On new builds, you can plan a multi-function entry door from the start. In existing homes, you inherit someone else’s decisions: a dark hallway, a solid original door, a security screen bolted on later, or an entry that just feels tired. Retrofitting an Air Flow Door into that context is a chance to fix several problems at once, but it comes with its own design and coordination questions.
This article looks at how to approach retrofits so the new door feels like it belongs to the house, improves comfort and security, and does not create construction surprises. If you are still deciding whether a secure, ventilated front door is the right move, it can help to revisit the broader perspective in our pillar page for architects. Here, we assume you have at least one existing home in mind and are thinking practically about how to change the entry.
Understand what the current entry is doing badly
Before sketching a new door, you need a clear picture of how the existing entry is falling short. In retrofits, a quick site-based diagnosis pays off.
Look for patterns like
- A solid door and heavy security screen turning the hallway into a dark tube
- A step or lip at the threshold that catches toes, walkers or prams
- Visible rust, denting or wear on an old security screen that drags down the street presence
- A front door that is almost never used for ventilation because operating two leaves feels like a chore
- Owners who say things like “we just live with it” about draughts, heat or glare at the entry
You are not just replacing a door leaf. You are trying to improve light, airflow, ease of use and appearance together. The framework in designing front doors your clients love living with, not screens they tolerate is a good way to structure that conversation with homeowners.
Decide what has to stay and what can change
Existing homes come with constraints: original brickwork, established verandahs, tiled landings and sometimes heritage overlays. Retrofitting a multi-function entry door means deciding where you can intervene and where you should respect what is there.
On site, work out
- Whether the overall opening size and position can remain as is
- Whether there is any scope to adjust the height or width of the opening without awkward patching
- How much the surrounding façade treatment can be updated without losing character
- Whether there are heritage or planning controls that limit visible change at the street
In some homes, the best result comes from replacing only the door and security screen, using proportions and colours that sit quietly in the existing frame. In others, you might widen a brick opening slightly, rebuild a small porch or adjust cladding to support a cleaner, more contemporary entry as described in our guide to ventilated front entries that do not rely on bolt-on screens.
The aim is to make the new door feel like a natural evolution of the house, not an obvious “2020s add-on”.
Choose aluminium or timber based on project realities
Retrofits are where the choice between aluminium and timber Air Flow Doors becomes particularly important.
In Adelaide projects
- Aluminium Air Flow Doors can be made to measure and installed by the Camden Park workshop
- This is especially helpful where the existing opening is slightly out of square or has been altered over time
- You can rely on a single supplier to measure, manufacture and fit the door to the existing structure
On interstate or regional projects
- Timber Air Flow Doors supplied in standard sizes can be trimmed and installed by the client’s carpenter
- This suits renovations where a trusted local builder is already handling new doors, floors and thresholds
- You have more control over surface finish so the new door can match other external joinery
Our article on choosing aluminium or timber Air Flow Doors for your project goes into more detail. In retrofit work, a simple rule of thumb is
- Aluminium when you want a made-to-measure solution in Adelaide with one party responsible for fit
- Timber when you want flexibility and local installation on homes elsewhere in Australia
Plan the façade update, not just the door swap
Replacing a door in isolation can make the rest of the entry look more tired. In many retrofits, the best results come from treating the front door as the centrepiece of a small façade update.
Think about
- Whether you need to repaint or re-stain nearby trims, posts or cladding so the entry reads as one composition
- How the new door colour will sit with existing brickwork, render or weatherboards
- Whether small changes to lighting, house numbers and mail slots could help the new door feel more intentional
If you use the design ideas in ventilated front entries that do not rely on bolt-on screens, you can turn a “door replacement” into a simple but coherent refresh of the whole entry zone, without major structural change.
Use the retrofit to improve threshold safety and accessibility
Older homes in particular often have awkward thresholds: tall steps, irregular tiles or improvised ramps. When you are already touching the door, you have a good opportunity to make this part of the house safer and easier to use.
In your retrofit sketch, ask
- Can we reduce the height of any step at the threshold within the constraints of drainage and existing floor levels
- Is there room to create a small level landing outside the door for people to pause with bags or mobility aids
- Are the surfaces at the entry slip resistant and well lit
Because a multi-function entry door removes the second security leaf, you are already reducing the amount of juggling required at the threshold. The universal design strategies in helping older Australians feel steady and confident at their front door can guide you in making small threshold changes that have a big impact on how safe the entry feels.
Detail the junctions carefully to avoid patchy repairs
Existing walls rarely behave like textbook details. Brickwork may be uneven, cladding may have been replaced in patches and there may be hidden issues around the old frame.
When you move into detail, it helps to
- Survey actual opening sizes and conditions rather than relying solely on original drawings
- Allow for packers, trims and flashings that can accommodate irregularities without looking like afterthoughts
- Plan how you will deal with any gaps left after removing an old screen, including screw holes and staining
The general principles in detailing multi-function entry doors in wall systems still apply: continuous weatherproofing, clear air paths, clean junctions. In retrofit mode you are applying them in less-than-perfect openings, so a little generosity in trims and flashings can make a big difference.
Talk to clients about behaviour, not just appearance
A retrofit is as much about changing how people use their home as it is about changing what they see. A multi-function entry door invites new patterns of behaviour around ventilation, security and social contact.
With homeowners, it helps to explain
- How they can lock the door and slide the internal glass to bring in air on hot evenings
- How the mesh section allows them to see and talk to visitors without opening the door fully
- How the new door can bring daylight deeper into the hallway compared with their current arrangement
- What will change in their daily routine at the front door, especially if they are used to juggling a screen
This is where you can lean on the language from designing front doors your clients love living with, not screens they tolerate. You are not just upgrading a product; you are improving how the front of the house feels to live with every day.
A simple way to test a retrofit scheme
For any existing home you are considering, you can run a quick three-step test before committing to a multi-function door retrofit
- Map the current pain points at the entry: light, ventilation, safety, appearance and effort
- Sketch a replacement that uses an aluminium or timber Air Flow Door as appropriate and a modest façade refresh
- Check that sketch against this article and, if relevant, the more detailed guidance in ventilated front entries that do not rely on bolt-on screens, detailing multi-function entry doors in wall systems and helping older Australians feel steady and confident at their front door
If the new scheme offers more light, better airflow, simpler operation and a calmer façade without triggering disproportionate building work, the retrofit is likely to be a worthwhile recommendation.
Over time, treating front door retrofits in this structured way means you are not just swapping doors. You are quietly upgrading the everyday experience of existing homes, one threshold at a time.