Top Signs You Need Exterior Door Repair in Walpole

Recently repaired exterior door for residential home

A door is not just an entry and exit point for your commuting purposes but readily bolsters your humble abode's curb appeal alongside making a bold and beautiful statement about the manner of lifestyle you live. Everything from an entryway with glazed door windows that make your home's aesthetic appeal appear pleasant and inviting to a sliding glass door for easy access to the porch or patio to storm doors to ward off harsh local weather conditions and scathing precipitation to security doors to protect against suspicious and wandering about intruders. And then there are the add-on features that allow you to custom-tailor your home's exterior door from windows to mesh screens and pet doors—the world is truly your oyster when it comes to residential exterior doors. Apart from safeguarding your family members and property, a durable exterior door also allows you to savor your privacy as it sets a firm and healthy boundary against random on-goers.

Often homeowners become complacent and allow their outside doors to fall into disrepair as they fail to perform routine maintenance. As a result, they readily sacrifice the structural integrity of their exterior door, rendering the entryway a useless decorative showpiece that serves no functional purpose.

By forgoing a durable exterior door accompanied by a sturdy entryway frame that anchors it in the palace, you put into jeopardy your own personal safety, protection, and household energy efficiency. Whether you need repair or replacement, you can count on the top-rated local Walpole handyman pros at Mr. Handyman of Central-Eastern Norfolk County and S.Shore to get the job done correctly and efficiently so you have peace of mind knowing that your home is secure and safe.

Your Exterior Door Is the Guardian Of Your Home Sweet Home

First impressions matter, and an exterior door particularly makes a dramatic and lasting impression on anyone idling upon your doorstep. A quality exterior or front entryway specifically can make your home's atmosphere appear either charming, warm, and inviting or cold, barren, and lonesome. A front door is not just a solid slab that's stuck into the wall to open and close as you please, but it says something profound about your personality and nature. Are you a simpleton, for example, who opts for a minimalist design and slab door with a basic window and grills? Or are you sophisticated and like to kick it up a notch with a combination of wood-grain and fiberglass doors with a fanciful door trim, hoping to embody a mysterious aura for potential guests? Either way, any exterior door replacement requires proper upkeep to be preserved. As of late, if you've noticed that your door tends to stick and drag along the floor, its hinges seem faulty and loose, or it's making odd squeaking and creaking noises–these are all red flags of a damaged entryway that needs exterior door repair. It's best not to outright ignore a Walpole exterior door replacement as you are forfeiting not only your protection from harm as your house is no longer secure. But your monthly utility bills are bound to soar as your house becomes less energy efficient due to lackluster indoor air circulation and bad airflow resulting in immoderate room temperatures. An exterior door itself makes a big difference for home insulation, so if it happens to be broken in any way at all, you'll feel the difference in terms of room temperature.

Depending on the extent of the damage, too, including dents, peeling, or gaps in the door's jamb or trim, you have to decide if the tradeoff of an exterior door replacement is a more worthwhile investment compared to exterior door repair. If your entryway still appears structurally sound and intact, check if you might need to replace your exterior door frame instead. Or perhaps it needs a quick fix to one of its components, such as repairing loose nuts and bolts. If, however, your door won't even budge, that's a cause for concern, and you may need a brand-new exterior door replacement. Either way, it's best to consult a certified, licensed, and fully insured Norfolk County handyman from Mr. Handyman of Central-Eastern Norfolk County & S.Shore for a professional exterior door repair or replacement. Our experts and experienced are well-equipped with the skills, techniques, and knowledge for both commercial and residential exterior door services. At Mr. Handyman, we advocate on behalf of our clientele by genuinely listening to their perspectives and offering long-lasting and authentic solutions for exterior door repair or replacement. As the gatekeeper for your daily dwelling, a door is more than just a threshold to pass as you go. It also is a statement piece to prospective homebuyers and a frontline defense battalion for your own and family members' safety and security.

Need a Norfolk Exterior Door Repair? Here's How to Tell:

Your exterior doors, whether they're on the front, back, or side of your house, perform a lot of important duties to keep your home safe and comfortable, and they also contribute quite a bit towards your curb appeal. But when they're in poor condition, they leave your home vulnerable to a multitude of issues.

If you've noticed signs that your door isn't functioning properly or is looking rather worse for wear, you may be wondering if you need an exterior door repair or if replacement is the better option. We'll cover some of the situations in which Walpole exterior door repair service is a good solution. This is unless the signs clearly indicate that you need an exterior door replacement entirely.

