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Six signs it's time to change your entrance door
Every property owner wants their entrance door to last as long as the building itself. But with daily use, external influences and new trends, this isn't always possible – especially if the door is not of the best quality to begin with. Sooner or later, it's time for a change. But are there any signs that can tell you when it's the right time? Of course! Find out more about them in the article below.
- Your door is damaged
- Your door is hard to open and close
- There are draughts even when the door is closed
- Your heating or cooling bill is getting higher every year
- You don't feel safe in the building
- Your door design isn't keeping with the times
Is it time to change your entrance door?
You can design your dream door today.
Knocking, kicking, temperature extremes, humidity, hail, dirt... In addition to daily use, entrance doors are exposed to many external influences that contribute to their wear and tear. But how do you know when it's time to switch? Generally speaking, it is when a door ceases to fulfil one or more of its key functions – safety, insulation and aesthetics.
There are many signs that an entrance door has outlived its useful life, but some of them are less obvious than others and are often overlooked. Many people don't realise what a hassle a worn-out front door can be. So let's take a look at those signs and what we can do about them.
1. Your entrance door is damaged
One of the most obvious signs that it's time to change a door is if the door itself is damaged. While a scratch here and there is a normal thing and not worth worrying about, cracks, dents and fractures are problems that should be addressed as soon as possible. These not only affect the appearance of your doors, but also their safety: worn or damaged doors are a very attractive target for criminals. It should also be remembered that the door is the first contact many people have with you and your property. If it is worn or damaged, it won't make a good first impression on your guests.
Let's take a look at some of the most common types of structural damage that make the replacement of entrance doors advisable.
- Rusting. Rusting is a result of moisture problems or inferior construction quality. Rust damages doors from the inside out, weakening them over time to the point where they no longer offer adequate protection against the elements.
- Peeling and cracking. Wooden doors are particularly susceptible to peeling and cracking, as they expand and contract with temperature changes. This allows the entrance of moisture, causing rot and attracting parasites.
- Creaking hinges. Squeaky hinges can of course be silenced with the right coating, but they are often a sign of a more serious problem – an ageing door. Worn-out hinges can literally open the door to uninvited guests who are willing to use force to gain access to your property.
But how does this and similar damage happen? The most important factor, apart from age, is exposure to weather. You are particularly affected if you live in an area with high rainfall or slightly more extreme temperatures.
The second factor is the material of the front door; wood still reigns supreme today. Although it is a tempting choice thanks to its natural origin, it is very sensitive to both ageing and weathering. This accounts for the increasing popularity of aluminium doors clad in wood decor, which you will also find in our range. They are almost indistinguishable from traditional timber at first glance, and are characterised by their outstanding structural stability, ease of maintenance and resistance to cracking, rot and rust.
2. Your entrance door is hard to open and close
Opening and closing the front door must be easy and effortless. If there is any sticking, the best thing to do is to fix one of the loose screws in the hinges. However, the possibility that a change of door is required cannot be ruled out. This is because doors can expand, contract or even warp due to extreme temperature changes, which cancause them to become out of alignment with the frame. This unfortunate phenomenon is particularly common with wooden doors and causes the door leaf to deflect at the level of the handle.
Unfortunately, the door getting stuck is only the beginning of your problems. When the door no longer fits tightly into the frame, air gaps appear along the edges of the door, but you may not even notice them with the naked eye. They are a particular nuisance in winter, letting heat out of the building without your knowledge and inviting the winter cold in, thereby increasing your heating costs.
Not sure if air is passing through your entrance way? Fortunately, there's an easy way to find out. Take a lighter (or candle) and hold it against the frame, then slide it along its length and width. If the flame starts to flicker, the answer is in the palm of your hand: your door is leaking air.
In some cases, you don't even need a lighter. As we note in the next section, you can experience the lack of insulation first-hand...
3. There are draughts even when the door is closed
Draughts when the door is closed are caused by the aforementioned gaps between the door and the frame, which are not necessarily caused by age, but can be a reflection of faulty sealing at the factory. Older wooden doors are usually not fitted with a seal at all, and while newer doors are, they may be positioned too high due to incorrect installation and therefore not seal well at the threshold. This can cause more than just draughts: light, water and insects can also unexpectedly find their way into the property.
Of course, an imperfect seal does not mean that the front door needs to be replaced; if your door is fitted with a seal, in some cases replacing the seal is sufficient. However, it should be borne in mind that this is only a short-term solution, as the procedure must be repeated after a certain period. In the long term, it is therefore wise to invest in a quality entrance door that will not cause problems in the first place.
