Your doors might be durable, but they’ll get damaged if you don’t take care of them. Your door’s bulk is protected, but its frame, locking mechanism, and internal mechanisms are at risk. Regardless of how much use your doors get, beware of these five door-damaging factors.
1. Rapidly Changing Temperatures
Because a lot of door frames are made of wood, rapidly changing temperatures have the potential to damage your doors. Wood expands and contracts as temperatures change. If this happens, a door’s changing motion can damage the wood. Make sure your frame isn’t warping when it gets cold, or else it might expand rapidly—cracking—when summer rolls round.
2. Rot
Yep, doors can rot. They’re highly susceptible to rot, too, as they’re exposed to exterior temperatures often. Check your door jamb, frame and trim for rot. If it’s been raining a lot, this is twice as important. Door rot, while impacting a frame first, can eventually eat away at a door’s interior. Make sure it’s removed immediately.
3. Slamming
While you might not slam the door often, it still happens. It can result in cracked, or even broken corners. Improper installation and screw misplacement, too, can damage a door’s corners.
4. The Wind
Wind damage isn’t common, but it affects household doors more than garage doors. Why? Well, household doors are more likely to get carried by the wind, which causes them to slam. If you’re in a windy area or if there’s a particularly blustery part of your household, watch out. Slamming doors, over time, can sustain cracks. These cracks can damage your door’s value, or even your home’s ability to protect your family.
5. Termites and Other Critters
It’ll take a while for termites to enter your door, but they can still carve through. Other bugs, too, can weaken your door’s structural integrity. You don’t need to watch too closely for bugs in your home’s interior doors. Rather, you should focus on any exterior doors. These areas are often exposed to the elements, plant material, and critters.
Contact Anderson Exteriors with any questions. Your doors might look safe, but they could be sustaining deeper damages. Don’t neglect your home, and take a proactive approach to each entryways durability. Once the dangers are reduced, the damages can be avoided. As always, the best maintenance is preventative maintenance. Spare yourself the expenses, and make sure your doors are buckled down, mold-free and safe from critters.