Considerations When Replacing Kitchen Cabinet Doors

When you think about your kitchen, are you dreading the thought of refitting it? You know how much mess this is going to bring into your home, the upheaval, the change, the chaos. However, you could make things easier. This could be something as simple as just replacing the kitchen cabinet doors. 

If you are competent when it comes to DIY in your home and you’ve repaired, replaced and created stuff for your home before, then this should be relatively straightforward. 

Naturally, there are a few considerations to think about before you start. The basics before you begin is that choosing the right doors for your home is important. You really don’t want to jump in and buy doors without having given it some serious thought first.

Take your time choosing your doors

What colours or finish would work best for your kitchen and tastes? Just as importantly, how will the new doors fit in with the rest of your kitchen’s fixtures and fittings? Create a mood board on Pinterest and collect some images of the cabinet doors you see.

Think about the current style of your kitchen

If you’re keeping your kitchen and only changing the doors then you’ll be limited as to what type of kitchen doors you have. For instance, if you have a thoroughly modern fitted kitchen then traditional style doors aren’t going to work and vice versa.

Kitchen Cabinet Door Colours

If you do have a traditional kitchen, consider the colours you choose for your kitchen cabinet doors. We’re talking neutral colours or more muted shades with different types of wood and traditionally cut wood in shapes conversant with a more peasant or country style. 

More contemporary kitchen cabinets

These may come with glass or gloss and a door handle already on it, or ones with just the doors, leaving you to choose your own handles. Grey, white and cream amongst other muted colours have been the norm for a while now, but you can go your own way and buy doors which you can paint yourself if you fancy brightening up the kitchen and giving it a pop of colour. You can also have matt finish doors as not everyone is keen on the high gloss look.

For modern kitchens you can also consider grain finishes, as well as choosing different colours as we’ve mentioned above. Texture and colour give your doors a really different, modern feel so this is definitely a much bolder daring look.

Measuring your doors

The doors on your cabinets will be smaller than the cupboards - standard. This helps them to avoid rubbing against each other. The difference isn’t that much but it’s good to take note of this when measuring. Mostly, in our experience the difference in size is usually around 5mm to 4mm, width to length. Don’t be alarmed by this, it's normal. 

By rights, you should be able to get the right kind of sized doors from wherever you go for your replacement doors (hopefully us). Once you’ve got them it’s also relatively easy to fit them. 

Upgrading existing appliances

You may want to use this opportunity to upgrade your existing appliances, such as ovens, freezers, fridges etc. Many of them are integrated which means they’re either hidden behind doors or sit within a unit. You may be concerned about how hard it will be to fit doors over these appliances, but the sizes are standard and any door you buy to fit over it should be wide enough and long enough to fit. 

The Replacement Door Company - Quality Kitchen Cabinet Doors

If you’re looking to replace your kitchen cabinet doors then why not get in touch with us here at The Replacement Door Company. We have a wide selection of doors, both traditional and contemporary, and we’ll be happy to talk you through the process as well as help you to choose the right ones for your kitchen. Give us a call today.

When is the Best Time to Replace Doors?

We’re looking at when you should replace your doors. You might think that any time is a good time, but there’s more to it. We don’t want to tell you what to do, after all, it’s your decision as to when you to change them, but in the main, the evidence bears out that spring and summer is a better time to do it. In the winter is when you will need strong doors that can handle whatever the weather can throw at it in terms of low temperatures and cold winds, so it makes sense to change them when the weather is calmer and warmer. If you need doors in winter it can be done as well, it just might cause a bit more of a chill, but we’ll make sure the work is carried out quickly to minimise disruption.

Winter brings its challenges

The last thing you want to do is to have any of your doors, especially exterior ones changed when the weather is at its worst. Imagine the doors being completely off their hinges while somebody, either a member of your family, you, or a professionally trained person install the new doors, while you freeze slowly wrapped in blankets waiting until it’s over. If this scenario plays out you’ll be wishing you’d had them replaced sooner when the weather was still warmer. 

