Entry, storm and sliding doors
A door that sticks, drags or lets daylight through the weatherstripping is usually telling you something about the opening it sits in.
Our door work
Shore Home Exteriors installs and replaces entry doors, storm doors and sliding patio doors. Doors sit in the same wall assembly as windows and behind the same siding, so the flashing and sealing at the opening is the same problem, and on a coastal house it is the problem that matters.
Why do sliding doors fail first on a beach house?
Because a slider is the hardest-working opening on the house and it faces the worst of the weather. On most homes here the slider opens onto the deck, which means it faces the water, and it is the door everyone uses all summer.
Three things go wrong, usually together:
- The track fills. Sand tracked in on bare feet, blown in on the wind, and washed in by rain collects in the sill track. It grinds the rollers, holds moisture against the frame, and blocks the weep holes that are supposed to let water in the track drain back out. A blocked weep is how a slider goes from stiff to leaking.
- The rollers go. Corroded or flat-spotted rollers make the panel drag, which people compensate for by shoving harder, which accelerates the wear and eventually racks the panel out of square.
- The sill takes standing water. Wind-driven rain hitting a slider on an exposed elevation loads the sill far more heavily than gravity rain does. If the pan flashing under the door was never right, that water goes into the floor framing, and the first visible sign is often soft flooring inside.
Not every failing slider needs replacing. Cleaning the track properly, clearing weep holes and replacing rollers restores a lot of doors. Replacement is the answer when the frame is corroded, the panel is racked, the glass seal has failed, or there is water damage at the sill.
What is my entry door telling me?
- It sticks in summer and swings free in winter. A wood door swelling with humidity. Common and often adjustable.
- It sticks all year, or the gap around it is uneven. The frame is out of square or the opening has moved. Planing the door treats the symptom.
- Daylight at the edges, or a draft you can feel. Weatherstripping, threshold adjustment, or a door that no longer meets its stop.
- The threshold is soft, stained or rusting. Water has been sitting there, which raises the question of what is under it.
- Rust streaks or corrosion on a steel door near the ocean. Steel doors corrode fast in salt spray; once the skin is compromised it progresses.
- The lock needs lifting or leaning to engage. The door has dropped or the frame has shifted.
Which entry door material suits a coastal house?
Fiberglass is the workhorse choice near the ocean. It does not rust, does not rot, is dimensionally stable through humidity swings, and is available in finishes that convincingly imitate wood. For an exposed coastal entry it is usually the sensible recommendation.
Steel is strong and cost-effective, and it is the material most vulnerable to salt air of the three. On a sheltered entry it can be fine; on an ocean-facing door it is a shorter-term decision.
Wood is the best-looking option and the most demanding. It moves with humidity and needs a maintained finish, and in coastal air with direct sun that finish schedule is not optional. Under a deep, covered porch it can last well. Fully exposed, it is a commitment.
Whatever the slab is made of, the hardware and hinges are a separate coastal decision. Standard finishes pit and corrode quickly on an oceanfront door, and a beautiful door with failed hardware is still a door that does not close properly.
Storm doors, with one caution
Honestly, it depends on the opening. A storm door adds a weather barrier, lets you open the entry for a breeze, and protects the finish on a wood door.
The caution that applies specifically to sunny exposures: a storm door over a dark entry door in direct sun can trap significant heat between the two, which is hard on the entry door's finish and on some door slabs. Manufacturers publish guidance on this; heed it. On an exposed south or west entry, a full-view storm door over a dark slab is the combination to think twice about. On a shaded or north-facing entry, it is a non-issue.
The detail that decides a coastal door installation: the sill pan. A door opening is a hole at the bottom of a wall, where water collects rather than runs past. A correctly built and flashed sill pan catches anything that gets in and drains it back out. It is invisible once the door is set, it adds little to the job, and it is the single most common thing missing from door installations that later cause floor framing rot.
Do I need a permit to replace a door?
A like-for-like door replacement and a job that changes the size of the opening are different things to a building official. Enlarging an opening, converting a window to a door, or cutting a new opening involves structural work and will generally need a permit. Properties inside Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Bethany Beach and Dewey Beach go through that town's own building office, and in the Lewes Historic District, a door change the public can see goes through the Historic Preservation Architectural Review Commission first. Where a permit or review applies, it is included in the job.
Door FAQ
Why does my sliding door stick at the beach, and can it be repaired?
Sand collects in the sill track, grinding the rollers and blocking the weep holes that let water in the track drain back out; once the weeps are blocked the door goes from stiff to leaking. Cleaning the track thoroughly, clearing the weep holes and replacing the rollers restores many sliding doors. Replacement is the right call when the frame is corroded, the panel has racked out of square, the insulated glass seal has failed, or there is water damage at the sill.
Which entry door material is best near salt air?
Fiberglass is usually the sensible choice for an exposed coastal entry because it does not rust or rot and stays dimensionally stable through humidity swings. Steel is the most vulnerable to salt air. Wood looks best but needs a maintained finish, which in the salt environment with direct sun is not optional. Hardware and hinge finishes are a separate coastal decision from the door slab.
Why does my door stick in summer but not in winter?
A wood door swelling with humidity, most likely, which is common and often adjustable; a door that sticks year-round, or has an uneven gap around it, points instead to a frame that is out of square or an opening that has moved, and planing the door only treats the symptom.
Is a storm door a good idea on a sunny entry?
Depends on the exposure. A storm door over a dark entry door in direct sun can trap significant heat between the two, which is hard on the entry door finish and on some slabs. Manufacturers publish guidance on this. On an exposed south or west entry, a full-view storm door over a dark slab deserves a second thought; on a shaded or north-facing entry it is not a concern.
What is a sill pan and why does it matter?
A flashed pan under the door threshold that catches water getting into the opening and drains it back out, protecting the floor framing below. Water collects at the bottom of a wall, which is exactly where a door opening sits. The pan is invisible once the door is set and is the most common omission behind rot found under exterior doors.
Door not closing the way it used to?
Tell us what it is doing and we will tell you whether it is an adjustment, a repair or a replacement.