There’s nothing like huge doors with gorgeously sculpted details into the material—wood, bronze, steel or something else—to make a grand statement, in much the same way that Rodin’s Gates of Hell heartrendingly does. Or you could go for something uniquely shaped and memorable, like the big round doors of the homes in the Shire, from J. R. R. Tolkien’s works.
Indeed, a lot of thought should go into picking out your door, especially the front doors, that suit your home and property in every way. So don’t just blindly go online, pick one and call it a day. Here’s what you need to know about choosing the perfect one:
- Know what kind of material you like. Doors are available in a bevy of materials. Wood, fiberglass and steel are the most common types, according to Consumer Reports. Each offer distinct benefits and disadvantages.
- Don’t forget about safety. Entry doors should have enough strength and heft to deter thieves and keep home invasions from happening. Burglars usually kick doors in so make sure you pick a pair of sturdy exterior doors that could stand up to a lot of pressure.
- Installation. Prehung doors are often the go-to choice for entry doors. If you want something easy and convenient, go for same-size doors. That way, you won’t have to worry about the added expense of having the framing adjust to the size of the new door. If you’ve been thinking about putting in sidelights or about the door installation, it might be better to call in pros instead of doing it yourself. This takes skill and a pro would get the door installed faster than you could.
- Energy-efficiency. Entry doors, unlike interior doors, have to work harder to insulate your home. Wood doors, though easily customizable, have low insulating value since wood tends to warp over time. However, you could boost your door’s insulating properties by adding rubber insulation along the frame to ensure no zero air leaks through or around your doors. For added measure, you could go for compression sealed doors, says the DIY Network. Ask a pro to line your doorframe with a PVC gasket. This way, whenever you close the door, you form a tight seal around the frame, which improves the insulating value of your door tremendously.
All in all, your entry doors have a massive impact on your home—whether on its style, safety or energy-efficiency. So factor these in and choose wisely.
Nick’s Building Supply, Inc. offers a range of entry doors to fit any home. Contact us for more of our products and services! You can also like them on Facebook.
