How Do the Old Doors Compare With New Ones on the Market?

The quality of life in a home is higher with upgraded doors. That may sound like an overstatement, but is it? Having up-to-date EPA-rated Energy Star doors on your home is essential for security, comfort, energy efficiency, and maximizing your property values. Plus, life is more convenient with doors that open and close easily and properly.

Over the years, residential doors must withstand continuously rough use and severe climate conditions here in the desert southwest. Those include relentless blazing hot summer temperatures, the punishing Arizona sun, and torrential monsoon rains. Then there are the routine beatings from heavy grocery bags, sports gear, band instruments, school books, and other items carried by kids and adults shoving through the entry doors in the daily rush.

Click to jump to section:

• Life Expectancy of Doors on a Home
• Signs That It’s Time To Replace Your Old Doors
• Benefits of Replacing Old Doors
• How Cost-Effective Is It To Replace Deficient Doors?
• #1 Door Replacement & Installation Company

What is the Life Expectancy of Doors on a Home?

Many years of this abuse naturally cause loss of the doors’ functionality and aesthetic value in an older home. The lifespan of exterior doors, especially in extreme climates like the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, is typically around 30 years. Some high-quality French Doors can be expected to last from 30 to as long as 50 years. After that point, depending upon the material and construction of the door, replacement is likely to be your most practical choice.

Signs That It’s Time To Replace Your Old Doors

There are clear signs that a door needs replacement, whether it’s an entry door, a sliding glass patio door, or a back security door. Other signs may not be as easy to assess. Deciding to order replacement doors often requires weighing the pros and cons of investing the money and time and dealing with the predictable inconvenience of having the work done. But, you can act with confidence when the following signs indicate that you need to replace the doors on your home:

The doors no longer function properly.

If you’re having trouble locking, opening, or closing your doors, it may be time for replacements. Especially if the problems are not repairable by basic maintenance or the repairs will not gain very long-continued use. Or, if the repair costs add up to a high percentage of the door replacement cost, it’s probably time for replacements.

The doors are too deteriorated or coming apart.

When doors are warped or cracked, or the surface layer of composite doors is peeling away, it may not be enough to paint or re-stain doors just to improve their appearance. Structural problems in doors may require more than paint and some simple adjustments.

The structural design of the door is outmoded.

Having a retro or vintage door style is not the same as having an outdated door. Doors that are outdated in this way are obsolete because an updated design has since proven to provide greater efficiency for the purpose intended. Doors made of virtually maintenance-free materials, like today’s construction-grade vinyl, can deliver exceptional durability and long-term reliability.

Your home is uncomfortable due to inefficient doors.

Drafty doors cause interior temperatures to be too hot in summer and too cold in winter because the doors perform poorly and sealing adequately around them is too difficult.

Your heating and cooling costs are too high due to inefficient doors.

Your monthly home energy bills are higher than normal, and your HVAC is constantly working overtime because interior air is escaping through your doors. 

TIP: Vinyl replacement doors are especially good for their insular properties.

The doors are detrimental to your property value.

Old doors and frames that are chipped, rotted, rusted, corroded, water-damaged, insect-damaged, or showing other signs of extreme deterioration can contribute to reducing your home’s and your neighborhood’s property values.

The doors do not help enough to block outside noise.

Old doors may no longer be sufficient to block external noise in homes located in busy cities. It can be very distracting when you’re working from home or trying to enjoy a relaxing evening. Today’s energy-efficient door designs are much more effective in noise reduction than old, outdated door designs.

The doors are no longer providing security.

If your exterior doors are weak or loose and no longer fit firmly against the door frame, they may be ineffective in protecting your home from easy intrusion. Replacing old, weak doors with strong new exterior doors can help protect your family and property much more safely.

There is an excessive amount of dust in your home.

Quality doors also minimize interior air pollution and dust that is unhealthy to breathe and corrodes your home’s interior, furniture, and other possessions.