Thermal properties ready for the winter

The majority of our doors are built to withstand the cold and wind so you definitely want to take advantage of this when the weather is warmer. And once you have your doors installed in the warmer months, you can then take advantage of their thermal properties once the colder weather sets in. The benefits of your new external doors will be immediate, and all that investment poured into your new doors will pay off in reduced utility bills and the added security they offer in terms of strength and durability.

Internal doors

Yes, internal doors, are, er, internal but it will still mean the rooms are wide open with doors off their hinges for a certain amount of time. If you’re having matching internal doors in your home, then naturally you’ll be having all your doors changed so there’s symmetry throughout. This will allow heat to escape no matter how high you have your central heating turned on. Again, even for internal doors, it pays to have this done in the summer. Also, are you considering redecorating the house after your house has had its shiny new doors? When the days are longer, redecoration is always an easier and more enjoyable task than trying to do it with less light and shorter days. 

Consider your budget

Winter includes Christmas, whether it’s before or after, and your budget will be put aside to cover it or will it will have been spent. You may not have as much as you’d normally have for doors and decor. Penny pinching does not make room for allowing you to make educated and considered decisions about your doors, whether they’re internal or external. 

The Replacement Door Company - Internal & External Door Experts

We have a great range of doors in a wide range of beautifully designed and robust materials that will withstand any challenges the winter can bring. Naturally, we’d love it if you made us your door supplier, simply because we believe we have the best range of doors with the best finishes and styles. Take a closer look around our site and then get in touch if you have any questions.

External Door FAQs

We’re going to answer some of the most popular questions asked in relation to external doors and hopefully it will help you to make an informed decision when it comes to choosing the right type of external doors for your home, whether that’s for the front or the back of your home. 

We want to make sure we include all the important information that you wonder about prior to buying so you’re not confused about your options. You need time before you buy any item, especially with external doors because they have to cover so many different factors. As you probably know, it’s not just about the aesthetics - it’s about so much more. 

What material should my external door be made of?

There’s a wide range of materials to choose from and they all provide their own advantages and disadvantages. 

Timber - timber is very popular because it’s such a sustainable material and also so beautiful and versatile. For one thing it’s a material that’s environmentally friendly with a long life span and you can change the colour easily by simply painting it. The downside is that it can be high maintenance with it needing treatment and weather can cause it to warp and crack over time. However, despite this it can last many years if it’s well taken care of.

PVCu - this is a weather resistant material that provides value for money in that it’s relatively low maintenance in comparison to timber and is weather resistant. The downside is that it doesn’t have quite the same beauty and sophistication as timber, but it does stand up well to the elements. 

Metal - Metal is strong and very secure in terms of keeping unwanted visitors out, it doesn’t warp and doesn’t require a great deal of maintenance. It provides a contemporary clean look, so if you have a new build home, this would be ideal.

Composite - composite provides great insulation in terms of noise and warmth/cold, it’s also extremely long lasting and very secure. Again, not a particularly beautiful material but the designs are versatile and you can get some absolute gems in terms of colour and design. 

What Should My Budget Be?

There’s a wide variety of doors on offer in different materials as we’ve seen and their prices vary across the board, as you’d imagine. If you have a tight budget then naturally you’re going to be cautious which you choose. PVCu might be a good choice, colours are limited to white, but you can have different panels to vary the pattern and the style of your door. Composite doors as we’ve seen do provide variety and also colour, so you have a little more choice, this might fit nicely into your budget. Timber is always going to be expensive, so if you’re on a small budget this may be something you have to reconsider until you have more to spend. 

What are the Benefits of Different Types of External Doors?

