Your interior doors need to be replaced from time to time, just like your shower doors, front doors, and patio doors. However, in spite of the daily beating our interior doors experience, it’s easy for people to overlook them because they’re such a standard part of our daily lives. Given how much wear and tear interior doors experience, it’s important to know when your interior doors need to be replaced in order to ensure that they both look and function their best. 

You should pay as much heed to the warning signs that your interior doors need to be replaced as you would for any other doors throughout your home. Your interior doors can impact your home’s privacy, energy efficiency, aesthetic appeal, and more. Here are some of the warning signs that you can watch out for that indicate that your interior doors need to be replaced so that you can ensure your home is as pleasant and secure as possible. 

#1. They’re Difficult To Open And Close

If you find yourself needing to resort to special techniques in order to open and close your doors, that’s a definite sign that you should consider replacing them. If your hands are full, it’s only natural that your doors will be difficult to open and close. However, if this is a regular occurrence, this could indicate all sorts of different issues, such as hinge problems or loose nuts or shifting in the doorframe.

#2. They’re Noisy

In some cases, if you have noisy doors, some oil on the hinges can resolve the problem. However, if you’re constantly grimacing about how squeaky and loud your doors are, perhaps it’s time to consider that your interior doors need to be replaced. If dusting or tightening your hinges doesn’t resolve the problem and you find that your doors are waking up your family when you just wanted a midnight snack, replacement might be the best option. 

This can occur over time, as your interior doors lose their sound insulation. It can also happen if the hinges have problems or your door is getting trapped in the frame. Replacing your interior doors as needed can help you enjoy peace and quiet again.

#3. They Don’t Offer Privacy

If you have your doors closed, you likely want some peace and quiet. However, if it’s easy to hear what people are talking about behind closed doors or your refuge doesn’t do much to offer you a refuge from your family’s noise, it could be a sign that your interior doors need to be replaced. It could also indicate poor quality doors in general.

#4. There Are Cosmetic Problems

Another of the telltale signs that your interior doors need to be replaced is if they simply don’t look as nice as they used to. In some cases, if your interior doors have scratches or faded paint or something like that, you can just repaint them. However, if cosmetic problems are the result of damage or aging, this doesn’t just impact their appearance, but can also be indicators that your doors no longer function as they should. Replacing your doors can help improve both their aesthetic appeal and their functionality.

#5. They’re Not Secure

You should be able to count on your doors to close and lock properly. If they don’t, this can impact the safety of you, your family, and your personal property. While this is moreso a concern with your exterior doors, it still matters for your interior doors. If your doors aren’t shutting and locking properly, you may need to have them replaced so that you can count on them to help keep you safe.

#6. They’re Drafty

If your doors aren’t secure, this can cause temperature differences throughout your home, leading to higher energy bills and family squabbles. For instance, if someone likes their room to be colder than the rest of the home, they may run a personal fan. If the doors aren’t secure, there can be drafts impacting the temperature of the rest of your home.

#7. There’s Light Around The Doors

If you can see light around the edges of your doors, this is likely a sign that your interior doors need to be replaced. This can cause drafts and lessened security, as mentioned above. 

Moyes Glass can provide you with interior door replacement, as well as services for your exterior and shower doors. If you think that your interior doors need to be replaced, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. We can help you determine if your doors need replacement or repair, as well as provide you with options to suit your needs. 

For as much as we use our front doors, most of us don’t spend as much time or attention on maintaining them as we should. Front door maintenance is essential to help keep your doors looking good and functioning well for as long as possible. All that wear and tear, as well as all the exposure to the elements can really take a toll on your door over time, especially if you don’t maintain it. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of front door maintenance tips to help you take great care of your door all year round. 

#1. Clean Them

The same as everything else in your home, a key part of front door maintenance is cleaning it regularly. How you clean your front door and how often you will need to do this will depend on the type of door that you have. For example, wood doors need a lot more frequent cleaning and maintenance than fiberglass doors do. Dirt and debris can build up on your doors and water can stain them. These impact both the aesthetic appeal of your doors and their durability. Cleaning your door regularly helps it look its best and last longer. 

Your door should come with a care manual that you can consult for the best products and techniques to use in order to clean it. You don’t want to use a pressure washer or a garden hose to clean your front door, as water could get into your home through the seams. 

#2. Inspect It

The same as an essential part of front door maintenance is keeping it clean, so too is inspecting it regularly for any signs of damage or weathering. The earlier you catch a potential problem, the easier it will likely be to repair, and the more likely it is that you’ll be able to avoid an otherwise preventable replacement. 

You’ll want to keep an eye out for any cracks, fading, peeling, or chipping, as these are all indicators that the finishing isn’t protected anymore. You’ll also want to check the weatherstripping, hardware, glass panels, frame, and basically every part of the door. 

If your door isn’t opening smoothly or is squeaky, lubricant on the hinges should be able to resolve these issues. If your door has damaged weatherstripping, such as cracks or gaps, you can replace it. If the glass panes are rattling or there is fog between the frames, you may need to either replace the glass panes or fix the seal. If your door has cracks that go beyond hairline cracks, warping, or dents, these may necessitate replacement. 

It’s important to regularly inspect your door, because most problems can be repaired if you catch them early enough on. Annual inspections are what is typically recommended for front door maintenance, however, there’s no harm in doing them more frequently, especially if you have a high-maintenance type of door. 

#3. Pay Attention To Maintenance Needs

The type of regular front door maintenance you’ll need will depend on the type of door that you have. Glass doors and wooden doors require quite a bit of maintenance in order to maintain their beauty and functionality, such as every season, as well as re-sanding and painting every couple of years. Metal and fiberglass doors need less maintenance, such as an annual cleaning and a touch-up here and there. 

If you aren’t sure about your type of doors’ specific maintenance needs, you can either check the manual it came with or consult with your local door professionals or its manufacturer. 

#4. Mind Seasonal Changes

This front door maintenance tip is more specific to wooden doors, due to how they need seasonal attention. Wood tends to either shrink or expand depending on the temperature. This can lead to them sticking when you try to open them, which then leads to homeowners thinking that the solution to their problem is to shave the wooden doors down. 

However, when the weather turns cold, your door will shrink again, and this can leave you with big gaps all around the edges that let all that freezing cold air and snow into your home. It’s better to try to wax the edges of your doors so they can more easily open and close, so that you don’t have to worry about them losing any airtightness.

Moyes Glass is here to help you with your front door needs. We provide residential and commercial doors, including iron and glass. If you have any questions about front door maintenance or if you need a new door, don’t hesitate to contact us.