My front door is about 15 years old and the paint is peeling in spots. There's some visible rot around the bottom edge where water sits after rain. I'm not sure if I should just do repairs or bite the bullet and replace the whole thing. What are the signs that replacement makes more sense than fixing?
Wood rot at the base is usually the tipping point - once water's getting into the frame itself, you're looking at structural damage that spreads fast and gets expensive quick. If the rot is just surface-level and isolated to a small spot, a repair might buy you a few more years, but if it's creeping up the sides or the door's starting to feel soft or spongy when you press on it, replacement is smarter money. The peeling paint alone wouldn't worry me, but combine that with rot and a 15-year-old door and you're probably at the end of its useful life anyway. Get down there with a screwdriver and poke around - if it goes in more than a quarter inch without much resistance, that door's done.
At 15 years with visible rot, you're probably at the tipping point. The rot around the bottom is the real concern here - that's structural damage, not just cosmetic. If it's soft when you press on it, that wood is compromised and will only get worse. Paint peeling is annoying but fixable; rot spreading inward means water is getting into the frame itself, which can lead to mold, frame damage, and eventually compromise the whole door structure. If the rot is just surface-level and you catch it early, you might get away with replacing that section and repainting. But if it's deeper than half an inch or so, repair costs start creeping up fast, and you're basically throwing money at a door that's already failing.
Here's what I'd do: get down there and really probe that rotted area with a flathead screwdriver. If it goes in easily or the wood crumbles, replacement makes sense. Also check the frame for any soft spots, the hinges for sagging, and whether the door still closes and seals properly. If you're noticing drafts, water damage inside the house near the door, or the door won't latch right, those are signs the whole frame is compromised. A new door pays for itself pretty quick in energy savings and peace of mind, especially if the current one's letting in moisture. If the rot is minor and everything else is solid, a good repair and fresh paint might buy you another 5 years or so. But with wood rot already present, you're probably looking at a replacement sooner rather than later.
The rot you're seeing is actually the big red flag here - if water's getting in around the frame and the wood is starting to decay, repairs are just putting a band-aid on it and you'll likely need replacement within a few years anyway. Peeling paint alone you could handle, but once structural damage sets in, it spreads fast and gets more expensive. If the door still closes properly and doesn't have drafts, you might get a couple more years out of repairs, but honestly with visible rot at 15 years old, you're probably better off replacing it now rather than throwing money at patches. A new door will give you better insulation and security too, which older doors lose over time.
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