Front Door Replacement Project Options
When you are replacing your front door, there are many options available. Your front door is the most important door in your house so be sure to do research to select the best option for your home. Wood, Steel, and Fiberglass are the most popular front door styles available.
Recommendations For Selecting The Best Front Door Replacement
Front doors have to serve more functions than any other door in your house. It must withstand the worst of the weather and deter thieves, yet also must be an extension of your taste and enhance the curb appeal. Regrettably, not all doors have these qualities or they have simply become too old to function properly. Wooden doors can crack, lose the laminate coating, or warp out of place and metal doors dent, crack, and the surface can peel off.
Choosing the right door that will suit your needs for more light, staving off the elements, deterring intruders, and adding to the beauty of your home can often be complicated and arduous. Here are a few good guidelines to follow when deciding when to replace the door and what to replace it with.
Damaged Goods
If you were happy with the door you have, then you may be able to simply exchange it for another.If you want to get a new one there are a few things to consider. If the old door framing is wood, this includes the jamb and the threshold; it may need to be replaced. Some of the more common problems associated with these are wet/dry rot where the wood begins to fall apart, and warping of the frame or the studs behind it settling causing them to bow or move out of place. You can either plane or trim the corners of the top and/or bottom of the door to get it to fit properly or purchase a new door.New doors come prehung on a frame specific to the door. This is a good choice if you are replacing the frame or making the entry larger. To get the right door, it is important to know if you are getting a right or left opening door. To determine this, stand in the door way and face outside. If your handle is on the left then it is a left opening door and vice versa.
From The Outside In
The outer surface of the door will have the most impact on the price, durability, appearance and security and should be one of the first concerns when picking out the new one.
Wood Front Doors: Knock on Wood
Wood doors are the most commonly bought as they are beautiful and can fit many different applications easily. Most of the stock wooden doors are made with a composite wood material rather than a solid wood core which minimizes the contraction and expansion of the wood which causes warping. There are also doors with an insulated core which will serve the dual purpose of reducing energy bills and keeping the hot/cold at bay with an R-5 insulation rating over a standard R-2 in a normal door. When looking at these doors, be sure that they have at least a 1/16 of an inch in veneer or it will become damaged quickly.
Steel Front Doors: Deal in Steel
Obviously steel doors will be the best solution if security and durability are at the top of your list. They are also the least expensive between steel, wood, and fiberglass-composite doors. They do require more maintance than fiberglass-composite or even wood as they get dented more easily and they are generally much more noticeable. They can be pulled out and covered with auto body putty if you need to repair it. They have wooden or steel frames with the cavities being filled with high density foam insulation. The most common versions have a baked on polyester coating which requires repainting periodically. Again, steel doors are usually part of a prehung framing system, so if you buy it separately, be sure that the holes for the hinges match up on the door and the frame.
Fiberglass-Composite Doors: And Then There Was One
The last type of door you might consider is fiberglass-composite doors. They are durable and maintenance free. They are a great choice in a harsh or humid climate as they resist the effects of heat and cold and moisture. They also have much longer warranties, but are conditional due to proper installation. If the door is not installed correctly, as with any door, it affects the longevity and effectivness of the door. To mitigate this, many of the suppliers require the full entry system that includes the frame to be installed to keep the warranty applicable.
Tips To Buy the Best
It is up to you whether you buy just the door or the complete door and frame system, but here are some ideas to keep in mind when you purchase. High quality fiberglass and steel doors will have a thermal break inside of it, usually a part of wood or a vinyl strip which will prevent the inner and outer skins of the door from conducting heat or cold which will prevent frost from forming on the inside and in the summer it will keep the door from heating up.Since parts for complete entry systems can come from many different manufacturers, be sure to check that all of the pieces and parts line up properly before purchasing.Be sure to check any weather striping for proper seals around the door and that the threshold fits securely with the bottom of the door.
For glass in the door, some offer a special glaze to resist break-ins. There is also low e-glazing which reduces the amount of UV that is able to penetrate through the glass which decreases the amount of heat that radiates from it.The best door for you will allow you to reduce energy consumption, maintenance, and increase the overall satisfaction and appeal in the home.
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