We know Cowarts well: the older housing around the AL-53 corridor, the newer construction toward the Chattahoochee River, and everything out past Dothan's south side.
Between the established parts of Cowarts and the newer subdivisions, we see two different kinds of failure: worn-out frames on one side of town and worn-out hardware on the other.
Get a real diagnosis, not a sales pitch.We fix doors for a living.
Click to Call (205) 619-2895Common exterior door repair faults in Houston County
These are the exterior door repair faults we are called out to most often in Cowarts. If you recognise one, the underlying cause is usually the second half of the line.
- Rust streaks or bubbling paint on a steel doorMoisture getting into the door skin, usually at the bottom edge.
- Fasteners are showing rust streaks down the door faceNon-stainless fixings on an exposed opening, which will keep staining and eventually fail.
- Water on the floor inside after rainFailed sweep, threshold or sill pan, or missing drip cap above the door.
- There is a tide line across the bottom of the doorStanding water at the threshold, which means drainage rather than the door is the real fault.
- The door has to be shouldered to latchThe door has dropped, or the frame has moved and the strike no longer lines up.
- Sidelight or transom glass has foggedFailed insulated units in the fixed panels beside the door.
Tell us what the door is doing and we will tell you what it needs.No guesswork over the phone, no pressure.
Click to Call (205) 619-2895What we see on exterior door repair around Houston County
The Wiregrass gets punishing summer heat and enough tropical rain that hurricane remnants are a normal part of the year, not an exception. Sally and Michael both did door and window damage this far inland.
Full sun on a front door destroys finishes, particularly on south and west elevations, and once the finish fails on a wood door the water gets in and the real damage starts.
Wind-driven rain hits an entry door horizontally, which defeats seals that would handle vertical rain without difficulty, and the water gets in at the top corners and behind the brickmould.
None of it is a reason to replace a door. It is a reason to use the right parts and set the door up correctly in the first place.
Local factors we account for in Cowarts: sun and heat load and storm wind — typical of the Wiregrass.
Most doors we see are repairable.Call and find out before you price a replacement.
Click to Call (205) 619-2895Exterior door repair work we handle in Cowarts
- Door slab replacementNew entry door slabs hung in the existing frame where the slab is beyond repair.
- Steel door bottom repairRebuilding corroded steel door bottoms.
- Sill pan and flashing repairCorrecting the water management under and above the door so the repair lasts.
- Weatherstrip replacementNew jamb, head and corner seals so the door closes against a continuous seal.
- Door sweep and threshold replacementAdjustable thresholds and new sweeps to close the gap at the floor.
- Sidelight and transom glass replacementReplacing failed or broken glass beside and above the door.
- Refinishing preparationSorting out the causes of finish failure before a door is refinished.
Broken, stuck, or will not lock?Talk to someone who works on these every day.
Click to Call (205) 619-2895What happens when we get there
- Check it in the closed position firstAn exterior door only has to work in one position. We look at how it sits shut before we look at how it swings.
- Follow the waterStaining, rot and rust all point uphill to an entry point. We find that before repairing anything downstream of it.
- Correct the geometry before the sealsWeatherstrip cannot fix an inconsistent gap. The door has to be sitting right before sealing it means anything. In the Wiregrass we check tracks and channels for fine sand, which grinds moving parts flat faster than anything else in the state.
- Fit for the exposureStainless fixings, marine-grade or coated hardware and the correct sweep, depending on how much weather the opening takes.
- Make the lock work without forceThe deadbolt should throw completely with one finger and the door untouched.
- Check the finish and the edgesTop and bottom edges get sealed, because unsealed end grain is the fastest way back to a warped door.
Tell us what the door is doing and we will tell you what it needs.No guesswork over the phone, no pressure.
Click to Call (205) 619-2895What affects the cost of exterior door repair in Cowarts
Pricing on exterior door repair depends on what has actually failed, which is why we talk it through before quoting. These are the things that move the number:
- whether water management details also need correcting
- security reinforcement and hardware upgrades
- whether the frame has rot that needs splicing
- weatherstrip and threshold work versus structural repair
- the material of the door: wood, fiberglass or steel
Call and describe what the door is doing. In most cases we can tell you over the phone which of those applies to you before anyone drives out to Cowarts.
