A Guide to Choosing the Right Entry Door – PART I – Door Material

Entry doors play an important role. They must be tough enough to stand against the effects of the wind, rain, heat, and sun. They should also be strong enough to provide you and your family with adequate security in the home. In addition, since entry doors can affect curb appeal, they should also be pretty and attractive. Given these considerations, finding a new or a replacement entry door can be a tall order.

There are a lot of options available if you are in the market for a new door, whether you are replacing an old one or buying one for a new home. In this post, we aim to give you information about the most popular entry door materials and help you decide which will work best for your home and your needs.

Getting to Know Common Entry Door Materials
One of the best ways to narrow down your front door choices is by considering the materials. The three most popular door materials to choose from are wood, fiberglass, and steel.

Wood
Wood entry doors are the go-to for more high-end projects. Traditional in style, wood doors lend a richness to the home with their substantial thickness and weight. The look and feel of authentic wood doors simply cannot be totally duplicated by other materials. However, there is a downside: Wood doors do not come cheap, and maintenance can be both demanding and costly.

Primary features:

• Adds value to your home
• Naturally elegant with a warm appeal
• Best for traditional and historic homes
• Available in a variety of wood types, styles, stains and finishes
• Best used in entryways sheltered from external elements
• Requires regular maintenance and painting

Steel
Steel doors are best suited to contemporary or modern homes. Best known for their durability, they won’t warp, crack, and can resist denting. They have a minimalist appeal, and a smooth surface that allows for painting. Steel doors are also generally cheaper than other options.

Primary features:

• Outstanding durability and weather resistance (particularly when installed in non-coastal areas)
• Cost-effective
• Can be made more energy-efficient when an insulated core and weather-stripping is added
• Offers the strongest barrier against intruders
• Can be coated to mimic the look of authentic wood
• While some products can resist denting and damage, steel doors may show signs of wear and tear over time, and may be expensive to repair

Fiberglass
Fiberglass front doors share some of the benefits of both wood and steel doors. They are durable but are less expensive. They can also go for years without much maintenance. They are generally built with a foam core, which is a great insulator. Fiberglass doors also come in designs and stains that make them look similar to wood.

Primary features:

• Durable and virtually maintenance-free; resistant to rot, dents, cracks, and warping
• Available in a variety of finishes and styles
• Can be stained or painted to match your home
• Offers energy efficiency; typically come with foam insulation and weather-stripping

At this point, you are probably starting to form a decision on the door material to get for your home. To help you better decide, tune in for the next post where we will discuss another important factor to consider: style.