Is your front door becoming an eyesore? It may be time for a front door facelift. There are many ways to freshen your front door, for example, a fresh coat of paint is one of the easiest ways to give your home instant curb appeal. However, not all front doors have the same painting process, and some may require more than just a touch-up.

Follow this guide from All-Weather to find out how to transform your front door from an eyesore to a total score!

Things to Consider

If you know your front door needs fixing up, but don’t know where to start, here are a few things to consider:

• What type of door do you have? This is a crucial question to answer before moving forward with any improvements. Different types of doors require different care and maintenance, so be sure to do your research beforehand.
• Is there wood rot? If you have any type of wood rot around your door, it needs to be addressed. Depending on how bad the wood rot is, you may be much better off replacing your door than wasting your time with quick fixes.
• Is the door panel warped? Same as wood rot, if your front door’s panel is warped, it needs to be fixed. This is another instance where considering a new door may be your best option.

If you are looking for a new door, we suggest a fiberglass door because they are pre-finished and ready for installation from our shop. Check out all our other great options on our website and find out how we can help solve your front door needs!

However, for those of you who have a wood door and want to take a shot at DIY here’s how to do it.

Painting for Wood Doors

Step 1: Choose a Color

When choosing a color for your home, pick something that shows off your personality as well as the overall style of your home. Consider all the colors surrounding your home and within your home. For instance, your landscaping, walkways, and other elements leading up to your front door. These elements can serve as inspiration when choosing a paint color.

Also, remember that your front door serves as the first impression for the rest of your home. Pick a color that complements the decor in your home in order to tie it all together from start to finish.

Once you’ve chosen a few colors, tape the swatches to your door and leave them up for a few days to decide. Make sure to look at them in the morning, afternoon, and evening to see how each color looks in different lighting.

Related Read: How to Choose a Front Door Color

Step 2: Time to Prep

The first step to prepping your front door is removing all the hardware. This may seem tedious, but it is much easier to achieve a professional look if you take the time to do this step. If you’re considering replacing your hardware, now would be the perfect time to do it.

Next, you will want to sand your door. We recommend using a palm sander because it roughens the flat surfaces, giving your primer the ideal surface to adhere to. If the palm sander doesn’t reach the small details on your door, you may have to hand sand them.

Once you’re finished sanding, take a dry rag and wipe it down to remove any excess sanding dust.

Helpful Tip: Don’t want to take your door apart? Check out how to paint your door without taking it off its hinges.

Step 3: Prime & Paint

Now that you’ve prepped the door, it’s time to prime and paint! Usually a white primer will do, but depending on the color you choose, you may have to get your primer tinted. Not sure if you need a tinted primer? Find out when to use a tinted primer in this article.  

When the primer has dried, lightly run the sandpaper over any imperfections, and wipe away any dust left behind with a dry rag.

When it comes time to paint, start with the details and trim. Once you have hand-painted all the details, you can use a small roller, we recommend a six-inch roller with a low-nap texture, to paint the rest of the flat surfaces on the door.

After a few coats, examine the door and find any imperfections. If you find any inconsistencies, use a brush to hand-paint for a perfected finished product.

Related Read: Paint Trim Like a Pro: Tips for a Prettier Paint Job

Step 4: Last But Not Least – Dry & Cure

You’re almost there! Although you may want to cut corners and put your door back together right away, it is important to give your freshly painted door a full day to dry and cure. After it has had a day to set, all that’s left is putting it back together!

Now it’s time to reattach your old hardware, or attach the new hardware. Once you’ve done this, it’s time to take a step back and enjoy your new front door!

Thinking about a new front door for your home? Give All-Weather Window, Doors & Siding a call at (913) 262-4380 and check out our blog for even more helpful tips!

Screen doors take a lot of abuse, and pets and kids seem to be the worst offenders. Whether they’ve left holes and tears or loosened your screen beyond repair, it may be time to replace that worn-out screen.

Don’t worry! You don’t have to replace the door entirely, just the screen! Even better, this is a task you can do all on your own. Follow these four easy steps from All-Weather and you’ll have a new screen door in no time!

