Door replacement solutions for easy maintenance

Doors provide privacy, security, and protection from the elements. If your home is typical, it has lots of doors. Your interior doors will probably last the life of your home unless you do a major remodel. However, exterior doors take more wear and tear, and need to be replaced more often. When choosing an exterior door, your major selection criteria are style and cost. But maybe you should also consider ease of maintenance.

How easy is it to keep your door looking spiffy?

Door maintenance isn't something you need to do every day. Cleaning is probably the major maintenance activity, although exterior doors may need painting every few years. So when choosing your replacement doors, think about how difficult they may be to clean.

Wrought iron, beveled glass, and other fussy accents can be a challenge when it comes to getting them free of dust, cobwebs, and other detritus. If you have small children or pets, you may have to clean fingerprints, nose prints, and other smudges on glass doors more frequently.

You can avoid frequent repainting by choosing a metal or fiberglass door with impregnated color. Natural wood finish doors look great when they are new, but require periodic refinishing to keep them looking that way.

Quality door replacement hardware makes helps

Another item that figures into door maintenance is the hardware. Paying a bit more at the outset for top quality hardware can save you time and money in the long run.

• Make sure your handles and latches have a quality finish that won't tarnish, peel or flake over time.
• Hinges, especially self-closing hinges, are another item where quality pays off. They can be a hassle to replace, so choose hinges to last the lifetime of the door. If your door gets heavy use, lubricate the hinges periodically.
• Weather stripping is another item that must be replaced as it wears. Choose the best quality you can afford.

Finally, if you install screen or storm replacement doors, choose heavy duty construction from a reputable manufacturer. Quality hardware, again, is a key item, particularly the hinges and pneumatic door closer. The heavier-duty the screen or storm door, the less adjustment and other maintenance will be required.