Doors are one of the important parts of a home but they are also often taken for granted. In fact, the only time most people take doors seriously is when problems, such as loose hinges, broken door locks, or chipped paint, start calling out for repairs.

Door repairs are costly and getting your doors replaced, even more so. Many common problems can be avoided simply by educating yourself on proper maintenance. In this post, we share tips to keep in mind and DO regularly.

Clean your doors

Regularly clean your doors. Wipe them down from top to bottom using mild soap and some water. Scrub the door gently to avoid scratching the finish or the door itself. Your environment will dictate how often you should clean your doors. You’ll need to clean your doors more often if you live in an area that is heavily polluted, for instance.

Perform preventive maintenance

Doors have moving parts that need to be lubricated every so often. Apply deep penetrating lubricant to hinges and guide rails so that the door will continue to work flawlessly.

PART I - DO’S

Replace weatherstripping or sealants when needed

While performing preventive inspections, check if the sealants or weatherstripping needs to be replaced. If so, make sure that you purchase suitable replacements.

Tighten loose screws

Loose screws will lead to the total failure of a hinge. Tightening a loose screw will prevent the door from becoming misaligned and the hinges from breaking.

Re-paint or re-varnish the door when needed

Paint, wood stains, and varnish fade over time. If you notice that the finish is fading, apply a fresh coat of paint or varnish to prevent any damage to the door material. However, if you’re unsure how to do this, it’s best that you contact a professional.

Performing preventive maintenance inspections won’t require much of your time. In fact, it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, but it will add years to the life of the door and reduce your home maintenance costs significantly. In Part II of this series, we’ll discuss what you’ll need to avoid in terms of repairs or simple door maintenance.

PART I - DO’S

In Part I, we went through the things you’ll need to do to ensure that your doors keep working properly. However, you should also be aware of the things that you need to avoid doing if you want your doors to last. It is possible to become overzealous and do more harm than good, so it is best to learn about the following:

Don’t use anything stronger than mild soap

When cleaning your doors, avoid using harsh chemicals or detergents that can degrade the quality of the finish. If you do, you’ll need to apply a fresh coat of paint or varnish sooner than you expect. Mild soap should be enough to clean the door.

Don’t use force when cleaning

Scrubbing the door vigorously or using a pressure washer will surely affect the finishing. You might even cause deeper damage to the material.

Don’t paint the door in segments

If the door needs a fresh coat of paint, make sure that you paint the entire door in one go. Don’t paint a portion of the door today and leave the other portions for later. Doing so will degrade the quality of the finish and make it fade much sooner.

Don’t fix weatherstrips or hinges

If a hinge or weatherstip is broken, replace it. These items were not designed to be repaired, which is why they are readily available in hardware stores or door supplies. Additionally, it’s best to replace them with similar or identical items; use authentic replacements, as much as possible.

PART II - DON’TS

Don’t paint over stained wood

Wood stains are chemicals that can react to paint, so avoid simply painting over a stained door. If you need to, make sure that you use a compatible primer and paint. If you’re unsure, it’s best that you hire a professional to do the paint job.

Don’t use permanent fixtures unless you intend for them to be permanent

Drilling screws in the door means that you want the fixture to become permanent. If you’re simply hanging a wreath or decoration, you don’t need screws. It’s best to purchase hooks that can come off when you no longer need the decoration. However, be aware that some temporary hooks use an adhesive that may leave a mark on the door finish. If it does, gently remove the remaining adhesive. Don’t scrub it too hard and destroy the finish.

Maintaining your doors need not be a tough task, so don’t exert more effort than needed. Doing so may just damage the door. Additionally, if you’re not absolutely certain that you know what you’re doing, it’s best to just hire a professional to ensure that the job will be done properly. However, doors do have limited life spans. If you need to replace your door, we do have recommendations in terms of door styles, to be discussed in Part III.

PART II - DON’TS

Properly maintaining a door will extend its life span, but let’s face it: doors don’t last forever. If your door has come to the end of its service life, you’ll need to replace it. How will you then decide which style to pick out for your new door?

Style is really more of a personal preference than anything else, but we can’t ignore that some styles look more fabulous and are sure to look great on any home. We’ve come up with a few recommendations that you might want to consider:

Stained wood grains

Stained wood doors are classics and they’re perfect for any type of home. These types of doors also add value to the home. However, they do need to be maintained regularly, and with great care at that, because they’re susceptible to damage.

These doors will also cost a bit more than other door types, but they can prove a worthy investment. As long as you maintain them properly, they’ll last for a very long time.

PART III - Door Style Recommendations (Because Some Door Styles Simply Have It!)

Fibrex doors

Wooden doors may be glamorous, but for environmentally conscious individuals and those who are after ease of maintenance, they may not be the perfect choice. Fortunately, there is an alternative: Fibrex. Fibrex doors are environmentally friendly -- from the material itself to its manufacturing process. Furthermore, these doors do not warp, rot, decay, fade, blister, or corrode.

Fibrex doors can handle any type of environment and are also easy to maintain. They also come in a wide variety of designs and colors. You can even find some that imitate the quality and appeal of wood doors. With all the benefits that Fibrex doors have to offer, it would be difficult not to consider them when purchasing a new door for your home.

When purchasing doors, it’s best to place a bit more importance on quality. Quality doors may have higher upfront costs, but they’ll certainly save you a good amount of money over the long term. Just make sure that they’re properly maintained so you won’t need to get them replaced too often.

PART III - Door Style Recommendations (Because Some Door Styles Simply Have It!)

Renewal by Andersen - DFW

1215 W Crosby Suite 180 Carrollton,TX 75006 USA

(877) 605-2922

RBAofDFW.com