8 Common Door Repairs You Need to Know

Although exterior doors don't get that much attention, they're a very important part of your home in Manassas. Not only do they serve the basic function of letting people in and out of your house, but they also contribute to its overall curb appeal—creating a beautiful first impression for visiting friends and family. Your entryways also provide privacy and security—by keeping intruders out. Thus, they contribute to the overall safety of your property.

But like anything else in your home, your doors will need a little work now and then to keep them in tip-top shape, which is where Manassas exterior door repairs come in. Hinges get rusty and possibly break, wood frames warp and rot while your screens tear. When your entryways need repairs, it can feel frustrating and inconvenient. But the good news is, the team at Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia - Arlington to Haymarket have the skills, tools and know-how to get your doors looking good as new in no time.

Not only do we offer high quality workmanship, but our team is also known throughout NoVA for our dedication to customer service. From our hardworking, highly skilled technicians to our friendly office staff who keep operations running smoothly, we'll deliver a positive experience with our company with each job.

No matter what exterior Manassas exterior door repairs you need completed, you can trust our expert Manassas handyman pros to help. We can assist with the following issues, and more!

1. Peeling Exterior Paint

Although peeling paint is unattractive and may be perceived as a mere aesthetic issue, paint actually plays a key role in preventing water damage. When it's chipped or missing, not only does your door look run down, but it also may succumb to issues like warping, molding and rotting. An easy Manassas exterior door repair solution is to hire power washing services from the experts at Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia - Arlington to Haymarket. With one service, we can powerfully strip away peeling paint and other built-up debris. This will give your door a clean slate to paint over. And, our pro team can help with that too! We'll get your front entrance looking good-as-new in no time.

2. Wood Rot

If parts of your entryway are made out of wood—from the panel to frame or jamb—then there's always a chance it could rot. Even weather-proofed and treated wood might start to decay over time. Wood rot is a microscopic fungus that eats damp wood. Its purpose is to clear fallen trees from the forest floor, however it can start to decompose the wood within your home. If you notice signs of wood rot, you need to call a Manassas exterior door repair technician right away. Signs of wood rot include:

Discolored wood
Soft wood
Crumbling into “cube-like” pieces

Pro Tip:

At least twice a year, you should walk through your Manassas property and check for signs of wood rot. The best time of year to do this is during the spring and during the fall. Take a flashlight and a screwdriver with you. The flashlight will help you check for rot in areas that are hard to see. Use the screwdriver to lightly press into suspicious looking areas. If it sinks in, you have wood rot.

3. Problems with Hinges

Even though they're small, hinges do a lot of heavy lifting—literally. They support the door panel by attaching it to the frame. When damaged, hinges can cause all kinds of problems, from squeaking to breaking off entirely. When this happens, the panel itself might even fall out of its frame. Usually, wear and tear, humidity and dust can all negatively impact hinges. The good news is, swapping out your old, rusty and dilapidated hinges with new ones is an easy Manassas exterior door repair job any of our highly qualified technicians can complete on your behalf. We always offer high quality service no matter how big or small the job is.

4. Opening and Closing Issues

Doors were designed to open and close with ease. Not only is it annoying when they don't work properly, but it could also be a fire hazard. This could be a serious safety risk to you and your family in the event of an emergency. If your door is sticking, swings open after you close it, squeaks loudly when moving, or the knob won't turn, you need Manassas exterior door repair services. A technician will be able to ascertain why the door won't work correctly, as it could be a number of problems, such as:

A latch that does not align with the strike plate
A latch that is too high or low
Loose or overtightened hinges
Rusted hinges
Your home’s structural foundation has shifted and the frame has warped
Panels warped because of an underlying issue

5. Inoperable Knobs

Knobs that don't work aren't funny business—despite this being a popular trope in many comedies (Looney Tunes, anyone?). Jokes aside, the knob is essential to being able to open and close your door. If there's an issue, it's likely time for a replacement. Our Manassas exterior door repair experts are more than happy to help you install a new knob that will work properly and improve your home's safety.

6. The Latch Does Not Work

One of the most important purposes of your exterior entrance is to keep you and your family safe. Entryways that don't lock can't fulfill this purpose. But, if you're having trouble with your lock, you don't necessarily need to call a locksmith. Sometimes, the issue is actually with the latch's alignment. Maybe the jamb is twisted, or the latch bore (the small hole opposite the lock that enables it to latch) no longer lines up correctly. You can keep your home safe by calling one of our skillful carpenters to fix that problem with Manassas exterior door repair service.