If you’ve noticed any of these telltale signs of a broken door, more often than not, you require an exterior door repair in Norfolk County:

  • Difficulty opening and closing the entryway
  • Hairline cracks or fractures
  • Small holes, dents or gouges
  • Peeling paint
  • Splintered or even fissured wood
  • Mold and mildew growth due to wood rot
  • Discolored rust and corrosion
  • Cold drafts
  • Loose or weakened hinges
  • Loose or busted lock and bolt
  • Foggy windows of moisture buildup between window's glass panes
  • Pest invasion

When Exterior Door Repair is Sufficient

The age-old question of repair or replacement mainly comes down to the extent of the damage. If it's a relatively minor issue, it makes sense to get repair services and call it a day, but if it's a bigger problem or there are multiple issues, repairs would be more time-consuming and expensive than total replacement. In those cases, replacement is the best choice. In the following scenarios, the repair is usually sufficient to get your entryway back in good shape.

Peeling paint: Your handyman can take care of this by sanding, applying a new coat of paint, and sealing. It should be handled as soon as possible because peeling paint leaves the material underneath vulnerable to rot or rust.

  • Rust or corrosion: Speaking of rust, if you have small spots of it on your metal entryway, it can likely be repaired, but if the corrosion is extensive, repair isn’t worth it.
  • Hinges are loose: If your entry is wobbly on its hinges, it may be possible to simply tighten it up or replace the hinges only.
  • Hinges are squeaky: This could be solved with the appropriate lubrication, or the hinge may need replacement if it's rusty.
  • Holes or rips in screen on storm door: If the issue is with your screen, not the frame, you just need screen door repair to get a new screen into the frame.
  • Degraded weather stripping: If you feel cool drafts near your entryway, it could be due to damaged weather stripping from a bout of extreme weather. If that's the problem, the weather stripping can just be replaced.

Top Signs You Need to Replace Your Exterior Door in Walpole, MA

If the damage goes beyond the minor problems listed above, complete door replacement makes more sense financially—keeping your home comfortable and safe. Here are some situations where replacement is warranted:

Chilly Drafts

If you're shivering away in your home because of cold drafts seeping in around the frame—and it's not a simple problem with weather stripping—it could be that the door has shrunk, the frame is warped, or it was never fitted properly in the first place. Drafts make you more uncomfortable in your house, but those energy-wasting air leaks also cost you big time on your utility bill as your HVAC system is forced to work harder to compensate.

Lights Coming In

Is there a halo of light around the edge of your entry? This is a more extreme version of the same problems that cause air drafts, and it's taking a huge toll on the energy efficiency of your house. It's also dangerously insecure, as an intruder wouldn't even have to try very hard to get in.

Rotten Wood

Wooden entries are exposed to the elements, which makes them vulnerable to wood rot. Stringy, spongy, softwood is caused by rot, and the earliest symptom of rot is discoloration, where the wood appears lighter or darker or has a white, yellow, or purple hue. If you notice signs of a rotten door frame, it's quite possible that the entry itself also has rot inside it.

Difficulty Opening and Closing

If you have to push and pull (and kick and punch) when you're trying to get your door open or closed, that's a sign of poor alignment. This can be caused by a house shifting and settling over time, causing the frame to bend or warp out of alignment. If that's the case, the whole entry should be replaced so it can easily swing open and shut.

Insect Damage

Maze-like holes or channels on your entry are the work of wood-destroying insects such as carpenter ants or termites, but the outward visible signs might not be that obvious. Light doors that don't seem as heavy as they used to or make a hollow sound when tapped could be under attack, being hollowed out from the inside.

No Noise Separation

This is different from the entry itself squealing when you open it. If you find yourself disturbed by outside noises coming through the entryway even though it's closed, something is wrong. It's not going to cut out 100% of all noise, but it should do a good job of muffling sounds from outside.

Foggy Window

When a window becomes foggy from condensation trapped between two panes of glass, you need window replacement—and if that window happens to be in a door, you need door replacement.

Vandalism Damage

If you've been forced to deal with vandalism or home intrusion that has resulted in broken locks, large dents, or damage to the frame and edge of your entryway, replacement is needed to re-secure your home and give you back your peace of mind.

How Does Mr. Handyman Approach A Door Repair Or Replacement Service in Norfolk County?

For exterior door replacement, Walpole homeowners alike must take into account all facets of a main entryway and be open to customizing an entryway so that it's more robust against local weather conditions, including weather storms such as heavy rainfall, whisking wind, icy hail shards, and blistering blizzards. Customizing an exterior door replacement is, if anything, a detail-oriented process as you have to decide which type of material, including metal, wood, or stone, is placed at the top of your threshold to measure how much the door sill should slope so it has the optimal angle to prevent rainwater and snowmelt from flooding your front entrance area.

