10 Common Door Repairs in Fairfax County

Door repair is a very important part of home maintenance, even if it doesn't always seem that way. After all, when was the last time you thought about the well-being of your doors? Like most parts of your home, door repairs in Fairfax seem to sneak up on you. Yet, it's integral to take the best care of your entrances as you can.

Why? Because doors play an important role in the flow of your home. They welcome friends and family into your place, and provide privacy within a busy household. Doors help hide clutter and mark the entrance to various rooms. Perhaps you work from home and welcome clients into your home office. Or maybe the minute you shut your bedroom door to take a nap on a lazy Sunday is how you invest in self-care. Suffice it to say, we use our entrances every day in Fairfax, So, we should take care of them.

Numerous factors can cause wear and damage as time goes on. The good news is, with help from our team at Mr. Handyman of Fairfax and Eastern Loudoun Counties, you can be confident that your entries will always be in tip-top shape. Our Fairfax handyman experts offer a range of repair and installation services. Whether your front entryway's latch sticks or your bedroom door's hinges are squeaking constantly, our service professionals will efficiently and professionally fix the problem.

We provide outstanding repair and installation solutions for your interior and exterior entries, and we can also fix damaged garage doors. Finally, if you have broken doors that are beyond repair, our team of expert technicians offer excellent installation services in Fairfax and nearby areas. Keep reading to learn more about the top 10 door repairs our team at Mr. Handyman of Fairfax and Eastern Loudoun Counties will help you with, and a few maintenance tips to prevent the need for future door repairs in Fairfax.

1. Damage from Wear-and-Tear

Like anything else you use on a daily basis, wear-and-tear is certain to take a toll on your entryways. Many environmental factors in Fairfax could wind up damaging your entryways too. For instance, the age of materials, pets scratching or chewing at the frame, and accidental slamming all impact functionality and aesthetic.

Additionally, humidity and changing temperatures also damage your doors. If you often leave windows open, your HVAC system is not working properly or you have poor ventilation in your bathroom, moisture could cause mold, mildew and wood rot to spread.

2. Outdated Appearance

Does your door work as it's supposed to, but you don't like how it looks? Maybe you've recently renovated and your entrances don't match the rest of your home, or they were never your taste even when you first moved in. When it comes to finding replacements, you have many options to choose from! And, our team at Mr. Handyman of Fairfax and Eastern Loudoun Counties is more than happy to help update your old models.

3. Inoperable Knobs

This may be one of the most frustrating issues with entryways. If your knob won’t lock, won't turn, doesn’t line up with the latch or is sticking, it’s time for a replacement. Otherwise, it can be challenging to safely open and close your door. Our experienced repair experts will let you know why your handle isn’t working properly, be transparent about your options to fix it, and efficiently complete the necessary repairs.

4. The Latch Does Not Work

Exterior doors are key for keeping your home safe. Yet, this safety is compromised when a latch won't work properly. You don't want to be worrying about an intruder breaking in, or your pet pushing the entrance to your home open at night in an attempt to explore Fairfax County.

Likewise, interior doors should lock correctly to create privacy—such as the entries to the bathroom. It can be frustrating when a latch fails you, and could lead to embarrassing moments.

If your latch doesn't work correctly, there could be a number of problems affecting the lock. The frame might be twisted and the latch bore (the small hole opposite the lock that connects with the latch) no longer lines up correctly. Thus, the lock will be practically useless. Get the latch fixed right away to keep your home safe and maintain privacy.

5. Loose, Tight, Rusty or Damaged Hinges

Hinges wear down over time. This is a completely natural process, and it could be exacerbated on doors in Fairfax that are used frequently. Humidity, dust, constant use and fluctuating weather can take its toll on the bracket’s performance. If left unattended, a small amount of rust can cause significant corrosion.

When a hinge corrodes, it might also break off entirely. Since brackets are what hold the panel to its frame and support its weight, severe damage may cause the structure to fall. Prevent injury and keep your family safe by calling our experienced technicians to repair or replace damaged hinges immediately.

6. Misaligned Wheels

Sliding doors have just as many issues as their hinged counterparts. It's common for homes to be built with sliding closets, patio entries, screens and even shower doors. Misaligned wheels and other issues with the track mean it will stick and have trouble opening and closing. This can be frustrating for homeowners. Instead of struggling with a door that won't slide properly, call our highly trained and versatile technicians. Our experts will carefully replace or realign wheels and tracks, so they work smoothly once more.

7. Annoying Noises

Squeaking sounds are without a doubt irritating. But luckily, it's a relatively easy fix with the help of one of our expert service professionals! Sometimes the hinges could need lubricating, are too tight, or are too loose. In any case, our carpenters can replace damaged hinges, re-align the frame or make any necessary adjustments to fix the problem. You'll be able to relax knowing any irritating noises have been efficiently dealt with.

