Window Makeover repairs exterior and interior doors across metro Atlanta, working out of our shop in Marietta. A door that sticks, drags, leaks air or shows rot at the bottom rail is usually a repair job, not a replacement job, and we will tell you which one you are looking at before we quote anything.
A failing door costs you more than it looks like it should. It lets conditioned air out and Georgia humidity in, it gives pests and water a way past your envelope, and it is the first thing a visitor touches. Most of that is fixable without buying a new door.
Signs your door needs attention
- It sticks, drags or will not latch cleanly. Usually a frame that has shifted or swollen, not a door that has failed.
- You can see daylight around the edges when it is closed, or feel air moving past the weatherstripping.
- Soft or discoloured wood at the bottom rail or threshold. The most common starting point for rot on an Atlanta door.
- Foggy or cracked glass in a door light or sidelight.
- Loose, stiff or broken hardware. Handles, locks, hinges and closers.
- Water staining on the floor or frame after heavy rain, which means the threshold or flashing is letting water through.
None of these on their own means you need a new door. Several of them together, or rot that has reached the structure of the frame, might.
What we repair
Three things account for most of the door work we do in Atlanta homes.
Door Glass Repair
Glass panes for doors come in a variety of sizes and shapes, enhancing the beauty of your home’s entryway. However, once the glass is damaged, you could be left holding an increased energy bill or even increased security risks. Fortunately, Window Makeover can repair any type of door glass to avoid these issues
Door Frame Repair
Poorly fitting or broken door frames can prevent your door from closing properly, leading to a loss of energy efficiency. Window Makeover’s expert door repair team can adjust individual frame components or re-frame your door to restore it to proper working order. We provide the professional services you need to repair any type of door on the interior or exterior of your home.
Door Hardware Repair
Your door should be both stylish and functional. Unfortunately, when your door’s hardware fails, your door neither functions as it should nor looks appealing. Window Makeover can restore both style and function to your door by fixing the faulty hardware that may be preventing your door from operating correctly and keeping your home secure.
Door frame rot and Atlanta moisture
Frame rot is the repair we are called out for most, and the Georgia climate is why. Long humid summers keep moisture in the wood, afternoon storms drive rain at the threshold, and a door that faces south or west takes sun and water in the same afternoon. Rot almost always starts at the bottom of the jamb or the threshold, where water sits and the paint film breaks first.
Caught early, rot is a localised repair. We cut out the affected wood, rebuild the section with matched material and restore the finish, and the frame is sound again. Left for another two seasons, the same problem reaches the structural members and the whole frame has to come out. The difference in cost between those two jobs is substantial, which is the honest argument for looking at a soft threshold now rather than in spring.
More on this: door frame repair and wood rot repair.
How the repair works
- Free assessment. We look at the door, the frame, the threshold and the hardware, and identify what is actually causing the symptom.
- Straight recommendation. Repair where repair will hold. Replacement only where it genuinely will not.
- The work. Rot cut out and rebuilt, glass units replaced, hardware repaired or swapped, frame realigned, weatherstripping and threshold renewed.
- Finish. Matched to your existing door so the repair does not announce itself.
- Walkthrough. We open, close and lock it with you before we leave.
Repair or replace?
We lead with repair because it is usually the right answer and always the cheaper one. Replacement makes sense when the door itself is beyond saving, when the frame has failed structurally, when you are changing the size of the opening, or when you want a different door rather than a working version of the one you have. If that is where you are, we do that too: see door replacement.
What we will not do is quote you a new door for a problem a repair would fix.
Where we work
We repair doors throughout the Atlanta metro area from our Marietta shop, covering parts of Cobb, Fulton, Cherokee, Forsyth, Gwinnett and Hall counties: Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Buckhead, Decatur, Woodstock, Canton, Cumming and Duluth.
Not sure whether you are in our area? Call 404-645-7127.
Licensed, insured and warrantied
We are licensed, bonded and insured, and we use our own crews rather than subcontractors, so the people who quote your job are the people who do it. Our work is covered by our warranty. Read the terms.
Common questions
Can you repair rot without replacing the whole frame?
In most cases, yes. If the rot is confined to the jamb or threshold and has not reached the structural members, we cut it out, rebuild the section and refinish it.
My door sticks in summer but not in winter. Is that a repair?
Usually yes, and usually a cheap one. Seasonal swelling points to a frame alignment or clearance problem rather than a failed door.
Can you replace just the glass in my front door?
Yes. Door lights and sidelights can be rebuilt to fit the existing opening. See door glass repair.
How long does a door repair take?
Most repairs are done in a single visit. Rot repairs that need finishing may need a return visit for the final coat.
Get a straight answer about your door
Book a free, no-obligation assessment. We will tell you whether it is a repair or a replacement, and why.
Or call 404-645-7127.
