you can avoid the stress and hassle of looking for a replacement door once it’s beyond repair altogether.

1)Light is Appearing Through The Doors

If you see light sneaking in through your doors, whether it’s under, between or around your door, this isn’t a good sign. This means that heat is being lost through these small gaps, and even the smallest of gaps can allow large amounts of heat to be lost. The same principle applies to cold air as this will creep in. A high performing, effective door should be insulated and save you money on your energy bills, rather than increase it. In some cases, this problem can be solved with door weather seals, otherwise known as weather strips. It is essentially the process of sealing openings and preventing cold air to enter your home. For your external door, it prevents rain and water from entering.

Check out how energy efficient your doors actually are.

If weather seals do not solve this problem, looking for a replacement door should be on your home improvements to do list.

2)Feeling a Chill?

In addition to our first point mentioned above, if you can feel a chill when standing next to your doors, and one that you can’t really ignore, then there’s a bit of a problem. Older, traditional properties tend to have this problem, and one way to reduce the chill is with draft stoppers however, these would have to be permanent accessories to reduce the chill and it’s not always guaranteed. If your doors have this issue, it means your doors are poorly insulated or they have gaps / cracks and are leaking. In response to the chills you face all around the home, it means you’ll put the heating on to counteract the chill, and this means spending unnecessary money. If you were to weigh up how much you spend on energy bills each month to keep your house warm VS the cost of a new, replacement door – which would come out as the winner? We’re fairly confident a new door would be crowned the winner.

3)Your Doors Are Becoming Difficult To Open or Close

This is one of the most obvious signs of needing to replace your door. The functionality of a door will not be the same as it was when you first bought it and had it installed however long ago. If you’re feeling a struggle when you open or close your internal or external door, this is a clear cut sign. You shouldn’t have to use force to open or close your door and there are various reasons why this could be the case. It could be because the door wasn’t installed properly to begin with, it could’ve been exposed to external elements or general wear and tear over the years. You should be sure to check hinge screws as these may need tightening or slightly altering, as well as checking the door jam and ensure it is flush with the door frame.

4)Peeling or Cracked Paint

Another obvious sign of wear and tear of your door is if the paint is peeling or it is becoming cracked. While you could attempt to pass this off as a vintage or rustic look, it’s definitely not the intentional look you started out with when you first purchased the door. Peeling or cracked paint often occurs when the door has not been treated or has not had regular maintenance with quality paint, oil, or varnish. Depending on the severity of the door, you could give it a coat of paint and hope that does the trick, but it would save you hassle in the long term to replace it with a new door.

If you are experiencing any of the problems we’ve mentioned above and you’re looking for a new door to replace your old one, be sure to explore our range of internal doors, external doors, and bespoke doors at the best prices online.