7. Damage from Wear and Tear

There are many environmental factors (wind, sunshine and rain) as well as other factors (slamming, karate practice and pets) that will stress and degrade your entryways. No matter what caused your door to look dilapidated, our handyman pros have the skills to fix it. And like all areas within your home, the best way to prevent damage from wear and tear is to take good care of your entrances. This includes treating them gently (keeping slamming to a minimum when possible) and also taking time to routinely maintain the structures. Maintenance goes a long way in preventing the need for Manassas exterior door repair—but we'll dive into that further in a moment.

8. Outdated Aesthetic

Sometimes, your door might work perfectly well, but it doesn't match the rest of your home in Manassas, or suit your personal style. If that's the case, why not install a brand-new model that's perfect for your personal taste? You'll be amazed at the difference a new door will make to your home's exterior—even boosting your home's resale value! Not to mention, installing a new model could also be an opportunity to boost your home's security by choosing an option with a peephole or one that is made of metal, which will be more resistant to break-ins.

How to Avoid the Need for Manassas Exterior Door Repair Services?

As we mentioned, maintenance is key for avoiding future Manassas exterior door repairs. We can help with many types of door repairs in Manassas, but it's important that homeowners know how to maintain their entryways to avoid needing repair services in the first place. For that reason, keep the following list of easy maintenance tasks in mind. They’ll help you keep your entrances in tip-top condition.

Test for Balance

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. 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.

Service and Adjust Your Hardware Periodically

Most doorways are used at least once each day, if not more. That's a lot of wear on the small pieces of hardware that attach the panel to the frame. While it's completely normal for the hinges holding everything together to get loose, this is also an easy problem to fix. Simply use a screwdriver to adjust the screws holding the hinges whenever they start coming loose. If you're not up to the task, one of our qualified Manassas exterior door repair experts will be more than happy to help.

Clean Out Dust and Debris

It's amazing how much wear dust, dirt and other types of debris puts on doorways. Over time, enough of it built up in a track or another sensitive area could cause your door to stop working properly. Thus, it’s important to clean each part of your door thoroughly from time to time. Including this simple task during your seasonal cleanups can go a long way toward preventing the need for future repairs.

Pro Tip:

For especially dirty surfaces, consider using power washing services! The water jets that come out of pressure washers can reach as high as 4,200 psi. Using that water jet, we can blast away all the grime from your doors, and many other parts of your home. In fact, we recommend that you hire power washing services at least once a year to blast away accumulated grime and debris. Not only might this build-up detract from your home's appearance, but it could also cause damage if left neglected.

Check Weather Stripping

As soon as there are signs of damage to your weather stripping, it's important to get it replaced right away to ensure the entrance continues to seal when closed. Weather stripping runs along the bottom of doors to stop the elements from getting in and ensure that doorways are fully sealed. Unfortunately, it’s often damaged as a result of dragging or rubbing against the ground, or from being exposed to the elements so often. That damage will only get worse over time, and also reduce the energy efficiency of your door, so it's important to keep weather stripping in good condition to make sure that it prevents drafts and other elements from getting inside.

Check for Cracks

Slabs, frames, trim and other parts of a doorway can become cracked for a variety of reasons. While your chances of suffering from cracks depends on the material used for your door, usually cracks are caused by impacts. For instance, when a piece of hail hits it, or the wind blows the structure closed too hard. Cracks could also be caused by shifts due to settling homes, weather events and poor installation. Cracks will inevitably get worse, so if you see one, it's important to call a handyman to fix the problem as soon as possible. Otherwise, your front entrance might be structurally compromised.

We’re Your Manassas Exterior Door Repair Experts!

Do you need Manassas exterior door repairs or replacement service? If so, trust the pros at Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia - Arlington to Haymarket for all your repair, installation and exterior home maintenance needs. Our technicians are highly trained and possess years of experience. You can trust us to get the job done right the first time.

We've helped many clients throughout NoVA, including in the areas of Clifton, Fairfax Station, Sudley and Yorkshire. When you hire the pros at Mr. Handyman, you choose reliable, accountable and professional service guaranteed to put customer satisfaction first.

To get started today, we invite you to call our friendly customer service representatives at (703) 621-4817 . From routine repair to door installation, to other services like window repair, we can offer solutions for a wide range of home repair and improvement projects.