The broad range in the cost of doors, in general, takes many people by surprise. The cheapest doors can be found at your local big box hardware and home improvement centers. The big surprise there is just how inexpensive their lowest-cost doors are. Before you buy, though, keep in mind that these super cheap doors are also the lowest in terms of quality of materials. They are generally made from pressed wood fiber that is often derived from recycled cardboard fiber. On the opposite end of the spectrum are custom-made doors with costs that can often run into five and even six figures. In the end, though, the deciding factors should be first and foremost budget—that is, how much you have to spend. Then, after that, consider the other doors in a home or business. If possible, you will want to match them in design and style. Additionally, the value of the home or building where a new door is going to be installed should be considered.
The cost of a home improvement should ideally reflect positively in the added value of a home or commercial building. So, on a cheap rental unit, a less expensive door would be the best choice. Conversely, a more extravagant home might call for a pricier door. Lastly, door repair is almost always the most cost-effective option. That is unless it’s a case of a broken cheap door that calls for a quick trip to the local hardware store. Referring back to the car analogy, even extensive body damage on a motor vehicle that would appear to call for total replacement can be transformed back to like-new condition in the hands of a skilled craftsman. A heavily damaged door quite often can undergo the same transformation by way of a skilled professional.
It’s a fact that car and door problems have much in common. Given that most people have dealt with car repairs, it can make understanding things a lot easier when a door problem pops up and decisions need to be made. The first decision to be made is just like a broken or worn car door—the big question is to repair or replace. Then, just like a car door, the older the home is, the more difficult it can be to find a matching replacement that is affordable and matches all the other doors. Older homes with older doors all too often don’t have standard door sizes.
So if a home was built in the 1950s or earlier, there is a good chance that the local hardware store won’t carry a replacement that will fit into the opening once that old door is removed. So if a replacement can’t be trimmed to size, the only option may be to have a replacement door custom-made. Then, if it is a nice thick and heavy door made from, say, solid oak, the cost of a custom door goes even higher. All too often, on older homes in particular, repairing a door wins out over replacement due to cost. Also, keep in mind that exotic trim for the door casing may not be available to match the other doors and the floor and window trim.
INSURANCE AND DOORS
Then there may be questions regarding insurance. So where do you stand? Most standard car insurance policies stipulate that they don’t cover damage claims that originate from a criminal act. What this means is that if your door was damaged during a break-in or vandalism, for example, you may not be covered. Then there is the insurance deductible to consider. Dry rot is caused by water, so you may be covered there by flood insurance. Just keep in mind that insurance companies are very good at collecting your payments but not so good at promptly paying out claims that they can wiggle out of.
So just what caused the door damage is understandably a major consideration for insurance carriers. Home or building settling or shifting can and often is a primary source of door, window, and even drainage problems. So if other problems such as cracks in concrete foundations, sticking sliding windows, and water pipe clogging issues are also present along with sticking doors or doorknob splines that aren’t engaging properly, then the actual issue may be covered by an insurance policy that covers broader problems but excludes doors. Finally, given the broad range of pricing on replacement doors, it’s imperative that any claim payout matches the actual value of any door replacement. Here is something that may call for an experienced professional to provide a value estimate to present to an insurance adjuster.
STRAIGHT TALK ON DOOR MANUFACTURERS
Even as automation has pushed so many manufacturers out of business or out of the country, your local door manufacturers are still plugging away. The reason here is twofold. First, there are a heck of a lot of doors in homes wherever you live. Secondly, good custom-made doors don’t come cheap. The good news, though, is that they will accept any situation no matter how odd or complex it is if you have the money to pay. They will also guarantee their work, unlike a door purchased at your local big box hardware outlet. But here again, your local hardware store will always win out when the chief consideration is cost.
WHAT ABOUT ENERGY EFFICIENCY?
When you talk about doors and energy efficiency, you really are talking about exterior doors. That is with the rare exception of perhaps a door on a steam sauna or walk-in freezer or refrigeration unit. By and large, though, it’s exterior doors on a home. Sliding glass doors, just like windows, can bleed energy, so they should take a top priority here. If you haven’t checked argon gas-filled windows on sliding glass doors and windows, maybe it’s time you did. It is amazing how argon gas in a dual pane window blocks out so much heat from the sun while allowing all the light to pass through. The effect has to be seen personally to be fully appreciated. Beyond that, hollow doors and foam-filled doors are always a great choice in this respect.