There may be a variety of different things you want from your door. If security is something you’re looking for you could choose something that’s both robust with extra layers of materials, composite comes with extra layers so this may be a good choice. Keep in mind that all doors come with some security if they’re for external use, just make sure you buy from a quality retailer. You may want less maintenance and something that’s easy to take care of which more or less leaves out timber. PVCu may be an excellent choice then because they don't need any treatment, varnish, glaze or paint. Wiping them down with a damp cloth is all that’s required. 

Insulation

Timber is a fine choice despite the expense and the maintenance involved. Not only will you have a great looking door, you’ll be able to take advantage of their excellent thermal properties. 

Noise

This is a big factor in people’s choices and if you live in a noisy area, then you’ll be looking for some noise reduction properties in your external doors. Timber is good for this, it's solid and is far more successful at excluding noise. 

The Replacement Door Company - External Door Experts

We’ve discussed materials, budget and properties, and if you still have any more questions regarding external doors, please feel free to contact us, our team of experts will be on hand to answer your queries. Why don’t you take a look at our versatile range of external doors online and see if you can find something you like after reading our guide.

A Buyer's Guide to Internal Doors

We’re looking at internal doors and what you need to look for when you’re looking to buy. By providing this simple guide you will have more knowledge to hand and be able to make an informed decision without making an impulse buy you come to regret later.

The fun stuff - interiors, colours, style

There are few factors to consider when you’re about to invest in an internal door. Things such as your interiors, colours and preferred style. You’ll also have to consider flooring and the stairs (if you have any) because you’ll probably want consistency throughout your home and want everything to match, so all your doors will be identical. Having said that, you can mix things up with grain patterns or colour keeping the style, or the other way round, just to make things stand out in a unique way. Think about the architecture of your house, is it modern and contemporary or traditional and classic? The internal doors you choose will need to match the period.

There are also some practical things to consider too

You need to think of size, shape and measuring up. Yes, the boring part. You will need to measure your door frames to make sure the doors fit of course, consider width by measuring the bottom, middle and the top, the widest measurement as a guide to the width of your new internal door. Height will again include right, left and centre measurements and the longest length will be the ideal height of your new internal door. 

Use the measurements you’ve just taken to compare to the doors you’ve seen (hopefully on our website) to see if they come in the size you need. You can always trim a door if it doesn’t come exactly in the size you want, obviously you don’t want too much to have to trim off. 

Varied styles, grains, materials and colours

Here at The Replacement Door Company we have a wide variety of styles, grains, materials and patterns. This means you have a lot of choice when looking at our internal doors. You may want glazed glass panels or perhaps you’d prefer sliding panel doors. We also have folding doors, so if you’re thinking of something new for a change, we can certainly provide you with something different.

We have both timber, composite and uPVC, so you can make a decision on what works best for you. Naturally, timber will require a lot more maintenance unlike composite or uPVC but you can paint them unlike the other two. Keep in mind that uPVC and composite come with their own advantages too, they’re strong, resilient, require very little maintenance and come in a wide range of styles.

Talk to the Internal Door Experts

Contact us today to discuss your internal door needs, we’re happy to talk thorough the options available to you and show you some examples of our work. You can also browse our range of internal doors for some inspiration.

How to Stop A Door from Sticking

Do you have a door that’s constantly sticking? Perhaps it’s been happening for a while and you’ve been politely ignoring it, hoping it will go away. You may have reached the tipping point however and have now decided that the sticking door is going to have to be repaired. We concur, because there’s nothing more irritating.

Before you start anything though, you’re going to have to find out where the sticking is coming from. Because if you don’t know where the source is, you’re not going to be able to successfully repair it. Find out where it’s coming from and do this by opening and closing your door a few times. You could also try something like chalk – put some at the outer edges of the door, and then open and close, and where it’s rubbed will be where it’s sticking.

Is it the strike plate?

This could be where the source of the sticking is because it can become loose over weeks, months and years, preventing it from opening and closing smoothly. You may have to do some tightening or sanding things down as the door may not fit as well as it once did.

