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Should You DIY Your Front Door?

We get it, DIY is part of Canadian life and self-reliance is certainly no bad thing. But door installation, especially something like front door replacement is fraught if you try and do it without prior experience! No matter how many ‘how to install an exterior door’ videos you watch on YouTube, you simply aren’t prepared for the challenges a door can throw up.

How not to DIY your front door

Oh, we have tales abound when it comes to front door installation, but we’ll tell you three.

  1. I got a slab exterior door for my side entrance. It looked easy enough to finish and install but after I stained and finished the door and installed the handle I realized the door lock was on the right when my old door had the lock on the left!
  1. Our garden door needed replacing so we bought a pre-hung exterior door. Installation was smoother than we had expected and the door frame slipped in really easily, with no struggle at all as we had been told to expect. Then the first snow came and settled on the roof – at which point it bent the door frame and completely jammed the door. Turns out we had cut out a structural beam along with the old door frame (and filled it with insulation)… kind of explains why the new frame went in so easily.
  1. We painted our slab doors and left them out on the patio last summer. It was a lot of fun and my children particularly were really excited about getting a bright purple front door. Small problem… it rained at night and the door and the paint had gone all completely puffy. Then I had to haul them to the yard because they were too big for the garbage truck…

Standard doors, tools, and fittings are available at Home Depots around Ontario. But every home is different and you need to be prepared for the unexpected – which a YouTube video simply cannot do.

Why should you call professional door installers

  • Huge range of doors (including custom doors)
  • Choose door material, insulation, glass configurations you want
  • Doors are built professionally and come with warranties
  • The professionals will replace the front door in a few hours
  • We clean before we leave!

Read more

Best doors for Canadian winters | Best time to replace your door

What DIY you should be doing

  • Change out the door locks and handles
  • Repaint the door a different color or apply a different finish
  • Install smart doorbells and motion detectors
  • Turn your front door into a ‘smart door’ and integrate it with Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Apple HomeKit

At The Window Experts, we know the project is not complete till you are satisfied. Our rates are extremely competitive and we schedule at times that are convenient for you. Most door replacement projects are completed within one day. Call us at +1 (866) 566 9686 to schedule an at-home visit. Our representative will sit with you to design your door, and provide an estimate and easy financing options.

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