Doors don’t just keep you safe from unwanted visitors; these also play a vital role in your home’s energy efficiency. But after having their doors installed during home construction, most homeowners forget all about them—at least, until they break down or get chipped.
Like all other features of your home, doors are prone to problems that, if left ignored, can be a security risk or a contributory factor to your rising electricity bills. Before calling your trusted door installation service here in Maryland, check if you can do a quick fix. This article gives suggestions on how to address some of these problems.
Issues with the Door Hinge
One of the most common door issues can be traced to its hinges. Some of the signs of door hinge problems include:
- Rattling and vibrating door
- Squeaky noises
- Rough opening and closing of the door
The best solution is to lubricate the hinge using products like WD-40, soap, and olive oil. The lubricant should immediately solve the squeaking noise and help you open and close the door smoothly.
Meanwhile, loud, rattling noises are often caused by loose hinges. Inspect your door’s hinges and tighten them up.
If any of these fixes do not work, the hinges may be too far gone and need to be replaced entirely.
Door Doesn’t Latch
When your door refuses to latch, this is usually due to a problem in the strike plate mechanism. The first thing you need to do is observe how the latch hits the plate. If you can’t do this because of the angle of the door, coat the latch with lipstick. Once you close the door and open it, the exact location where the latch is hitting will be marked by the lipstick.
Once you determine where the latch is grazing the strike plate, you can adjust the plate’s position. Move the strike plate to the location where the door would latch on properly.
Door Draft
If you’ve been noticing a cold draft coming from your door, an air leak might be present. The door’s original weatherstripping has finally worn out. Drafty doors need to be fixed as soon as possible, especially during the summer and winter seasons. This is to avoid having your heating and cooling systems work harder to warm or cool the room.
The first thing you can do is replace the old weatherstripping. Weatherstripping reseals your doors, so it remains energy efficient. It’s easy to apply, and the materials you need should be available in your local hardware store.
In some cases, it might not be the weatherstripping causing the problem; the door might have been installed incorrectly. In this case, you will have to rehang the door and readjust the entire thing against the frame. If this is what you need to do, it would be best to get in touch with a professional to help you readjust your door.
Over time, you may find yourself experiencing these door problems. Most door issues can be quickly resolved even with minimum tools and experience, but some require a home contractor to inspect and fix them. Routine checks and maintenance should help prevent your doors from breaking down anytime soon.
G.H. Clark Contractors, Inc. offers a wide variety of doors for your personal preference and replacement services. If you are interested in having a door installed, contact us today for a free estimate. Our team will also answer any questions you have regarding our services.