Your Front Door Is About to Meet 37 Relatives and a Turkey

November is when the front door stops being decorative and starts working overtime.

Family arrives.

Friends stop by.

Packages multiply.

Someone inevitably forgets their coat.

And if you are hosting Thanksgiving, your entryway is about to experience more traffic in one weekend than it has all month.

Which makes November a surprisingly good time to give your front door a little attention.

Start with the obvious: does it work properly?

You should not have to shoulder-check the door to get it closed.

You should not have to tell guests, “You have to pull it toward you while you turn the lock.”

And your storm door should not slam shut behind every person carrying a casserole.

Before holiday traffic picks up, open and close the door a few times and pay attention.

Does it stick?

Does the handle feel loose?

Does the lock line up easily?

Does the door close tightly against the frame?

Little problems become much more noticeable when twelve people are trying to get in and out of the house.

Now look at the weatherstripping

Michigan November weather is unpredictable.

You can get sunshine, rain, wind and snow before everyone has finished eating the leftover pie.

Check around the edges of your entry door for worn or flattened weatherstripping, visible gaps or daylight. A properly sealed door helps keep cold air where it belongs: outside.

If your entry door is older, warped or simply ready for an upgrade, manufacturers like ProVia offer a wide variety of fiberglass and steel entry doors designed for both appearance and performance.

Give the porch a five-minute refresh

You do not need to become a professional holiday stylist.

Sweep the porch.

Clean the glass.

Wipe down the door.

Shake out or replace the welcome mat.

Add a wreath, lantern or planter.

Done.

A clean, well-kept entry makes a huge difference when guests arrive, especially during the darker months when the front porch becomes one of the first things people notice.

Think about lighting too

November gets dark early.

Make sure your exterior lights are working and bright enough for guests to safely find the steps, walkway and door.

If you have house numbers near the entry, make sure they are visible too.

This is especially helpful for delivery drivers, because November is also the month when your porch begins receiving approximately nine boxes per day.

The holidays are a great reality check

Hosting has a funny way of revealing the little house problems you have stopped noticing.

The sticky door.

The loose handle.

The draft.

The squeaky hinge.

The lock that only works if Mercury is in retrograde.

Fixing these things now makes the house more comfortable for guests and much less annoying for you all winter.

Because Thanksgiving should involve turkey, pie and family drama.

Not a front door that refuses to close.

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