Exterior Doors

The entry door and all exterior doors will dry out to a certain extent. As a result, the door frames may experience a small amount of movement, which make small adjustments to the door necessary.

Exterior Door Hardware

To maintain polished metal and prevent corrosion, regularly wipe all metal parts with a soft cloth to remove dirt and grime. Then apply a car wax to the metal surface in accordance to the wax manufacturer"s instructions. Be careful not to get wax in the keyhole. Certain brass finishes may change color, tarnish, or pit in time because of naturally occurring elements in the air and prolonged use and handling.

Locks

Occasionally you will need to re-tighten the screws that hold the door locks and handle sets to the door. This is easily accomplished with a screwdriver. If the door will not close due to misalignment of the door lock, first tighten the screw located on the strike plate one way or the other to compensate for the minor settling which occurs in every home.

A small amount of lubricant (available at grocery or hardware stores and auto parts dealers) will keep the inner part of door locks working smoothly. Graphite should be used to lubricate "keyed" locks.

Sliding Glass Doors

The door unit is suspended in a frame and slides on nylon rollers. Occasional spraying of the tracks with a silicone solution after cleaning the bottom track will assure smooth operation. Rocks and dirt should be removed promptly from the track to avoid damage to both nylon guide wheels and the track. If a door is hard to open or close, be sure to check the track to determine if an object may be restricting its operation. Never force a door, for you may rack it out of square and incur unnecessary repair expense. The moveable side of the door has adjustment screws on the jamb edges which, when tightened or loosened, provide the required tensions for smooth operation.

Small drain holes are located in the tracks and permit water to escape from the track channel. Be sure these holes are kept open; otherwise, water may back up under the moveable side and leak into the house. Although this door is equipped with rubber sealing strips and nylon weather stripping to provide a tight seal, some rain may seep around the edges if hard, driving rain blows water directly against door surfaces. No sliding door provides an absolutely watertight seal against the elements.

Garage Doors

Even though quality doors and frames have been installed, these doors are subject to extremes of temperature due to the ravages of weather. Don"t make hasty adjustments on new doors since the condensation and humidity of a new home may affect them only temporarily. Occasional slight sticking is normal and even desirable for a weather-tight fit.

The moving parts of garage doors should be oiled about once every three months. The screws that fasten the hardware to a door should be tightened after one year because springs may rust or break. Replacements can be found at many local hardware stores. To install new springs, open the door, brace to keep it from falling, hook the spring on the bottom, and pull it to the upper hook. In some cases it may be best to have a garage door repair company do the replacement.

If an overhead door is left up for long periods of time, it may warp inward. Adjust the nuts on the metal rods or straps across the top and bottom of the door to correct it.