November 2007
Cheap fixes to save an old door
Unless your door is warped, rotted, cracked, or just plain ugly, you may not need to replace it. Try these inexpensive (or free) tune-ups first:
• A squirt of oil can silence creaky hinges.
• A wood door that binds in the jamb may need to be planed or sanded until it swings freely. Alternatively, you may need to put a thin cardboard shim behind one of the hinges to help the door hang true.
• Replacements for rattly knobs or wimpy locks cost far less than a new door.
• Pinpoint drafts by slowly moving a lighted candle around the door. The flame will flicker when you go past an air leak.
If the air is coming in from behind the trim, try recaulking around the outside of the door, between the door trim and the siding. A tube of caulk costs $5 or less.
If the air is coming in from under the door or between the door and its frame, install new weather stripping around the door and a new door sweep; they cost around $15.
Unless your door is warped, rotted, cracked, or just plain ugly, you may not need to replace it. Try these inexpensive (or free) tune-ups first:
• A squirt of oil can silence creaky hinges.
• A wood door that binds in the jamb may need to be planed or sanded until it swings freely. Alternatively, you may need to put a thin cardboard shim behind one of the hinges to help the door hang true.
• Replacements for rattly knobs or wimpy locks cost far less than a new door.
• Pinpoint drafts by slowly moving a lighted candle around the door. The flame will flicker when you go past an air leak.
If the air is coming in from behind the trim, try recaulking around the outside of the door, between the door trim and the siding. A tube of caulk costs $5 or less.
If the air is coming in from under the door or between the door and its frame, install new weather stripping around the door and a new door sweep; they cost around $15.
