Whether your front door is made of wood, metal, or vinyl, it needs to be kept in good working condition so it can protect your home. Schedule a repair if any of the following problems occur.

1. The Door Is Sticking

If your door has become difficult to open or close, you need to schedule a prompt inspection. Wood doors typically stick because of moisture combined with temperature fluctuation, which causes the wood to swell. The door needs to be inspected for moisture damage and repaired if necessary. Sometimes the swelling isn't in the door but in the door frame. Another common issue is that settling of the home has made the frame fall out of square, so the door now sticks. All of these issues can be repaired.

2. The Wood Is Cracking

A cracking wood door is a major issue. Cracks occur on wood doors due to rot, typically dry rot that has caused the natural oils in the wood to evaporate. If the problem isn't yet severe and moisture hasn't seeped into the crack to cause damage, it's time for repairs. The crack must be filled with wood putty then the door is refinished. Cracks can also occur on vinyl doors as a result of trauma. Unfortunately, these aren't easily repaired so a new door is necessary.

3. The Finish Is Damaged

Peeling paint or finish on a door leaves it open to damage from the elements. Without a finish, wood doors can rot and metal doors may rust. Fortunately, you don't have to worry about long-term damage if you act promptly. The old finish will need to be sanded off and a new finish applied. This is also a good time to change the color of your door if you so desire.

4. There Are Air Gaps

Air gaps around the door may not cause damage to the door itself, but it will result in higher energy costs due to heating and cooling loss. Air gaps most often occur due to failed weather stripping and threshold seals, which are an easy and inexpensive repair. Sometimes there are air gaps because the door doesn't fit the frame properly, but a door repair service can fix this as well.

5. The Latches Won't Line Up

If the latches or deadbolts on the door aren't lining up properly, you need to have the door inspected. Sometimes the issue is something simple; sometimes a settling house can change the alignment or a previous contractor drilled the latch holes in the wrong place. The holes can be adjusted to fix the issue. In other cases, latches that won't line up may indicate that the door is warped, which means it needs to be replaced.

Contact a door repair service to find out whether your door needs to be repaired or replaced.