Doors: Expert Guides and Resources

The two types of doors that are easiest to open don't have hinges at all; instead, they slide on tracks. Sliding-glass doors are a popular feature in rooms with decks or patios because their full-length glass panels open the room visually to the great outdoors while providing easy access to the outside.Interior sliding doors are frequently used for closets and pantries, and sometimes to conceal water heaters and furnaces.

During the winter, you want to make sure that your doors and windows are airtight even if you enjoy the occasional cooling breeze during warmer months. Otherwise, you furnace will just be blowing money out through those cracks.You have quite a few low-cost options for sealing up those leaks: Check your window panes and storm windows for cracks and replace any that are damaged.

Because of the texture of the door surface, preparing a door for painting is especially important. Understanding how to get a door for painting can help you achieve professional-looking results on your finished door.You'll need a screwdriver, latex gloves, goggles, TSP or TSP-PF, drop cloths, a bucket, clean rags, 180-grit sandpaper, liquid chemical deglosser (if you’re covering semi-gloss or glossy paint), primer, a 2-1/2 or 3-inch angled sash brush, stir sticks, and a pad painter (only if you don’t remove the door).

Replacing a fiberglass screen is an easy task. Screening comes in metal or fiberglass. Whichever you use, replacing a fiberglass screen on a screen door is a useful skill to have and one you're likely to need several times over the years to come — particularly if you have kids or pets. Get your replacement screen at a home center or hardware store.

Replacing an aluminum screen is an easy task. Screening comes in metal or fiberglass. Whichever you use, replacing an aluminum screen on a screen door is a useful skill to have and one you're likely to need several times over the years to come — particularly if you have kids or pets. Get your replacement screen at a home center or hardware store.

If you know how to maintain garage doors, you can ensure that they stay in good working order for years to come. Regularly maintaining your garage door can also prevent serious injuries and property damage. In fact, you should inspect and maintain garage doors at least once a year. Inspect wear and tear Proper maintenance of garage doors include inspecting all the hardware and moving parts garage-door springs, cables, rollers, and other door hardware.

Securing your sliding glass door (patio door) is a must: Thieves target sliding glass doors because they're easy to force open even if the conventional lock is engaged. The key to securing sliding glass doors is to install a mechanism that prevents an intruder from forcing the door to slide or to lift. First, make sure that the existing door lock works.

Your automatic garage-door opener requires periodic maintenance to ensure safe and efficient operation. In fact, because a garage door is often the heaviest and largest single piece of moving equipment around a home, frequent testing and maintenance are especially important. Lubrication requirements and adjustment details are typically found in the owner's manual.

Loose hinges can cause a door to stick, bind, or scrape the floor. Lucky for you, it is easy to tighten loose hinges and make your doors work like new. Most hinge problems can be solved with nothing more than a screwdriver. First, check that the hinge screws are tight. Open the door, grasp it by the lock edge, and move it up and down.