In any case, if a problem arises, you should consult a specialist who will advise you on the optimal solution. But draughts are undoubtedly one of the main signs that a new front door is not far away. After all: where will you feel comfortable if not in your own home?
4. Your heating or cooling bill is getting higher every year
As a property owner, you are surely trying to minimise your monthly costs as much as possible. One of the highest costs is usually the heating bill in winter and the cooling bill in summer, which is not necessarily due to higher consumption. As we have seen in the previous two sections, poorly sealed front doors can also be to blame.
Poor sealing is particularly common in older doors, and will make your heating/cooling system have to work harder to provide a comfortable temperature inside. This means not only more wear and tear on the heating system, but also unexpectedly high energy bills.
With a more energy-efficient entrance door model, you can ensure better insulation of the building, benefiting the environment and significantly reducing your costs. Although a new door may seem like a significant financial outlay at first, the investment pays for itself within a few years thanks to the energy savings.
5. You don't feel safe in the building
Protecting you, your loved ones and your possessions is one of the fundamental tasks of an entrance door. If you don't trust your entrance when it comes to security, replacing your front door is an essential project.
The security of entrance doors not only declines over the years due to outdated materials or structural weaknesses as described in the first two points, but also due to advances in security technologies. Modern doors are increasingly well secured, which means that even once high-quality entrances are now an easier target for criminals than more modern ones on new buildings.
Thanks to rapid advances in the world of technology, we have witnessed many smart solutions for the home in recent years, from cameras to digital door viewers. These are now joined by advanced door locking and unlocking systems using, for example, fingerprint sensors and Bluetooth technology. One of the most advanced solutions of its kind has been developed by Inotherm. The INOSMART system is equipped with the most sophisticated fingerprint sensor, unlocks in up to three ways and can be controlled via a mobile app.
With a new front door, you'll not only keep up with the times, you'll also stay one step ahead of the bad guys. Just think: if your neighbours already rely on smart doors and you don't, it's not hard to imagine whose property they will target. So protect yourself, your loved ones and your possessions and get a new, safer front door.
6. Your door design isn't keeping up with the times
The front door is the centrepiece of any facade and, whether you want it to or not, it attracts a lot of attention. A door with an unattractive appearance can therefore give a bad impression that even a perfect facade will not make up for. When renovating the exterior of your home, it is therefore a good idea to include a new entrance in the plan.
Replacing the front door does not only make sense if the door is visibly worn or damaged, as discussed in the first point. It also makes sense if you want to add a more modern look to a building's design and thus increase its aesthetic value. Entrance doors are an important visual element that can captivate passers-by, visitors and guests, while making sure you enter the building with a smile on your face every time. After a long and tiring day, you certainly don't want to be greeted by a dilapidated door, possibly jammed when you open it.
A new, designer entrance door is also a great investment if you are planning to rent out or sell your property. The door is one of the first things that potential tenants or buyers notice when they view a property. Why not convince them before they go inside?
So if you find that the exterior of your building is no longer as inviting as it once was, or you simply want to freshen it up a bit, it's definitely time to consider a new front door.
What do the latest trends say?
When it's time to change your front door, one of the first decisions you have to make is on the right choice of look. Clean lines, matt surfaces and natural earth tones come to the fore, often complemented by black or anthracite details in the form of decor, applications and pull handles. Wood-look surfaces are increasingly popular, creating a feeling of warmth while offering durability and a modern look.
Large, elegant models are at the forefront, often complemented by sidelights and transom lights that let in natural light while improving energy efficiency.
Hidden handles, ambient lighting and smart unlocking systems ensure that today's front door is no longer just a functional element of the home, but a sophisticated design statement and an expression of your lifestyle.
You can browse our range of virtually countless colours and styles – you're sure to find the perfect design for you, whether timeless or modern.
Replacing your front door – where and how?
If you recognise your current front door from the signs above, it's only a matter of time before you will need to change it. To make sure you don't have to come back to read this article a few years after the changeover, we strongly recommend high-quality aluminium doors which you will also find in our range. They deal with all six of the above issues in one go, from security to insulation. In addition, their superior solid construction ensures exceptional static stability and optimal performance even in extreme weather conditions such as high winds or water.
At Inotherm, we pay special attention to the correct installation, which also contributes significantly to the service life of the entrance door.
If you want to know more about the process of replacing your front door and are thinking of buying a new one, contact us and arrange a free online consultation. We'll be happy to help. With our advanced configurator you can easily design your dream door yourself – completely to your taste! You can even insert it into a photo of your facade and see how it looks immediately. If you like your choice, you can receive a no-obligation offer within 24 hours.