Tools & Materials

• • Scissors

• • Screen Spline Installation Tool

• • Utility Knife

• • Screen Material – (Typically need 1 roll)

• Screen Door Spline

Step 1: Ditch the Damaged Screen

Out with the old and in with the new! Remove the frame of your screen door and lay it down on a large, flat surface.

 Locate the spline on the outer edges of the frame, and pull it from the frame to release the damaged screen. Don’t worry about keeping the old spline or screen material, you will replace these altogether.

Now that you’ve gotten it down to just the frame, it’s time to measure for your new screen.

Step 2: Measure & Cut

Next, it’s time to make your screen like new. Take the roll of screen material and roll it out so it extends past the frame on all sides about two to three inches.

It is important to leave this extra screen on all sides because as you apply the spline, it will tighten the screen and you can trim away the extra, but if the screen doesn’t extend far enough it may not reach all the edges.

Related Read: Phantom Screens-Now You See Them, Now You Don’t

Step 3: Securing Your Screen

This is where the screen spline installation tool becomes your best friend. This tool makes wedging the spline into the frame easier because it has both convex and concave rollers on either side. 

First, you will cut the spline to measure the length around your frame, leaving a few extra inches on the edge just in case. Next, align it over the frame above the groove where it will be secured. Use the concave end of your installation tool and press the spline into position.

With one hand, slowly roll the spline into place, and hold the screen taut with the other hand to ensure the screen is tight and doesn’t bunch. As you reach the corners of the frame, bend the spline into a right angle, and use the other side of the roller (the convex side) to push it in.  

 Once you have done all those steps, go over the entire length of the frame with the convex side of your tool to ensure the spline is completely secured into the frame.

Step 4: Trim & Enjoy!

Last step is to take your utility knife and cut around the inside of the frame right above the spline. This will eliminate the excess screen and leave a nice clean look for your newly improved screen door!

Now all that’s left to do is put your screen door back on its tracks and enjoy!

For more helpful tips and tricks, check out All-Weather’s blog or contact us today to discuss what All-Weather Window, Doors & Siding can do for your home this Spring!

The only thing standing between an intruder and your home is your front door. With this frightening reality, it’s no surprise that homeowners want the best when it comes to their door locks. All-Weather Window, Doors & Siding wants to ensure that your home is fully protected, so today we are showing you the best options and what to look for in a quality door lock.

Time to Lock It Down

Homeowners have many brands and options to consider when securing their home, but first, they need to decide on the basics. Here are the basic types of locks you will choose from.

• Deadbolt locks are the king of locks. They provide the utmost security for your home and are, without a doubt, the most durable. For residential homes, these are often paired with another lock below for enhanced security.

• Locksets & Handlesets are medium security door locks, and they have two doorknobs, one on the outside and inside, that can be locked from either side. These aren’t quite the same caliber as a deadbolt, but these are great to pair with a deadbolt for maximum security.

• Keyless locks are becoming more and more popular amongst homeowners because of the convenience and advanced home security they offer. These have an anti-theft rolling code feature that makes sure the same code can’t be used twice. Certain models even sound an alarm after so many failed attempts.

Related Read: A Front Door Safety Feature So Good, It Changed Building Codes in Kansas City

 

Check the Grade Before You Pay

After deciding the basic type of lock you need, checking the grade of that lock should be your next priority. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) created grades for door locks to identify their quality and durability. Every lock that is ANSI graded is extensively tested to ensure maximum safety and is categorized into the three grades below:

• Grade 1: This is the highest grade security available. Typically this grade is used in commercial buildings, but residential customers can purchase a grade 1 deadbolt to meet this level of security in their home.

• Grade 2: This is a more common grade lock for residential purposes. A grade 2 lock exceeds standard residential security and is the next best option when choosing a door lock for your home.

• Grade 3: This grade only meets residential building requirements and provides minimal residential security. If you have grade 3 locks in your home it may be time for an update!

The type of lock you choose and the grade are crucial to the safety of your home. Next time you are replacing your locks, or even your door, make sure to consider these helpful tips.

