Door replacement is a serious consideration for any homeowner. It doesn’t sound like much, but let’s not forget that we’re talking about something that provides both protection and aesthetic appeal. This is true of both interior and exterior doors. If we’re talking about your front door, then we’re also talking about something that often plays a big part in any visitor’s first impression. Entry doors are crucial, any way you want to look at it.
Is It Time to Replace My Doors?
Knowing all of the above doesn’t have to make something like replacing doors difficult. We will not only give you the best array of options available, but we will also make sure you understand everything about the process. Regardless of the doors you’re replacing, it stands to reason that you want things to go as smoothly as possible.
It is also important to make sure that when it comes to door replacement, you have complete confidence in your decision. This means making certain that replacing your doors is the right way to go. Replacement can get pricey, depending on what you want to do. By asking yourself a few questions, before you contact us to make an appointment, you can be certain that replacement is essential.
What to Ask Before Door Replacement
Is door replacement a sound decision? In many cases, yes, but let’s address a few questions first:
- Minor or Major? Minor issues include squeaky hinges or a closer that leaks. Perhaps, the lock isn’t working correctly. Most of the time, these issues do need demand a full replacement. We can replace certain parts, which is considerably cheaper than buying a whole new door. A major issue could involve your need for the door to swing in a different direction. You may have a frame that is not as structurally sound as it used to be. In either of those situations, replacement is probably your best bet.
- Form or function? This is a trickier question to answer, but it can still be valuable to understand the distinction between an issue of aesthetics, or an issue of how the door actually works. An example of the issue is one of aesthetics would be the presence of surface rust. There are also numerous examples of superficial damage. Believe it or not, but many such instances can be handled easily enough with things like patch fixtures or body filler. Frost heave, rust-through, or broken anchoring points can create damage that is more structural. At this point, door replacement is probably your best bet.
- Code requirements for the door? In the event of adding a closer, or perhaps having a lockset replaced, you only need to deal in minor repairs. It is highly unlikely that your code requirements are going to change. However, when you are changing the function of your room, or even the entire structure, you are likely going to run into those code requirements. A good example of this would be combining two smaller rooms into a bigger one. You will also want to keep in mind that code requirements can also evolve over the years. If you are making some significant changes to your space, which involves door replacement, check to make sure your choices aren’t going to have any issues.
- Fire-rated? This is always an important subject to address. In the event that your door will need to be fire-rated, you will probably need to have both door and frame replaced. If the frame is labelled, and the door isn’t, then you would only need to replace your door. If you have several openings that must be properly rated, hiring a labelling agency to inspect the frames for a label might not be a bad idea. If you are only getting one or two doors rated, this might not be a great idea. However, if you need to rate much more than that, a labelling agency is a good idea.
Are you adding a window? If you have a fire-rated door, and you would like to have a window installed, then you are going to need to have the door replaced. Cutting windows into fire-rated doors can void the rating in a hurry.
With door replacement, the questions above should be considered. In doing so, you can be certain of what needs to be done. This makes it easier to save money. Having your doors replaced is largely inevitable, if you spend more than a few years in the same space. While there is nothing wrong with having your tastes change, you don’t want to jump too quickly into a decision. What you would ideally want to do is get as many years of use from your doors as possible.
Regardless of what you decide, keep in mind that ALDA Windows and Doors can help you take the next step!