Tell us what the door is doing and we will tell you what it needs.No guesswork over the phone, no pressure.
Click to Call (205) 619-2895Areas we cover for exterior door repair in Cowarts
Cowarts coverage runs across the AL-53 corridor, and out to the areas around Dothan's south side and the Wiregrass farmland.
We also cover the nearby Houston County and the Wiregrass communities listed further down this page.
Get a real diagnosis, not a sales pitch.We fix doors for a living.
Click to Call (205) 619-2895Exterior door repair in Cowarts: questions we get asked
Is my front door secure enough?
The weak point on most entry doors is not the lock, it is the strike. A deadbolt in a strike plate held by short screws into thin jamb material offers much less than people assume. Reinforcing it is inexpensive.
How long does exterior door repair take?
Weatherstrip, threshold and alignment work is usually a few hours. Rot repair and frame work takes longer, and we will tell you which one you are looking at before we start.
Can you make my front door easier to open for an older parent?
Yes. Lever hardware instead of a knob, correct hinge adjustment so the door is not fighting the frame, and a threshold that is not a trip hazard all make a real difference.
Should I add a storm door to my entry?
It helps with weather and with keeping the door itself out of direct sun and rain, which extends the life of the finish. On a door that already gets full afternoon sun in Cowarts, it is worth considering.
The bottom of my wooden front door is rotting. Can it be saved?
Often yes, if it is caught early enough. The bottom rail can be repaired and the door refinished. What matters more is fixing the water that caused it, or the repair rots out the same way.
How much does a leaky front door actually cost me?
More than people expect. A gap you can see daylight through around a Cowarts entry door moves conditioned air continuously, and in the summer it is running against your air conditioning all day.
Broken, stuck, or will not lock?Talk to someone who works on these every day.
Click to Call (205) 619-2895Other door repair services in Cowarts
- Sliding Door Repair Cowarts
Sticking, jumping, or dragging sliding glass doors put back on smooth-rolling track.
- Door Lock Repair Cowarts
Deadbolts, latches, cylinders and strike alignment repaired on residential and commercial doors.
- Door Frame Repair Cowarts
Rotted, split, kicked-in and out-of-square frames rebuilt so the door fits again.
- Door Handle Repair Cowarts
Loose, broken and seized handles, knobs and levers repaired or replaced.
- Door Hinge Repair Cowarts
Sagging doors, stripped hinge screws, squealing pins and worn knuckles put right.
- Patio Door Repair Cowarts
Sliding, French and multi-panel patio doors repaired, realigned and resealed.
- Door Glass Repair Cowarts
Broken, cracked and fogged door glass replaced, including tempered and insulated units.
- Commercial Door Repair Cowarts
Hollow metal, aluminum and high-traffic doors kept working for businesses and property managers.
- Storefront Door Repair Cowarts
Aluminum storefront entrances repaired: pivots, closers, locks, glass and alignment.
- Door Closer Repair Cowarts
Closers adjusted, rebuilt and replaced so doors shut properly instead of slamming or hanging open.
- Automatic Door Repair Cowarts
Automatic sliding and swing doors, operators, sensors and safety systems serviced.
- Screen Door Repair Cowarts
Sliding screens, storm doors and screen panels rescreened, rerolled and rehung.
- French Door Repair Cowarts
Sagging, dragging and drafty French doors realigned, resealed and rehung.
- Interior Door Repair Cowarts
Sticking, sagging, rattling and damaged interior doors made to work properly again.
- Window Repair Cowarts
Sashes, balances, glass, seals and hardware repaired on residential and commercial windows.
Exterior Door Repair near Cowarts
We cover the surrounding Houston County and the Wiregrass communities as well:
- Exterior Door Repair in Rehobeth
- Exterior Door Repair in Cottonwood
- Exterior Door Repair in Webb
- Exterior Door Repair in Ashford
- Exterior Door Repair in Kinsey
- Exterior Door Repair in Taylor
- Exterior Door Repair in Greenville
- Exterior Door Repair in Georgiana
All door repair services in Cowarts · Exterior Door Repair across Alabama · All Alabama service areas
Tell us what the door is doing and we will tell you what it needs.No guesswork over the phone, no pressure.
Click to Call (205) 619-2895