Another well known issue to cause sticking is when the door is sagging, and this can cause it to stick. It could be that it’s out of alignment because the hinges have become loose and this is one problem that’s easy to solve. Just tighten all the screws so the hinges are tight again and this should remedy the sticking door for you!

It might not be quite that simple, it could be that the door is sticking on the jamb. So, the hinges are nice and snugly fit, and the door is in perfect alignment, but somehow things aren’t as they should be. Perhaps it’s the jamb which is now pulling away from the door frame. You’ll need a drill to put this back in place and a screw if you have one. Drill a hole where it’s sticking on the jamb itself and then put the screw through the jamb so it goes into the frame and this should pull it tight.

Perhaps the door just doesn’t fit any more for different reasons and none of the solutions we’ve mentioned work. In which case if the door doesn’t fit the opening any more it could be because over time its changed shape due to humidity and swelling, or it could be slightly warped or cracked. If it’s a wooden door this is quite likely. What you can do in this case is mark the areas where it’s sticking and then take the door from its frame. Sand the surface of your door where you marked it, you can then reattach it. Do this more than once if it didn’t work the first time.

The Replacement Door Company – for quality internal and external doors.

Is your door beyond repair? You could try replacing it with one of our many high-quality doors. Here at The Replacement Door Company we have a wide selection of internal and external doors. Wood, uPVC, Composite and aluminium materials as well as a wide variety of patterns, styles and if you want glass you can have them with glass panes too. Don’t put up with an old sticking door if it’s beyond repair, replace it with a new one that will give you many years’ service from us here at The Replacement Door Company. Get in touch today.

COVID-19 Customer Update

We have closed our doors in line with government advice to protect both our staff and clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once it’s all back to normal we will reopen for business, in the meantime we are responding to messages and enquires via our website.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch for more information or if you have any questions.

Stay safe and be kind.

The Replacement Door Company

How Can you Stop a Door from Squeaking

There’s nothing worse than a squeaking door I hear you say. We couldn’t agree more, because it’s like listening to someone drag their fingers down a blackboard. However, rather than simply moaning about it, what exactly can you do about it? In today’s post Replacement Door is gong to help you consider what to do about the nuisance of squeaking doors.

What causes the squeaking?

There are many different lubricants and substances you can use to treat the squeak in your door. What causes the squeak is usually wood rubbing up against wood as your doors become older and more worn, or it’s the metal hinges that are rubbing against each other. It’s definitely a case of vibration that causes the squeaking sound, regardless of whether it’s caused by wood or metal. 

What can I do about it?

There are a number of different ways we can do something about as we’ve already briefly mentioned. It may involve taking the door completely off its hinges, so you’ll need a hammer, a screwdriver and a pair of strong hands to take the door off without damaging it or the door frame. Once you’ve done that, you can then apply a liquid or a substance that will help stop the rubbing. The items that are most effective are listed below:

• Soap

• Vaseline 

• WD-40

• Butter

• Wax

• Cooking Oil

Ideally, it’s good if you don’t have to take the door off its frame and lubricate the door while it’s still attached. You can lubricate exactly where the pin is on the door hinge, if you’re able to get enough oil or any other lubricant we’ve just mentioned into the hinge, you may not actually need to take the door off at all.

Think about removing the pin

If this isn’t working, then remove the pin by utilising your tools such has a nail punch and/or a hammer. Once you’ve removed the hinge pins, your door will not be attached to the frame, so do prop it somewhere safe so it won’t fall down and become damaged. Lubricate either the surrounding wood, wherever you think it’s rubbing, or the hinge pins. You can use any of the lubricants we’ve mentioned in the above bullet points. It may take some time to dry off before you re-attach the door. 

Replace the pins carefully

Put the pins in the hinge and replace carefully until you can feel they’re secure. You can use your hammer to secure them if required. Test the door’s secure by opening and closing it. It’s also a good opportunity to see whether the squeak has been finally eliminated or that you need to do more. If that is the case, you may need to reapply a lubricant to wherever it is you think the rub is causing the squeaking noise. 

