Winter has arrived, and so have the icing and frost-related problems within your home! The sheer cold of winter can easily affect the structural integrity and parts of your home, especially your doors which are constantly exposed to the snow and frigid wind outside. Though door building materials are usually resilient, cold can still affect a lot of things around and inside it, especially the parts that permit motion. What are some of the most common door problems during winter?
Frozen Locks
A very common situation when it comes to metal door handles that aren’t winterized, door locks (especially the ones that are in the exterior of your home) are prone to getting frozen and jamming. The whole lock is usually fine, it’s just the ice is preventing the mechanisms inside from moving and doing their job. The easiest way to get around this problem is to heat up your key using a pocket lighter or with another heating element, then inserting it into the lock. As you’re wearing winter gloves, using a pocket lighter that has a flint wheel might be a problem, and there may be times the fuel inside might get frozen. As a backup, have some waterproof matches around just to be sure.
Drafty Doors
Drafty doors are a very serious problem for any household. This doesn’t only leave gaps for outside air to enter, but the gaps also allow your internally heated air to escape through your door and windows (though Polar Bear windows are better in quality, and are resistant to cold and these issues). What causes this issue is most likely a fitting problem, where the door isn’t properly fitting inside the frame. Check the door jambs, as they are likely not standing vertical and leaning toward the left or right side. An immediate fix would be re-drilling holes for larger screws to be put in place or placing shims to compensate and make the door fit in a snug manner.
Door Not Clicking Into Place
This issue is caused by a misaligned strike plate, which is caused by either loose parts on the door or the jamb where the strike plate is attached to has become askew. Don’t force the door to close shut, as this can stick or bind the door, making it harder to pull or push open. The problem can easily be fixed by manually adjusting the strike plate so that the plunger on the door hits the sweet spot properly.
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Polar Bear is a siding contractor that consistently delivers promotional programs that have allowed customers to complete projects on time with flexible financing available to fit your needs and project timeline. We aim to reduce the pressure involved in choosing the right contractor and alleviate the risk involved in paying for work that has yet to be completed, as different customers have different budgets.
For any inquiries, contact us through (425) 290-5579 or fill out our contact form to request an estimate. We proudly serve clients and homeowners in Seattle, WA and the Greater Puget Sound.