LOCAL CONTRACTORS AND DOOR REPAIR
Door repair and replacement is a specialized craft, particularly if it is a new door being retrofitted into a wall where there is no opening, so one has to be cut out and framed in. The first thing to think about is wires and pipes that are in the walls of a building. Chances are good that one or both may be directly in the way of a planned door retrofit. You certainly wouldn’t want your brother-in-law rerouting and replacing gas lines in your home or messing with electrical wiring. But if it doesn’t involve any retrofit work, all doors require a higher level of training and experience for proper installation and repair.
A FEW ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS AND CONCERNS WORTH MENTIONING
If you have ever held up a cold drink, then you have surely seen the water that beads up on the outside of the glass, particularly if the drink is cold and the air is humid. Well, the same thing happens on an exterior door when the air conditioner is on high on a hot humid day.
The air is cold on the inside surface and the result is water settling on the outside surface due to humidity. So if this is your case, you may want to go with a fiberglass door. Another thing worth knowing is there are interior and exterior doors. Interior doors are often lighter, less costly, and won’t stand up well to what the environment throws at them outside. Then keep in mind that security doors are only as good as what they are attached to and what you paid for one. You really do get what you pay for in security doors.
A FEW HIDDEN COSTS IN DOOR REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT
The first hidden cost in door replacement is the disposal of the door being removed. The old door needs to be dealt with, which means a trip to the local landfill. Someone has to pay for it, and that someone is you. So unless you want it left at your house, you may get stuck with the dump fee and travel time.
Then, a new door needs to be painted. The coat of paint that it came with is a basic primer coat, so a top coat and color of your choosing need to be negotiated. If you decide to go with a lacquer coating, the price jumps up because lacquer needs to be sprayed on. Finally, any carpentry work to enlarge the door opening or lessen its size can run the cost up considerably. One solution is to keep it simple. Cut the old door up in pieces to fit into your garbage can and stick with a painted finish. Then, go with a door that fits into the existing door opening.
LOCAL CONTRACTORS AND DOOR REPAIR
Then, a new door needs to be painted. The coat of paint that it came with is a basic primer coat, so a top coat and color of your choosing need to be negotiated. If you decide to go with a lacquer coating, the price jumps up because lacquer needs to be sprayed on. Finally, any carpentry work to enlarge the door opening or lessen its size can run the cost up considerably. One solution is to keep it simple. Cut the old door up in pieces to fit into your garbage can and stick with a painted finish. Then, go with a door that fits into the existing door opening.
A FEW ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS AND CONCERNS WORTH MENTIONING
If you have ever held up a cold drink, then you have surely seen the water that beads up on the outside of the glass, particularly if the drink is cold and the air is humid. Well, the same thing happens on an exterior door when the air conditioner is on high on a hot humid day. The air is cold on the inside surface and the result is water settling on the outside surface due to humidity.
So if this is your case, you may want to go with a fiberglass door. Another thing worth knowing is there are interior and exterior doors. Interior doors are often lighter, less costly, and won’t stand up well to what the environment throws at them outside. Then keep in mind that security doors are only as good as what they are attached to and what you paid for one. You really do get what you pay for in security doors.
A FEW HIDDEN COSTS IN DOOR REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT
The first hidden cost in door replacement is the disposal of the door being removed. The old door needs to be dealt with, which means a trip to the local landfill. Someone has to pay for it, and that someone is you. So unless you want it left at your house, you may get stuck with the dump fee and travel time.
Then, a new door needs to be painted. The coat of paint that it came with is a basic primer coat, so a top coat and color of your choosing need to be negotiated. If you decide to go with a lacquer coating, the price jumps up because lacquer needs to be sprayed on. Finally, any carpentry work to enlarge the door opening or lessen its size can run the cost up considerably. One solution is to keep it simple. Cut the old door up in pieces to fit into your garbage can and stick with a painted finish. Then, go with a door that fits into the existing door opening.
STRAIGHT TALK ON DOOR MANUFACTURERS
Before you pick up your phone to call your local custom door manufacturer, you should know that they don’t work cheap. Save the forest organizations and movements around the globe have accomplished a lot towards limiting the availability of high-grade lumber. As a result, costs have also gone up.
Taxes have also worked to drive up costs, as some states are now even instituting a general lumber tax. So all in all, materials in general have risen in price. Then there is the issue of expediency, that is, how long it takes for a door manufacturer to deliver on an order. This alone might be a major issue when an access door is out of service that was blocking unauthorized access to a home or a business.
Can you wait weeks for a front door on a home? In the end, though, if you have the money and the time, the best benefit of a custom door manufacturer is that there is always one somewhere that will create a door or doors to accommodate whatever it is you have in mind as long as you are willing to pay.
