Warped wood. Broken locks. Leaking air. These are just some of the signs that homeowners should consider a front door replacement.
Evaluating main entry doors at least once a year to determine the status of the door’s operational capabilities and energy efficiency features.
Inspecting doors is also a great way for vacation rental managers to implement keyless locks for a homeowner.
“Every component of a home needs to be replaced at some point over time,” says Donna Contat, director of brand management at Therma-Tru Corp. “Most homeowners can get years of service out of their front door, but there will come a time when a door needs to be replaced. That’s why it’s important to annually evaluate and maintain your main entryway.”
According to Contat, there are several easy ways homeowners can determine when it’s time to consider a front door replacement.
1. Open and close your doors on both dry and wet, humid days.
Make sure all the components operate smoothly. If your door doesn’t close securely, or fits tightly on humid days, then it’s most likely leaking air on dry days, causing the home to lose energy.
2. Inspect the weather stripping around all sides of the front door.
On a bright day, stand inside near your door and look for daylight flowing through the door perimeter. If light is coming in, then so most likely, is external air and possibly moisture. That means it’s time to determine if your foam-filled weatherstripping may have lost some of its compression, cracked or simply worn out.
3. Examine your locks to make sure they operate smoothly and are strong enough to help protect your home.
Multi-point locking systems, like those that can be requested on Therma-Tru®doors, offer exceptional peace-of-mind and security for the home. Determine if keyless locks can improve efficiency and security.
4. Reach out and touch your door on both hot and cold days.
If you feel the exterior temperatures on the inside surface, then your door may not have adequate insulation. In this situation, consider upgrading the door with a replacement that is more energy efficient and has an ENERGY STAR® qualified rating for your geographic area. Order a multi-point locking system on your next door for a tighter fit against the weatherstripping, which can help provide even greater energy savings.
5. Look at the appearance of your door.
If you have a wood door, it may be warping or rotting after years of service. A steel door can get dinged and rust over time. And, it’s possible that the style of the door simply doesn’t match up with the design of your home. These are all red flags that it’s time to replace your front door.
6. What to Look for in a New Door
“If it becomes apparent that you’re in the market for a new door, consider one made of fiberglass,” says Contat. “A solid fiberglass door can be up to four times more energy efficient than a solid wood door, plus you get the benefits that fiberglass has to offer, including resistance to rot, rust, dings and weather.”
Another factor to consider is what’s on the inside of your door. The dense polyurethane foam used in the core of Therma-Tru® fiberglass doors helps the doors achieve a high Measure of Thermal Resistance (R-Value). R-Values are important because doors with higher R-Values have a great ability to insulate more heat than those with lower values.
According to Contat, homeowners choosing to add decorative glass to their Therma-Tru fiberglass doors can also count on energy-efficient features. The company’s triple-pane construction of most doorlites and sidelites creates both a strong thermal and acoustical barrier. And, factory-coated Low-E glass, available as an option for clear glass, also delivers exceptional energy efficiency. In cold weather, the Low-E glass helps reduce the loss of heat by reflecting the heat back inside the home. In warm weather, Low-E glass reflects the sun’s rays off of the glass, helping keep the interior of the home cool.
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