Buying Fiberglass Doors? 2 Tips To Protect Their Integrity After Installation
Before you install your fiberglass doors, there are several things you should do first. Although fiberglass doors can protect your home from wind, rain and other hazards, the hardware, door frames, door jambs, and door seals can compromise their integrity after installation. In addition, the doors can't protect your family from break-ins and other dangers. Here are two tips to protect our fiberglass doors' integrity.
Stabilize and Reinforce the Door Frames and Jambs
No matter how strong and durable your fiberglass doors are, they may not protect your home from break-ins and burglaries if the door frames and jambs are too weak to support them. Before you install your fiberglass doors, examine your door frames and jambs for rotten or termite-damaged wood and make the necessary repairs right away. You should understand that fiberglass doors may withstand a lot of pounding, kicking and other violent actions. However, weak door frames and jambs cannot.
Criminals can kick in your door if the support frames and jambs lack strength and integrity. The wood may splinter on the sides, or it may collapse from the pressure. If your family is home during the break-ins, they can be in harm's way or worse.
If you don't have the know-how to reinforce your door frames, have a professional come in and redo or replace the frames and jambs with stronger materials, such as wood-panel, steel or reinforced fiberglass. These types of materials are thicker, denser and more resilient than your current door frames and jambs.
After the repairs or replacements, you may want to protect your entrances and rest of the home from future problems by having them inspected and treated for termites and moisture damage.
Install the Proper Door Seals and Weatherstripping
Door seals and weatherstripping can wear down after long time use. Once they do, wind, rain, dust, and other problems can seep through the sides, tops and bottoms of your fiberglass doors. If you install your fiberglass doors before you repair or replace the seals and weatherstripping, they may not fit the door frames and jambs properly. In some cases, the doors may stick when you attempt to open and close them.
You can replace damaged door seals yourself by purchasing a DIY kit from your hardware store. But if you don't feel comfortable about doing this job, contact a general contractor and have them do it for you.
Your fiberglass doors can be a sound investment for your home when you take steps to protect them. If you need guidance on how to reinforce door frames, jambs, seals, and weatherstripping, contact a fiberglass door supplier (such as Port Orchard Glass) for help.