Gaps around solid doors, especially those made of wood, have a tendency to develop over time, even in upmarket properties with expensive fixtures and fittings. It’s such a common sight, you could easily be forgiven for thinking it an inevitability when buying your own home but it doesn’t have to be that way. As you’ll discover in this guide, there are several possible root causes and all of them can be reduced or eliminated with a little effort.
Without further ado, let’s jump right in and examine the primary root causes of gaps between solid doors and their frames in residential properties across the UK.
Most internal and external doors are opened and closed thousands of times every year so you can imagine the accumulative wear and tear to which they’re subjected. Metal hinges wear over time and the continual movement may also cause doorframes to shift slightly, creating gaps around previously well-fitting doors.
If you purchase a new property, you can expect a certain amount of settling during the first couple of years. In the first 6-8 weeks, the new wood and concrete will lose moisture, causing tiny shifts in the foundations and framework of your home. After this, the weight of your home and its foundations may compress the soil underneath, causing further settling during the first 12-24 months of ownership. The shifts in your home’s foundations and framework can result in gaps appearing around internal and external solid doors.
Hanging doors is more of an art than a science, which is why it’s so easy for DIYers to make elementary mistakes. These mistakes often lead to uneven gaps around the doors in question.
Fluctuations in ambient temperature and humidity can cause solid doors to contract and expand, especially wooden doors. This is because they absorb and then lose moisture as temperature and humidity levels fluctuate. The resulting movement causes gaps to appear.
Now you know why gaps often appear around solid doors in residential properties, let’s discuss the consequences of these gaps.
Gaps between solid doors and their frames have several consequences, none of which are positive, unfortunately.
Some of the energy used to heat your home is lost, or wasted, when warm air escapes through gaps around external doors and their frames.
If warm air escapes through gaps around external doors, more energy will be required to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home during the colder months.
Pests may become more of a problem should gaps appear around external solid doors in your home. Various infestations may occur, the nature of which will depend on your precise location and the size of the gaps.
Gaps around external solid doors allow rain and condensation to enter your home. This excess moisture, if not dealt with swiftly, may cause significant damage.
None of these consequences are desirable and all may cost you money, which is why it’s crucial to tackle the root causes of gaps around solid doors before they have a chance to do any real damage.
If you’ve visited many older properties in your area, you may have come to the conclusion that gaps around solid doors are just a fact of life and must be accepted. However, this is not the case. There are steps you can take to prevent them from occurring or at least reduce the chances of encountering serious problems.
The simplest and most effective way to avoid installation issues with solid doors is to hire professional installers who have plenty of experience and can provide solid references.
To prevent gaps that appear as a result of expansion and contraction, you can install composite doors. Because they are manufactured from layers of different materials, they are far less susceptible to humidity and temperature fluctuations than wooden doors.
Wear and tear can’t be eliminated completely but you can extend the useful lifespan of your internal and external doors by being gentle with them.
Hiring experienced installers, investing in composite doors and being gentle when operating them will help to prevent gaps from appearing over the years, at least in properties that have already settled.
Solid doors are aesthetically pleasing and can make your home more secure. However, they may move over time, as may your house, resulting in gaps appearing between the doors and their frames. You can minimise the possibility of such gaps appearing by taking preventive measures such as installing quality composite doors.
For more information about composite doors, don’t hesitate to contact us. At Rock Solid Doors, we specialise in the supply and installation of high-quality internal and external composite doors across the UK.