The Replacement Door Company – still struggling with your door?

If that’s the case, then why not invest in a new one from The Replacement Door Company. We’re here to help and we have wide and versatile selection of both internal and external doors from which to choose. We’d love to help you if you’re struggling to choose a suitable one, so give us a call if you are.

The Benefits of French Doors

Why would you have French doors?

Well, there are lots of reasons. One being that they are supremely elegant and sophisticated, adding a certain style to your home. People are often put off by having French doors installed because they fear too much cold coming in and that they’ll lose a lot of heat, while others are concerned about security and that they could make it easier to break into their homes.

However, this doesn’t have to happen at all, not if you think it through first.

You can easily have security locks on your French doors and there’s a variety of good quality security locks with adjustable systems that will give you ample security and peace of mind. 

Another advantage of French doors is light.

They’re not just doors but windows too, big windows! All that extra glass will bring much needed light into a room, especially if it’s a room that doesn’t attract much light or sun. When the weather is warm simply opening the doors will give you much needed fresh air and open up nicely on to the garden decking or patio, it will also circulate some fresh air within your home too.

Also, in winter you can simply keep them locked shut. If you make sure your home is well insulated and heated French doors won’t reduce the warmth in your home in the winter months, they’ll allow light in, making the space much more cheerful during the gloomy weather. If it snows, just think of the beautiful landscape your doors open up onto you, safe from your snug little vantage point. You can watch nature respond to the snow from the comfort of inside your home.

French doors give great functionality allowing you an extra form of access into your home.

Additional access can take away the stress of everyone using the same entry points, and at the same time giving you a great entry point for any entertainment you might put on such as BBQs, or full on dinner parties outside. 

French doors are easy to open and close quickly, and this means they’re great for keeping the heat in. Being able to close the door quickly you stop air from escaping, and this is a lot harder with sliding doors due to the time it takes to close them fully. 

French doors last a long time – so you get that all-important longevity.

You can choose a thicker grade of glass that offers higher level of protection, which doesn’t stop you from choosing ones that are high on style as well as security. Timber doors are great, but you can have uPVC which is a great alternative if you’re on a tight budget. They’ll match a more modern home perfectly and look very much like traditional timber doors, so you get authenticity at a more reasonable price.

You can go for stylish additions such as decorative glass, different colours and finishes that will give a truly gorgeous touch of uniqueness to your French doors. uPVC doors are great for noise reduction, and they’re very secure as well as being efficient when it comes to energy and insulation. On both timber and uPVC, you can have them open inwards or outwards, it’s entirely up to you which ones you want to go with. 

The Replacement Door Company – for a versatile range of high-quality French doors.

Take a look around our website and get in touch if you have any questions about what we’ve discussed today. If you have difficulty choosing one, we’d be more than happy to go through your choices and the type of room you’re thinking of fitting them in, so you make an educated choice. Pick up the phone today!

Giving your doors the right care this winter

Winter can be brutal to the external part of your home especially at this time of year when there’s the familiar rain, wind and frost. It’s important therefore to give your doors the maintenance that will see them through the winter months and give you the kind of longevity you want from your external doors. As you can imagine, the right kind of maintenance can prolong the life of your doors, so by keeping up on repairs you get more out of your door in the long run. If your doors are beyond help, then why not browse through our extensive range of both external doors for a new one?

External Wooden Doors. As you can imagine wooden doors need a lot of care and attention.

They will have been treated prior to you buying your doors from us, but they will need ongoing maintenance and re-coating and refinishing at some point in the future. Always remember to clean and wash your door before external conditions start to erode the wood. Clean it thoroughly at least twice a year, just using a cloth lightly moistened in water, you can also use a soap to help rid your door of a build up of dirt but try not to use anything too abrasive. 

