Replacing old, drafty, poorly functioning doors can make a home more comfortable, increase its value, and make life more enjoyable for the people living in it. After all, doors should open and close without a struggle and prevent drafts from forcing you to bundle up in sweaters and mittens to stay warm. Further, your home energy bills shouldn’t be eating away at your savings due to inefficient doors. But, with weather exposure and constant use, glass doors naturally deteriorate over the years.
Here are some of the more obvious signs you need a new door:
The Door is Visibly Deteriorating.
If a door frame finish is peeling or bubbling, or the frame is warped or malfunctioning in the track, applying regular maintenance may not be cost-effective. It may cost more just to refinish or replace a door frame than it’s worth at a late stage of its lifespan. If it’s starting to become harder to open and close, there may be a basic problem with the track or sliding door rollers that can still be cost-effective to fix. But, especially if the door is old and there are multiple issues, it may be more practical to order a sliding glass door replacement.
The Door is No Longer Functioning Properly.
If you’re having problems closing or opening or locking a door, that’s often a sign that the door needs to be replaced. If the door sticks when shut or must be slightly lifted to close it, or must be slammed shut multiple times to make it stay closed, it may be time to replace it. If the problem is just that an adjustment is needed to realign the strike plate for the latch bolt or the deadbolt, that’s a minor maintenance problem. But, many years of weather exposure can cause wear that impacts the form of the door and diminishes its general functionality.
Drafty Old Doors Reduce Your Home Comfort.
Old poorly performing doors with air leaks and possibly water leaks can make a home much less comfortable for a family. They also cause a lot of wasted heating and cooling costs. The rate of heat transfer between the interior and exterior of a home with drafts around doors typically shows very poor energy efficiency. In extremely cold or hot climates, replacing drafty doors can transform a home that is too hot or too cold into an ideally comfortable retreat from the outside conditions.
The Door Style is Outdated.
Of course, vintage doors are ideal for retro home decorating. But that’s not the same thing as an outdated door. An outdated door is one that is made obsolete by a better option for style and function that has replaced it in the market. For example, in sleek, modern home styles, wood-look vinyl doors are less expensive than wood-frame doors yet offer a longer life expectancy and much better insulation value. They’re also virtually maintenance-free, compared to the labor-intensive maintenance required for modern wood options.
Old Doors No Longer Provide Noise Insulation.
If you’ve lived with the same doors for many years, you’re likely to notice that your old doors do not serve as well as they once did to insulate against outside noise. As door frames age, cracks, crevices, and leaking seals let in external noise as well as outdoor air and moisture. For homeowners in urban neighborhoods or near busy roadways, it can be very distracting when you’re trying to relax or work at home. Today’s high-performance, energy-efficient doors are exceptional noise insulators and outstanding dust and temperature insulators.
Deteriorated Door Frames Can Damage a Home’s Interior.
Old windows and glass doors, such as sliders or French doors, are common spots for air leaks and moisture to enter homes. Water leaks can be extremely damaging to a house, causing warping or splitting of the structural supports. It can also foster mold growth that can cause structural damage and present a serious health hazard for building occupants. If the frame is water damaged, softened, or chipping around the edges, the door probably needs to be replaced.
The Door No Longer Provides Adequate Safety Protection.
Old glass door frames can become weakened and/or loosened over decades of use. They may no longer fit snugly in the track and the lock may no longer latch tightly. Some old glass doors can actually be lifted easily from the track with little effort. This, of course, presents a serious safety and security problem. Unwanted entry into your home is easier. To protect your family and property, you should probably consider a slider or French door replacement in this situation.
Poor Door Quality is Worse After Years of Wear.
Earlier designs for glass doors did not include the elements for high energy efficiency that today’s models offer. As the doors age, condensation problems become worse. The glass and frames and tracks may become covered with a layer of frost or even freeze with a layer of ice in winter because the seals are no longer working. The door and the area of your house’s structure surrounding it are increasingly exposed to water, potentially causing more and more damage to walls and floors and promoting mold spread. Corrosion, rust, insects, and dust encroachment may all become issues.
Benefits of Replacing Your Doors
Replacing a glass door with a high-quality energy-efficient model means making a significant investment. But, it’s an investment that pays off in the money you can save on heating and cooling costs and reduced repairs and maintenance work. You also recover the cost of your investment by the increase in property resale value.
Adding a more substantial glass door also increases home security and the safety of your family and possessions. At a minimum, old doors should be tested for energy efficiency, basic functioning, and security and replaced as needed.
Why Choose Advanced Window Products?
We are a leading manufacturer and installer of high-performance, energy-efficient doors, and windows in the western United States. Our team of top-quality door designers and engineers, manufacturing experts, installation specialists, and customer service professionals bring many years of experience to our processes.