8. Opening and Closing Issues

Since doors exist to let you in and out of a certain space, opening and closing them should be easy. In fact, entrances that don't open and close correctly can actually be serious safety hazards—especially during an emergency, like a fire.

If you feel like you have to slam against the structure just to get it open, you need a handyman service. Sticking, knobs that won’t turn, and panels that always seem to swing open right after you close them indicate a problem with alignment. A few reasons why this could happen includes:

• Latches are misaligned

• Hinges are too loose or tight

• Panels have warped from humidity or insect damage

• Latches are too high or low

• Your home’s structural foundation has shifted, which has resulted in a warped jamb

9. Damaged Beyond Repair

Did your teenager back the car into your front door? Or perhaps a storm blew the neighbor's tree into your porch? Sometimes, damage can be so severe that repairs simply won't cut it. In this case, you need installation services. When disaster strikes, the experts at Mr. Handyman of Fairfax and Eastern Loudoun Counties will make it right. Our team of dependable technicians and carpenters will efficiently replace the damaged model and carefully install a new style that perfectly suits your home’s appearance.

10. Dependable Garage Door Repair Service

At Mr. Handyman of Fairfax and Eastern Loudoun Counties, we're not just pros at taking care of your main interior and exterior entranceways. We can also help with basic garage door repair projects. If you need help with fixing the weather stripping, installing a keypad entry system, or completing frame repairs for the area surrounding the door, our team can get the job done right. Our experienced carpentry and home repair experts are here to help!

How to Prevent Door Repairs?

While our team of experts can help with a wide variety of door repairs in Fairfax, it's best practice for homeowners to be familiar with how to maintain their entryways and prevent the need for repair services in the first place. To that end, the following involves a simple list of easy maintenance tasks designed to help homeowners in Fairfax County keep their doors in their best shape.

Regularly Tighten Hardware

You use your entrances at least once a day, probably more. That's a lot of pressure on the small parts that attach the panel to the frame, and enable the structure to move smoothly. It's completely normal for the nuts and bolts holding everything together to get loose. This is a relatively easy issue to prevent. Simply take a wrench and/or a screwdriver and adjust the hardware every couple of months.

Test for Balance

Poorly balanced entrances are more likely to get damaged or become inoperable. In an extreme situation, a panel might break away from its frame entirely. This would cause really costly repairs. When you open and close your entrance, pay attention to how it swings. Does it seem balanced, or is something off? If you notice the balance seems iffy, be sure to call one of our expert handymen right away.

Check Weather Stripping

Weather stripping usually runs along the base of your front and porch doors to ensure they seal properly when shut. Because of its location, weather stripping is constantly getting rubbed against the floor and is exposed to dirt, dust and the elements. Over time, it can become brittle, crack and start to deteriorate. As soon as there are signs of damage, it's important to get it replaced right away to ensure the entrance continues to seal when closed.

Clean Out Dust

Like anything else in your home, it's important to dust your entrance ways regularly. Doors collect a lot of debris. If left unattended, this debris could damage the overall structure. It's important to clean both the interior and exterior of your doors. Often, the outside-facing panel and frame get neglected, even though these areas are exposed to far more debris than their indoor counterparts. Besides, clean entrances are far more welcoming to your visitors—and boost curb appeal.

Pro Tip:

For seriously dirty surfaces, consider hiring our expert power washing services! Using a machine that emits water at an incredibly high pressure—as much as 2,400 psi—we can blast away even the most stubborn grime from your exterior doors, windows and more!

Check for Cracks

It's common for cracks to develop across your door. While the frequency and severity of cracks depends on the structure’s material, cracks can also be caused by impact. For instance, if a dog jumps up on the door to be let in, or if a baseball was accidentally thrown against the panel. Cracks are certain to worsen, so if you see damage forming it's important to call a Fairfax handyman to fix the problem right away.

Hire Mr. Handyman of Fairfax and Eastern Loudoun Counties Today!

When you need door repairs in Fairfax and Loudoun County, our team of experts has it covered. Whether your hinges are squeaking, you require entry door repair, a closet door has come off its rails or the bathroom won't lock correctly, we've got it covered.

Our experienced team has more than a decade of experience serving customers with quality service. We can tackle a wide variety of home improvement projects in Fairfax and nearby areas. Not to mention, our company is widely recognized for our unparalleled customer service. We've helped countless homeowners with their home improvement needs throughout Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, including in Centreville, Reston and Leesburg.

To book an appointment with our team of service professionals, we invite you to call our friendly customer service representatives at 703-962-1202. We look forward to hearing from you and helping with your next home improvement project!