WHAT ABOUT ENERGY EFFICIENCY?
Sealing around a door’s edges just makes common sense, and there is a wide range of products available for doing just that. The easiest and cheapest to buy and apply are rolled peel-and-stick foam strips. If a door has no sealer on its edges, these are a quick fix with a couple of caveats. First, the door frame where they go must be clean and free of dust, or the door seal will come off surprisingly quickly.
Secondly, they work on the bottom of a door where all too often the largest gap is located. Doors often need to be removed to install a sealing strip so it can be properly attached. Another energy-saving accessory worth looking into is an automatic door closer, which prevents doors from being left open. Through it all, if a door is misaligned with uneven edges along the top and sides, even foam strips may not be enough to prevent energy leakage. In that case, the remedy comes in the form of a door realignment.
LOCAL CONTRACTORS AND DOOR REPAIR
So the big question is: does a job call for a local contractor or will a local handyman work out just fine? The simple answer here is how extensive the damage is. The benefit of a contractor is that they can be far more accountable if they are, in fact, licensed. They are bonded and insured and must answer to a licensing board regarding complaints. Contractors are also required to abide by state and local building codes. Even so, many contractors steer away from smaller door repair jobs.
There just isn’t enough money in them, particularly if they have a crew to keep busy. The good news, however, referring back to the car repair analogy, is that if the repair involves dings, dents, and minor cracks or issues involving alignment, there usually is a freelance craftsman or woman somewhere locally who is up to the task. In the end, make sure to sign a written agreement with any contractor you bring on board to work on a home or building.
An agreement that details what is to be done, when they will start, when they will finish, and of course, the final cost. You are free to draw up a contract and present it to the contractor for them to sign if you choose to. Be aware that anytime a contractor steps foot into your home or business or drives onto your property, they bring with them the prospect of damages. Oil drips on your driveway, paint spills and drips, and cracked tiles from dropped tools are some of the most common. You will want to make sure there is a stipulation in any contract that covers this contingency.
A FEW ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS WORTH MENTIONING
Environmental concerns factor heavily into door repair and replacement. One common design mistake is an exterior door installed with no protective awning. A door flat against the wall is expected to handle all that nature throws at it in wind-driven rainstorms. Pooling water on a patio that wasn’t graded away from a building will find its way under a door if there is no drainage. In an environment where security is a top priority, a steel door set in a steel door casing might be in order, or a good solid security door might do the trick. Water is the enemy of all buildings.
From the rooftop down to the foundation and all points in between, water pooling or condensing where it shouldn’t will always find its way. An unvented bathroom or a bathroom with an inoperable vent will allow steam to turn into condensation on a door, which over time will cause degrading issues. Fiberglass doors are great for standing up to water and condensation issues. However, unlike wood doors, fiberglass doors don’t trim down well. If a door opening is smaller than a wood door to be installed, often the solution is to trim it down with a saw. On the other hand, fiberglass doors can’t be trimmed down with a saw because the resulting edge will be frayed.
A FEW HIDDEN COSTS ON DOOR REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT
Another hidden cost to avoid is removing and replacing a high-quality older wooden door with a lower-quality door when a simple repair is in order. Just as with so many other products available today, manufacturers have become very adept at glossing over lower quality finished products to appear better than they are.
Particularly in an older home, doors that have seen better days may look worse than they are when the problem is just a surface issue. Just as with antique furniture, sometimes old is good when it comes to doors. So take a little time to do some research before you scrap a hand-crafted solid oak door and replace it with a lesser quality door that happens to just look newer. Remember, just as with clothing, styles and design features that are out of style today will, in time, wind their way around on the popularity merry-go-round to be all the rage in due time.
The best way to learn what the market is holding out as the latest and greatest is to tour a model home at a new home development project. That is where you will see what home buyers are currently buying. Bad decisions on home repair and remodeling projects can turn out to be the biggest hidden cost of door repair and replacement.
SECURITY BENEFIT TO DOOR REPLACEMENT
The security benefit to door replacement can be substantial if the door being replaced lacks security features. This is often the case in areas that are gentrifying. What was once adequate becomes less than adequate as homes and neighborhoods are improved. The most obvious security enhancement is a metal security door being installed.
But there is something to consider here. That something is a perceived false sense of security can be more dangerous than a lesser level of actual security that you are aware of. What this is leading up to is that not all security doors provide the same level of security. The cheaper base models really provide no raised level of security at all.
