Over the years, we have been having increasing problems with the interior and exterior doors to the church. You are likely aware of some of these problems because you have experienced them.

Interior Doors: The interior doors are extremely heavy, and their weight keeps putting a strain on the hinges and mechanisms to open and close them. Parts are constantly needing to be replaced, but the manufacturer does not make replacement parts anymore. Nor can custom parts be easily made. Repair costs are very expensive, and custom replacement parts do not last long. When the mechanisms don’t work, the doors will slam shut with great speed and weight. This can cause injury, particularly to a child.

The new interior doors will be made primarily of glass, making the doors lighter and allowing for greater visibility into the church. The new doors will also allow more light into the back of the church where it tends to be dark.

Exterior Doors: The exterior doors are also heavy, creating problems with the hydraulics and other mechanisms. There are times when the doors do not latch shut on their own which creates security concerns. Also in staying partially open, warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer escapes to the outside, or cold or hot air comes in from the outside into the interior. More recently, the doors latch shut and jam, and the doors cannot be opened which compromises the ability to use those doors to enter or exit. This is a major concern in case of an emergency. As with the interior doors, replacement parts are not available and repairs are expensive and futile.

The new exterior doors will be metal with the same color as the current doors but will have more glass in them. As with the interior doors, these new doors will be lighter and will allow more light into the narthex.

The interior doors are scheduled to be replaced the week of November 16th; the exterior doors will hopefully be replaced sometime after Christmas and before Easter.