| Installing a new door can make a big difference to | | | | them. Stained or marbled glass is a popular addition to |
| the interior or the exterior of a home. If you think | | | | front doors with cutouts. Some people have a front |
| that painting your existing door will not improve the | | | | door of solid wood, but then put a decorative storm |
| door enough for you, then a new door is a wise | | | | door outside of that to keep their house well |
| investment. Many people also replace their doors | | | | insulated. Then they can leave the solid door open |
| when they are drafty, badly insulated, or do not fit | | | | during the day and admire the view through the |
| properly into the door frame. A high quality new door | | | | storm door. |
| can lower the costs of heating or cooling your home | | | | You can usually buy doors in standard sizes for your |
| because it probably has better insulation than your | | | | door frame. Only rarely will you have to cut them to |
| old door. Vintage doors are often made of cheap | | | | the right size. If there is a special kind of wood you |
| materials like plywood, while today's doors are better | | | | would like to use however, or want to save yourself |
| made, although you may end up paying more dearly | | | | some money, you can order wood from a |
| for them. For instance you can pay five hundred | | | | lumberyard to your specifications. Make sure you |
| dollars for a new front door, but the door is usually | | | | take precise measurements of the old door before |
| reinforced with metal for safety reasons. | | | | you order. |
| The three kinds of doors are interior doors (which | | | | A new door requires handles - a door set. You can |
| more often than not do not have locks on them), | | | | buy a kit at a hardware store to install on your door |
| entry doors (extremely sturdy doors with safety | | | | or get a professional to do it. The most important |
| measures to keep out burglars and other | | | | thing to remember when installing your door kit is to |
| undesirables), and combination doors such as storm | | | | make sure everything measures up properly. You |
| or screen doors. Installing doors is a project that you | | | | need to set your hinges before you drill a hole in |
| can probably do by yourself, although sometimes it is | | | | your new door. Once you make sure everything is |
| a two-person job if the door is especially heavy. | | | | aligned in high fashion, then you can install your door |
| Usually one person needs to hold the door up while | | | | kit. The door should close all the way when you are |
| the second person takes it off its hinges. | | | | done, or you have done something wrong. |
| Doors can be purely functional, purely decorative, or | | | | Sometimes you might just have to adjust the |
| a little of both. For instance, many people have front | | | | screws in the hinges to fix the problem. Other times, |
| or entry doors with decorative windows cut out of | | | | you may need to cut a sliver off the door. |