It's officially fall!

That's what I think every Labor Day.  When I lived in New York, Labor Day was the last hurrah before we had to get back in the swing of things and get the kids off to school.  Now, here in Charlotte, the kids go back to school in August, so we have been at this for a few weeks now.  We're almost good at it again.

With fall comes our concerns about readying the home for the winter.  We look at what we can do to make the home more energy efficient.  We do what we can to save on our heating and cooling costs.  This year, we made a decision to install a new exterior door from the house to the garage.  Ever since we've owned the home, we have had an interior door there.

At one point, we went so far as to update the door to a new interior door as we changed the look of the house.  Yeah, that's not the same.  And the reason that it isn't the same is that looking good isn't the same as being truly functional.  So, we took a trip to Lowe's to purchase a new exterior door to keep the air conditioning in and the heat out.  In the winter, it will do just the opposite, keeping the heat in and the cold air out.

It's all about little changes. 

If you decide you want to change out doors around your home, here are some tips:

• Purchase a pre-hung door.  Sure, it can be a little more costly to purchase a pre-hung door, but it will save so much time and aggravation in the long run.  Spend the money to do it right the first time.
• Pay attention to the hinge and the door swing.  This makes a huge difference.  I didn't understand it.  It matters.  
• Measure measure measure.  Even if the door measures the right size, there can still be issues with the install.  What fit with new construction doesn't always fit the sam with replacement.  The walls settle.  It can be challenging.
• The job isn't done until the paint is on.  The door comes primed and once the door is in place, it is only going to get dirty.  Take the time to paint it.  We like high gloss white.  It cleans up really nicely and it looks so great with any paint color.

Don't be afraid of asking for help.  It's far worse to get in over your head.  For help, contact us: Carolina Home Enhancements.