Replacing a Basement Door in Lenox, MA

This customer in Lenox, MA called us originally in order to get the doors in his home weatherproofed due to drafts he was experiencing. Our Home Comfort Specialist headed to the home and noted that there was one particular door at the bottom of the basement hatch steps that was poorly fitting and uninsulated. Functionally, it was as if there was no door at all. Steps from your basement to the outdoors are convenient, but the (metal) hatch doors that cover them are completely uninsulated and leak lots of air. Cold winter air gets sucked into your home continually in winter. In summer, warm humid air enters the basement and causes condensation on cool floor, wall and duct surfaces. Results - Cold basement, cold floors on first floor, drafts, higher heating fuel costs, condensation in summer, higher electric costs for A/C.

Fogarty's Home Services was able to help this homeowner with this task. We spoke to him and recommended that we take the door out and install a new, insulated door. Proper framing is installed and a new insulated exterior door with weather-stripping and locking knob is installed. Now “inside” the house is inside the door, and “outside” is outside the door, so it doesn’t matter that the hatch door is uninsulated and leaks air. Result - warmer basement and floors over the basement, drier basement in summer, lower fuel and electric costs, less drafts, house easier to heat, more security.