Here are some of the basic parts of a front entrance and exit door for the atypical Walpole property owner:

  • Frame
  • Head jamb
  • Side jamb
  • Casing
  • threshold
  • Sidelight
  • Handle and lockset
  • Sidelight
  • Panel
  • Jamb
  • Sill

Be aware that some parts of a standard entryway are more vulnerable than others to damage, such as the jamb, which tends to get battered the most due to lugging and moving around heavy furniture, pets, or rodents gnawing at it. Or the exterior door's trim may get worn out if the door is slammed hard one too many times. In this circumstance, you may need an exterior door repair sometime soon to ensure your door aligns with its frame once more.

Choose From High-Quality Types Of Exterior Door Materials

Generally, the most common materials for an exterior door replacement are wood, steel, and fiberglass, as each type of door material has unique attributes that make it aesthetically pleasing. At the end of the day, the end outcomes of your exterior door depend on your personal preferences, budget, and how much effort you put into its maintenance. Also, be mindful of the fact that you can mix and match materials; for example, combine a solid wood entryway with fiberglass for a more picturesque entryway.

Solid Wood

A solid wood exterior door is made of pure and natural wood that has not been treated or altered and is usually made of layered wood panels made of maple, oak, pine wood, and more. Because it's an organic material, it boasts the most accurate aesthetic appeal embodying a rustic and charming presence on your doorstep. It's durable and great for energy efficiency, too, as it can insulate. Plus, by opting for solid wood, you become more mindful of your ecological footprint as it's a biodegradable material that decomposes in the natural environment. The only downsides are that being made of authentic wood, you need to be keen about its routine maintenance, including applying a fresh coat of paint or, at the very least, staining it occasionally to prevent wood rot. Plus, being a natural and organic material, solid wood can expand and contract if exposed to excessive moisture levels, for example, from humid weather conditions.

Hollow Core

Ironically enough, a hollow core door adopts its name from the echoing sound it makes if you knock upon its surface. This is a wood-based material rather than a door made of pure and authentic natural wood. It's not completely organic, and you can tell as it will showcase a thin layer of wood or fiberboard that is combined with honeycomb cardboard or plastic-based material. The hollow core is lightweight, doesn't expand or contract easily, and is more affordable for an exterior door replacement. Mostly, a hollow core door is preferred more for indoor living spaces such as closets, so it may not offer the best level of security for an outside house door. Another downside is that being more flimsy in nature as it's not the real deal, unlike its solid wood counterpart, a hollow core door is less durable and doesn't bode well for protection against fluctuating temperatures. Nor does it muffle sounds, so it offers less privacy due to noise pollution. Also, keep in mind this is a more artificial material, so it cannot be easily refinished, making an exterior door repair rather difficult to carry out.

Solid Core

Another wood-based material, a solid core door, is an engineered wood used mostly for interior living areas and is a more inexpensive option compared to solid wood doors. It's durable and won't crack, shrink or warp as it's impervious to the expansion and contraction natural solid wood doors suffer from due to changes in humidity. Plus, a solid core entryway is good for reducing noise pollution and sound insulation for privacy purposes. It bodes well against fluctuating temperatures, including wet local weather conditions too.

Steel

A steel door consists of a layer of steel interwoven between two other layers of wood or fiberglass. It's super durable, fire-resistant, and can withstand both fluctuating temperatures and varying pressures. Steel is also great for sound insulation and is an energy-efficient material. Also, if you are especially concerned about potential burglars and theft, a steel door is the more secure option for an exterior door replacement as it will readily defend your entryway. The only downside is that, like any other metal, a steel door is still susceptible to discolored rust and corrosion if no maintenance is done, including cleaning off any accumulated debris and residue.

Fiberglass

A fiberglass door consists of two large contoured sides, which are made of a polyurethane foam core that acts as insulation against outdoor weather conditions and extreme temperatures such as a heat wave or cold snap. A fiberglass door is incredibly durable and energy efficient as well. But please note that it is more expensive to afford, and for an exterior door replacement, it can be difficult to install as, given its sizing and dimension, it can only accommodate a standard exterior entryway.

Trust Mr. Handyman For Your Exterior Door Repair in Norfolk County

Hopefully, this information has helped you make an informed decision about repair or replacement, but if you're still not sure, our service technicians can take a look at the problem and offer some expert advice. Whether you're in Walpole or nearby areas such as Norwood, Marshfield, or Duxbury, you can rely on Mr. Handyman of Central-Eastern Norfolk County and S.Shore for quality craftsmanship and excellent customer service.

Give us a call today or request service online to find out what we can do to maintain your home and make your life easier!