Has There Been Water Penetration?

Always check to see if there’s been any water penetration, which can be quite serious for wooden doors. You’ll need to really get that moisture out and once you’re done, fill up the hole and then seal it off and sand the area. If you’ve been doing repairs of this nature, you’ll need to finish off with a re-coat. Check to see whether the original finish was water or oil based.  

uPVC Front Doors.

The care your doors require if they’re uPVC is a little different to wooden doors. With uPVC Front Doors you’ll need to think about testing for alignment and also oiling the locks around twice a year. Examine the locks and bolts carefully for wear and tear, and spray some oil into the bits that move, you can also spray it into the keyholes. Wipe away any excess oil with a piece of tissue. Clean around the door with a damp cloth. 

Test the door for alignment.

Close the door and let it shut by itself and see whether it closes easily without rattling or slamming shut. Test the handle, bolts and rollers to see if they are at all stiff. If you need to use force for the bolt-work to operate effectively then it may mean that they are not properly aligned with the plate in the frame itself. If you feel it’s a real worry and you’re not sure what to do, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at The Replacement Door Company. 

Composite External Doors.

All you’ll need to clean your composite external doors is a cloth and a bucket of water. They’re really simple to take care of and this can be done by just washing down the door and the glasswork. Once you’re done, go over it with a dry cloth to take away any water stains. 

The Replacement Door Company – for quality doors.

If you have any queries about what we’ve talked about today, whether it’s composite external doors, uPVC doors, or external wooden doors, give us a call. If your doors are irreparably damaged beyond repair, take a look around our versatile range of both external and internal doors, and choose yourself a new one. We have doors for all budgets and tastes so don’t delay.

Front Door Colour Trends in 2020

Another year is upon us, but what does it bring? What trends are we expected to see in the coming seasons when it comes to door colour trends? This is exactly what we’re going to be looking at today, how to brighten up your year with bright colour composite external doors, or composite front doors, if these are the type of doors you’re aiming for, they don’t have to be a boring neutral colour. You can bring a little brightness to them and brighten up the front and back of your house. Colour is a beautiful thing if it’s used in the right way and there are some excellent trends out there.

Popular Colours This Year.

Mid-purple, pale violet, black, white, bright yellow, grey, primrose yellow, powder, steel and royal blue are all popular this year. Some will be welcome returns while others may be a little new. You’ll see that black and white are still in there. Some much prefer a simpler more neutral palate and neither shades will ever go out of fashion. When you paint your door, you’ll automatically see a massive difference to the whole entrance.

Your front door is much more exposed than you realise.

Apparently, if your front entrance is photogenic then, depending on where your house is located, it may end up on social media, on Instagram perhaps, so it pays to have a perfect porch. And also, don’t forget that should you wish to sell your property in the future, it’ll be an advantage to have a well-tended garden and porch entrance. It could literally help sell the rest of your property. More attention is being paid now to the front doors than ever before and there are even social media accounts devoted to it with all the most attractive front porches featured on it. Spend time on your door and it could really pay off. Think about all the little details, the knockers, handles and any interesting panels. Classic homes such as Victorian and Georgian offer so much potential, giving you the opportunity to make much of the external as well as the internal part of your house.

Make sure the colour you choose matches the style and build of your home and that it doesn’t clash.

You might want to choose a colour that matches the period of your house and if it’s a more modern build, something jazzier and more contemporary. Whatever you choose you’ll find that it won’t just be your door you need to pay attention to but around the door and front garden too, so there is symmetry and elegance throughout. 

The Replacement Door Company – for all quality composite external doors.

If you’re looking for some new composite front doors, or external ones at the back, take a look at our versatile range on our website. You’ll find we have a comprehensive range in a wide variety of styles and colours. We can also provide some of the strongest colours of 2020, so you’ll have a door that is bang on trend for this year. Take a look around online and then get in touch!