When you’re building or renovating a home, projects can add up quickly. It’s important to know that each investment will be worth your time and money for years to come. Replacing your door can improve your home’s curb appeal, value, security, and energy efficiency. Inspect your entryway for common signs of damage today, and keep reading to find out how to measure for a replacement and what to look out for when choosing your new door.
Maximize your curb appeal and ROI
When planning a renovation or building a new home, it’s helpful to consider the return on investment (ROI). The ROI refers to the home value that is added compared to the cost of each improvement. Completing projects with a high ROI will help you get back as much investment as possible when you sell. According to Remodeling Magazine, investing in a new entry door has an average ROI of 74.9%. Each year, the Magazine reports the ROI of common remodeling projects. Front doors have topped the list for many years.
As an important focal point for visitors, neighbors and potential homebuyers, your front door is a crucial part of your home’s curb appeal and perceived value. In addition to ROI and curb appeal, investing in a quality entry door will provide protection and energy efficiency. A new front door is one of the most affordable and important investments to make in your home since it will provide value to your family for years to come.
Invest in your home security
Since the front door is one of the most common entry points for intruders, it’s important to keep it secure. In many homes, the front door is a weak spot. If this exterior door is overlooked and not maintained throughout the years, your front door will likely experience wear and tear. Warping is a common defect that can cause the deadbolt to fit incorrectly. Without the full protection of a deadbolt, your door can easily be forced open without much effort.
When to replace your front door
Many homeowners inherited their front door when they purchased their home, and it may or may not reflect their personal style. As time goes by, a homeowner may take the door for granted instead of evaluating it regularly for maintenance or repairs.
There are some clear signs when it’s time to invest in a new entry door:
- Light peeking through
Is there light coming in around the perimeter of your door, or even coming in through cracks in the door? If light is shining through, other things can get into your house as well. This can commonly include water, wind, dirt, insects, and rodents. - Hot or cold air coming in
If you don’t see light coming in, but you feel a draft, there may be a gap around your door framing or damaged weather stripping. Weather stripping should be replaced regularly to ensure a good seal. However, if you’re feeling drafts every year, it’s probably well past time to replace your front door. - Heavy dents
On a well-used door, wear and tear are normal. However, some types of damage go beyond aesthetics. Large dents can indicate compromised structural integrity, especially near the door’s perimeter. - Hard to open or close
If you’re often struggling to open or close your front door, this indicates that your door has expanded, contracted or even warped. While your door no longer fits properly in the door jamb, the seal is compromised and allows air, water, insects and other pollutants into your home. - Lock is not working properly
If your door doesn’t lock properly, it’s an obvious security issue. Maintenance your lock immediately if possible. If you need to replace your entire lock system to fix the problem, consider this opportunity to install a new more secure door entirely. - Exterior rust
Rust means that moisture has gotten inside your door frame and is likely causing rot. Many steel doors are not fully galvanized and will rust from the inside out, rendering them extremely unsound and easy to force entry. - Rotting, flaking, or softened wood
If you see rotting or flaking near the bottom of the door jamb (the casing around the door), this is a sign of rotting which will need to be replaced. You may also notice that the wood is getting soft to the touch. This is another sign of rot that will require the door and jamb to be replaced. - Splitting and peeling
If not maintained, wood and engineered wood doors can become cracked, warped, and weathered. This causes rot and attracts termites and other wood-destroying insects. - Increased energy bills
Last but not least, consider investing in a new door if you suspect your current door may be leaking air and compromising your home’s energy efficiency. Leaks force your HVAC system to work harder to maintain temperatures, and older front doors lack energy performance innovations that are huge money savers during hot summers and cold winters.
How to measure
To start shopping, you’ll want to know what size door you’re looking for. If you’re replacing your door, measure your old door’s width, thickness, and height. Measure the thickness of the wall so that you’ll get the proper door jamb width. Also, note the door swing direction. Stand inside your home, and see which side the doorknob is on. If it’s on the right, you have a right-handed door, and if it’s on the left, it’s a left-handed door.
Historic or custom homes sometimes have non-standard-sized doors. Luckily, our DSA Dealers and Custom Design Team can custom-fit or modify our doors to fit a wide variety of homes and design preferences. When you purchase your new entry, it’s best to order your door as a pre-hung package with the weather stripping, threshold, jamb, and hardware included. This confirms that all the components are designed to work well together. At DSA, we test our pre-hung doors for infiltration and thermal efficiency to ensure each DSA homeowner gets an enduring entryway to enjoy for years to come.
Where to buy your new door
Make the best investment in your home! DSA works with a network of trusted dealers and home professionals extending to the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States to make sure that each homeowner receives a professionally fitted, customized, and installed DSA Door. Our teams of skilled artisans hand-assemble, sand and finish each door to the highest quality standards. To find your dealer, click here or visit DSADoors.com/Dealer today!