ABSTRACT
Not all doors to fifty year old houses need replacing; the majority are in good condition and have been well maintained and regularly painted over the years. For many, however, the story is far sadder. Poor design, poor construction, poor materials and poor maintenance all help to reduce the life of a door, especially an external door. We start with the external front door because this is probably the most popular one (with the exception maybe of patio doors, which are discussed later) to be renewed.