Thinking it’s time to make security a priority? We’re here to help! Let the professionals at All-Weather guide you to the right choice in your entry doors.  

If you’ve recently remodeled your home, you might have a lot of excess materials you need to dispose of. Instead of throwing all of your old things out, see if you can upcycle or repurpose some of them. Old doors are one item that you can reuse in other ways, especially they have unique or interesting characteristics. One of our favorite ways to upcycle an old door is by making it into a table. These are great for unique dining or kitchen tables that spark conversation at dinner parties. All-Weather explains how you can create a DIY table with your old door.

Materials You’ll Need

• Old door
• 4 wood posts
• Drill and screws
• Pocket-hole jig
• Power sander and sandpaper
• Chop saw
• Paint and brushes
• Four 1x3x8′ plank boards
• Beveled-cut glass the size of door/tabletop

Related Read: The Best & Worst Doors for Increasing Energy Efficiency in Your Home

Get Building

1. Cut your wood posts to length. The height of most dining tables is 29 inches. Subtract the thickness of the door and the glass covering, and what’s left over should be the height of your wood posts.
2. Use 1×3 plank boards to make the skirt boards. The skirt is the wood overhang that spans the length between the legs and holds the tabletop up. To determine the size of the skirt pieces, measure the length and width of the door (tabletop), then subtract the thickness of the posts (legs), then subtract  another 2 inches to give the tabletop a 1-inch overhang on all sides.
3. Drill three pocket holes on the inside ends of skirt boards. This is where you will attach the skirt to the posts.
4. Drill single pocket holes along the inside of the skirt board spaced about a foot apart. These will be used to attach the skirt boards to the underside of the tabletop.
5. Assemble the table base by screwing the legs to the skirt through the side pocket holes.
6. Sand, prime and paint the table base. Let it dry completely.
7. Attach the table base to the top, then screw through the single pocket holes on the inside of the skirt boards.
8. Last, lay the beveled glass on top of the door.

On the flipside, if you’ve recently had an All-Weather door installed in your Kansas City home and don’t want to reuse your old one, we will dispose of it for you free of charge. Call us today at 913-262-4380 to install your new doors.

When the cold air moves into the Kansas City area you know it because you can feel it start to seep into your home through undetected  nooks and crannies. One of the best ways to keep your home energy efficient during the winter months (and year round) is with high quality windows and doors. Stop cold air in its tracks this winter with one of these three energy efficient door picks from All-Weather Window, Doors & Siding.

Steel Doors

Steel doors have some of the highest energy efficiency ratings, usually just behind most fiberglass doors. Since many steel doors are manufactured for the utmost security, they’re usually tightly fitted to the door’s frame and lock shut securely. Newer steel doors don’t look like the cold, bland doors we’ve seen in the past. Newer steel doors have increased style, but you still don’t get quite as many options as with fiberglass or wood doors.

Fiberglass Doors

Considered some of most energy efficient options on the market, fiberglass doors, from brands we carry like Andersen and Therma-Tru, are a great option to keep your home nice and cozy this winter. Decked out with properly fitted weather stripping and door sweeps, these doors are almost totally resistant to winter weather from wind to sleet to snow. Fiberglass doors are also among the most durable door materials. They get fewer dings than steel, and don’t require restaining or repainting like wood.

Related Read: Why You Should Install Storm Doors Before Winter

Wood Doors

Wood doors are beautiful and still a classic look, but they are not the best at insulating your home from the elements. Wood allows more heat to pass through than steel or fiberglass doors. Wood doors can still do a decent job though, especially in more temperate areas. If you love the look of wood, make sure you add weatherstripping and a door sweep to maximize its energy efficiency. While they aren’t the most energy efficient doors, they still have a lot of pros. Wood doors are less likely to get dinged than steel doors, and are also very easy to repaint or stain when you decided to change the style of your home.

All-Weather can help you find the right door for your home in one of our showrooms conveniently located throughout the Kansas City area. Call us today at 913-262-4380 to set up an appointment to find your perfect door with one of our product specialists.