These would be the light security doors that anyone can breach by simply reaching down to grab the lower corner to bend up. What may look secure to you may not look secure to the criminal element, and that is what security doors are installed to deter. Generally speaking, the more that is spent to procure a security door, the better quality it will be, with the least expensive bargain basement security doors at your local big box hardware outlet being the least secure.
LOOKING BEYOND SECURITY DOORS FOR ENHANCED SECURITY
The significant security benefit of door replacement is that it offers the option of installing a more solid door and door casing. Door casing is the framework that surrounds the door itself. Something to be aware of is that regarding forced intrusion, the door entry is only effective if the casing is also improved in terms of resistance to applied force.
So, if a door is replaced with a solid oak door and the soft pinewood framework is left in place, when force is applied, it’s not hard to imagine that even as the new solid door remains intact, the framework holding the door in place will be open to failure. The significant benefit regarding enhanced security by way of door replacement is that it offers the option of replacing the door casing and wall framing it is attached to with stronger materials, including hardwood or even steel.
There is far more than meets the eye when it pertains to door security through door replacement. Door security is, in fact, a relative term, as there are levels of enhanced security. A door can be made difficult and time-consuming to forcefully breach, or it can be made impossible to breach by force depending on the measures taken and the level of investment.
IMPACT OF PROPERTY VALUE ON DOOR REPLACEMENT
If you take a moment to consider it, there are a lot of doors in and on a home, even more so in a commercial building. Then, in terms of curb appeal, a front door can become a focal point. Additionally, a door is the first thing a person encounters before they enter a home. So, in the most basic terms, a door is a three-dimensional welcome mat to a prospective buyer or property value estimator. But there is more to a quality door than just looks. It must function smoothly and quietly, swing with minimal effort, and engage upon closing without a flaw.
Too many people take doors for granted in terms of property value enhancement, particularly if they are selling a home they have lived in. Flaws and malfunctions that they have grown accustomed to over time and forgiven can often be glaring to a prospective buyer. Then there is the matter of door security factoring into home value. A home and area that seem perfectly safe to a person who has lived in it may be questionable to prospective buyers. Security doors have come a long way in terms of aesthetics compared to security doors in years past, so much so that there are now security doors available on the market that have completely ditched the security door look while still providing maximum resistance to intrusion.
SECURITY CERTIFICATION: SMART KEY TECHNOLOGY
The big question for many people in search of adequate security in door installation, repair, and replacement is how much is enough and can an entranceway be certified as secure by way of a level of standards. The answer here is that there are so many different situations that call for a higher level of security that what is adequate in one area or project may not be in another. So, for example, a bank and a warehouse storing beer both require enhanced levels of security, but what is adequate in one is not in another. The best source for quality information when it comes to door security is contractors who have personally dealt with home and door security. They have seen with their own eyes what works and what doesn’t.
These are the people who get called to homes and businesses after they have had a break-in or breach of security. These are also the same people who can give sensible advice on feasibility, that is, what can and can’t be done within a particular budget. A contractor’s guarantee can also function as a form of security certification. They are bound by building codes and construction norms enforced by a licensing board when they work on projects involving security. In the end, though, all certifications aside, a door is only as secure as the materials it’s made of and the quality of installation work.
SMART KEY TECHNOLOGY EXPLORED
When discussing smart key technology, what you are really discussing is resistance to tampering and unauthorized intrusion. After all, a key has no brain, so it has no intelligence. The term “smart key” is a relatively recent addition to semantics, though, and it fits well because those who would bypass a locking system employing smart key technology are, in fact, getting smarter. Pick-resistant door locks come with a wide range of types that require increasingly strange-looking smart keys to thwart unauthorized admittance. As odd as they look, though, most of them have been proven to fail when the efforts of a skilled locksmith are applied.
One smart key lock, on the other hand, has shown itself to be a standout, and that is the Bowley Lock produced in Canada. Not only is it marketed as containing viable smart key technology, but it’s also milled from hardened steel and shaped to resist applied force. Amidst all the odd smart key technology integrated into a lock design, this lock also happens to be among some of the most strange-looking. Smart key locks have their place in security systems but are usually backed up by secure doors such as steel security doors for multilayered security.
COST ANALYSIS AND ROI
Given the number of choices and options, not to mention the broad range of prices as it pertains to door replacement and repair, it only stands to reason that cost analysis to determine ROI should be a top priority. A home or commercial building should always be viewed as an investment and approached as such before any major decisions are made on work to be done. Door prices can lead to sticker shock, both at the high as well as the low end, so people like yourself are often shocked at how cheap the low-end doors can be procured, then at the other end of the pricing spectrum, how costly higher-end doors can set a buyer back. Top doors regularly carry prices upwards of tens of thousands of dollars and even into six figures in some instances.
