Doors > Doors Care

Taking Care of Doors

What do you know about taking care of doors? From entry doors to patio and sliding doors, it's important that you care for them properly. All of us have doors in our homes and you probably have several different types of doors as well. It's important that you learn how to properly take care of your doors so that they will last you a long time and serve their purpose within the home.

Frequent use, time and moisture, outdoor elements, indoor weather, heat and many other factors can take their toll on your doors and in time, can create doors that stick, warp, sag or do not close properly. If your doors shrink or sag, then your home will lose insulation and you will have higher heating and cooling bills.

When the doors become old and damaged, it can also damage your lock and lockset which means your door will be difficult to close, lock or remain locked. There are some cases where replacement doors are the only option. If you have not been taking care of the doors in your home then it may be too late to repair the damage that has already been done and the remedy lies in replacement doors. Damaged patio or siding doors may no longer open or close properly and may have trouble locking as well.

However, if you know how to properly care for your doors, they will last you for many years to come. When you realize that your door is your only barrier to the outside world and when you recognize the way that it protects you and your family, you will understand why it is so important to care for your doors properly and ensure they remain in top shape. You need doors to your home that operate properly.

Just like there are many different types of doors- entry doors, patio doors, storm doors, French doors, sliding doors, etc- there are also different parts of the door. Most doors have a box frame around them with two vertical boundaries that are called stiles. The stile also has the hole for the doorknob and this is called the lock stile. There are also supporting hinges called the stile hinges. There are top and bottom rails which make up the door's borders and the door frame works to support the door.

You can learn how to take care of doors by reading the instructions from the manufacturer when you buy your door, having your doors installed by a qualified professional, understand the make of your door and how it is put together and learn basic maintenance on your particular door type.

Some things to look for on your doors are:

Remember that the house settling, weather and heat as well as paint can cause your doors to change shape and not work as well as they once did. Be sure to maintain your doors as much as you can and get replacement doors when they have reached the point that they cannot be repaired.