Best front door for durability and value.
Posted By Craig on March 7, 2011
Your choices in exterior doors used to be simple, you had one type of door, wood. Wood doors are very attractive and come in an unlimited array of styles and wood types. In spite of all the advantages of wood doors, for many people the disadvantages are to great. The biggest disadvantage of wood doors is the maintenance required to keeping them looking good. The weather and sun can take its toll on wood doors. Here in Utah our climate goes from hot to cold and the sun shines brightly. This results in wood doors needing repainting or sealing to protect them. Wood also will expand with humidity and can warp, so you do not always get a perfect fitting door. Wood doors are still very popular because homeowners do not want to give up the style and feel of real wood doors.
A cheaper type of exterior door is hollow metal doors. Metal doors are very durable and need less maintenance that wood doors. They come in many styles and give you a tighter seal than wood doors, making them more energy efficient. The disadvantage of metal doors is they do not look like wood and they dent easily. For the last few decades metal doors were the only alternative to wood. Metal doors are the most popular doors on newer houses, especially on lower priced homes.
The last few years door manufactures have made advancements in a new type of door. The new modern doors are made out of fiberglass. Fiberglass doors have many advantages over other doors. They are more durable than wood or metal doors and come with longer warranties. . They are more energy efficient, five times the insulation value of wood, and do not expand with changes in the weather. They do not dent like metal or split and warp like wood. They come in an increasing amount of styles and can be made to look like wood. Fiberglass doors come in textures that have the look and feel of wood. They can be painted or stained to resemble many types of wood. The downside to fiberglass doors has been their price. In the last few years the supply of fiberglass doors has brought their price down. Now fiberglass doors are priced close to metal doors removing the one advantage metal doors have. If you have not looked at a fiberglass door lately you will be surprised at how attractive they are. Fiberglass doors can fit any budget as they come in numerous styles and prices. Just like metal and wood doors they come with several window and sidelight options. Given the longer warranties, durability, efficiency and looks of fiberglass doors, for many homeowners they are the perfect door. A properly installed fiberglass front door will be the last door you will ever need and will enhance the value of your home.
- Therma Tru entry door
- Therma Tru fiberglass door
- Mahogany entry door
