ServicesEntry Doors
Entry Doors in Issaquah
We replace front and side entry doors on your home and set them so they close easy and keep the weather out. We pull the old door, photograph the frame and sill, fix what we find, then hang and seal the new one.
When a new entry door makes sense
A front door takes more abuse than any window in the house. It swings thousands of times a year, gets hit by sun on one side and heated air on the other, and sits right where rain runs off the porch. Over time the slab warps, the weatherstrip flattens, and the sill starts to rot from water that gets in and never dries.
Sometimes a door just needs adjusting. New weatherstrip, a shimmed hinge or a reset strike plate can fix a lot. If that is all yours needs, we will tell you. When the slab is split, the frame is soft or the door has never sealed right, replacing the whole unit is the fix that lasts.
We document the opening before the old door comes out and again once it is gone. You see the condition of the sill and the framing with your own eyes, so any extra repair is something you can check, not something you have to take on faith.
What the job includes
- Removal of the old door and frame
- We take out the slab, jamb and sill as one job and haul them away. Nothing is left in your yard.
- Inspection of the opening
- With the old unit out, we look at the subfloor, the framing and the flashing under the sill. We photograph what we see and walk you through it before we go further.
- Sill pan and flashing
- We install a sloped sill pan and tape the opening so water that gets past the door drains back out. This is the part most rot problems trace back to.
- Setting the new door
- The new unit is shimmed plumb and square, then fastened through the jamb into the framing. We check that the door swings without drifting and closes on its own weatherstrip with even pressure.
- Hardware and trim
- We bore and fit the lockset and deadbolt, adjust the strike, and finish interior and exterior trim. Gaps get insulated with low-expansion foam and sealed.
- Cleanup and final look
- We vacuum, wipe down the threshold and show you the finished door, inside and out. You get the before-and-after pictures for your records.
Signs your entry door is due
Daylight around the edges
If you can see light at a top corner or under the slab with the door closed, air and water are getting through too.
Soft or dark sill
Press a screwdriver tip into the wood where the jamb meets the sill. When it goes in easily, moisture has been soaking that spot for a while. Long wet winters here make this one of the problems we photograph most often.
Sticking or dragging
A door that rubs the frame or takes a shoulder to close has usually swelled or sagged. Planing it buys a season, then the rubbing comes back.
Cracked or delaminating slab
Split wood panels or a fiberglass skin peeling loose mean the core is open to moisture.
Deadbolt that fights you
If the bolt only turns when you push on the door or pull it toward you, the frame has shifted out of square. That cuts into your security, not just your patience.
What moves the price
Every door is quoted on its own, because the opening and the door you pick both matter. We give you a written breakdown after we see the job. If something hidden turns up once the old door is out, you see it before any added work is done. Flexible payment options are available.
Door material
Steel, fiberglass and wood each cost differently and hold up differently. Fiberglass handles wet weather well and does not swell like wood.
Glass and sidelites
Decorative glass, sidelites and transoms add parts and labor. A wider opening with sidelites is a bigger unit to set and seal.
Condition of the frame and sill
Rotted sill plates or damaged subfloor need repair before the new door goes in. Nobody can know the full extent until the old unit is out, which is why we show you the opening before quoting that part.
Size changes
Fitting a door into the existing opening costs less than widening or reframing it.
Hardware
Standard locksets are simple. Smart locks, multipoint locks and custom handle sets add cost.
How the job goes
- 1
Free visit and measure
Give us a ring and we will set a time to come out. At your home we measure the opening, check the frame and talk through door styles, glass choices and which way it should swing. The quote costs nothing, and you can take as long as you need to decide.
- 2
Ordering the door
Most entry doors are built to order. Before the order goes in, we go over the size, finish and hardware with you once more, so what shows up on the truck is what you picked.
- 3
The day of the work
We get most installs done in one day. Floors get covered from the doorway to wherever we are working, then the old unit comes out. If the sill or framing turns out to be rotted, you see the pictures and the price of the repair before we start on it.
- 4
Walkthrough
Before we pack up, you open, shut and lock the new door yourself. We go over what turned up during the job and how to look after the finish and weatherstrip.
Entry door questions
Is a new slab enough, or do I need the whole frame?
That depends on the frame. When the jamb is solid, square and dry, swapping only the slab can work fine. Most older doors we see have some water damage at the sill, though, and a full prehung unit is the better fix there. If both choices make sense for your door, we lay out each one and let you pick.
Will my house be open to the weather all day?
Only for the hours between pulling the old door and setting the new one. We keep the opening covered if rain moves in, and the door is locked and secure before we leave.
What happens if you find rot?
We stop and show you exactly where it is and how far it goes, with pictures if it is hard to see. You get the repair cost before we do it. Nothing extra gets added to the bill without you seeing it first.
Fiberglass or steel?
Steel is strong and costs less but can dent and will rust if the paint gets scratched. Fiberglass resists dents and moisture and can be stained to look like wood. For a door that takes a lot of rain, fiberglass is usually what we suggest.
Do you work outside Issaquah?
Yes. We install entry doors in Sammamish, Bellevue, Renton, Newcastle and other towns nearby. The Service Areas page lists them.
Find out what your door needs
We will come look at the frame and sill and tell you straight whether you need a new door or just an adjustment. If Patio Doors or Storm Doors are on your list too, mention it and we will check them while we are there.