Rust, Rot And Bald Screws: How These Things Affect Your Doors And How To Fix Them
Entry doors encounter a number of repair problems as the doors age. Rust in the hinges, rot in the door materials and bald screws all affect how the door works. So, how badly do they affect the use of your door? Are these problems easily fixed? How do you fix these issues?
Rust
Metal hinges can rust over time, especially if they have any amount of iron in them. (Stainless steel, brass and bronze alloys have been used in more modern hinges, so newer homes will see this less often.) The rust causes the hinged and bolted portion to stick, grind and squeak, like a rusted out pair of car brakes. If you want to fix this problem, you can either use an anti-rust spray if the rust is not too bad, or measure the hinges and replace them with newer hinges of the same size and weight.
Rot
Some doors are still made of wood. If you do not paint, stain and/or seal them regularly, the elements can cause the doors to rot. Rotting wood splinters, and then cracks, usually along stress lines. Stress lines fall where the door connects to other surfaces, such as the frame and along the hinged sides of the door. If you also experience dry rot, these doors will eventually pull away from the screws that hold the hinges on, and fall off. If you have rot already, you may not be able to rescue the door without a lot of sanding and sealing. It is often better just to replace the door entirely, which a door contractor can do.
Bald Screws
Bald screws are the direct result of tightening screws either too quickly or attempting to tighten them beyond the point where they are already quite secure. The screws' threads then become loose, do not hold and cannot be tightened. The heads of the screws may also be too damaged to screw the screws back into the plates of the door hinges and the door fixtures.
Remove your bald screws, take them to a hardware store, compare them to the available screws for sale and select replacement screws based on size, diameter, head type, and metal type (e.g., stainless steel, brass, etc.). Then you can put the door fixtures or hinges back on the door and put the door back in place. This is an easy fix, but one which door contractors and door repair technicians do frequently.
For more information, talk to a professional like Coast Safe And Lock Co Inc.
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