So, in simple terms, any door replacement or repair project must be within the confines of the value of the home or building the upgrade is being done on. There is no magic bullet improvement on a home or building that is going to shoot the appraised value through the roof. Some things, including doors, will give it a boost, but all in all, a home improvement project to increase the value will almost always involve a series of projects. In the cost analysis, all things must be considered, and that can include several aspects such as appearance and security.
How does a door look? Does it fit the overall design of a home? Is stripping and refinishing in order or complete replacement? What about security? Will a solid hardwood door be the better choice to thwart break-in attempts? Or will a less costly door with a steel security door work equally as well? As far as finishes are concerned, painting a door is almost always less costly than any type of clear coat. Clear coats need to be sprayed on in a confined shop setting while paint can be applied on-site. Then finally, hardware styles, quality, and cost all too often be dealt with as an afterthought. Don’t make this mistake because just like door hardware comes in a broad range of types, quality, and prices.
SECURITY HARDWARE BRANDS EXPLORED
It should come as no surprise that particularly in urban areas, security hardware for doors is a top priority for increasing numbers of home and business owners. But with so many options available, it only stands to reason that all door security hardware products are not created equal. Then factor that in with the reality that a false sense of security is always worse than a lower level of actual security, and it’s not hard to see that decisions based on solid facts rather than emotion or clever promotion are a must.
Tops on the list are more often than not pick-resistant door locks, and be aware that the operative word here is “resistant”. How resistant is enough? Can a pick-resistant door lock still be bypassed? The fact is that many security hardware brands tend to overhype the effectiveness of the pick-resistant locks they have on the market. Another fact worth noting is that lock-picking kits require no special permit or license to purchase and are readily available online at your local big-box hardware outlet.
But all things considered, a quality steel security door is hard to beat when it comes to truly effective security, and there are more than a few brands that produce them. Also, a general rule of thumb is the more costly a security door is, the more resistant to unauthorized intrusion it is. Then again, a solid, truly pick-resistant deadbolt on any security door is a must or all is for naught.
So then what about security hardware brands and cost? Here again, for truly effective security hardware brands, by and large, you really do get what you pay for. Bowley locks produced in Canada are among the best, but at the same time, they are also among the most costly deadbolt locks for doors. Some of the more standard security hardware brands available at your local big-box hardware store do offer an enhanced level of actual security at a lower cost but nowhere near Bowley’s top-rated locks.
APPRAISAL FACTORS EXPLORED
In the end, it is a home appraiser who will make the final determination regarding the value of a home or building. How much has the work you have done on it impacted its overall value? One thing to keep in mind here is that an increase in value due to ambient inflation in most instances can be deceiving. This is because as the home or building has risen in value, so too has everything else to the same degree.
There is an old real estate joke that has a person selling a home at an increased value due to inflation. Then when the seller asks their agent to take them to view a dream home they can now supposedly afford, the agent takes them to view the home they just sold. So real added value is going to be accrued by actual home improvements, to include doors if need be.
Home appraisers don’t just whimsically stroll through a home soaking in its “wow factor”. Rather, they are trained to operate systematically to examine and rate all aspects from the foundation to the roof and all points between. So that, of course, includes the doors in a home or building.
So many components of a home are surface. So for instance, wall surfaces and paint and trim are obviously surface components of a home that affect its appraised value determined by a home appraiser. The framing, foundation, and plumbing are below the surface. So they are never seen yet they are taken into account by a home appraiser.
Doors, on the other hand, embody both aspects. They have a surface, but their function and materials and wear are all considered by a home appraiser when attaching a value to a home when selling, buying, or using it for collateral on a loan.
Another thing worth considering is the number of doors in a home. So if there are, say, eight doors in a home and you are considering repair or replacement, the sheer number of them has to be factored in. The thing about doors in a home with regards to an appraisal by a qualified home appraiser is that if the doors are due for replacement or major refinishing, a surface treatment will not be enough for a qualified home appraiser. Also, if a security upgrade is in order, that too should be considered, particularly in an urban setting undergoing gentrification.
Finally, bear in mind that appraisals by appraisal services can arrive at different results depending on who has hired them. So for example, if an insurance carrier has hired a home appraisal service to assess the value of damages to your home, it will, in all likelihood, be less than the figure arrived at by an appraiser you have hired to determine the expense of projected repairs or replacement with regards to the same damages.