Choosing The Best Entry Door For Your Home
Energy Efficiency And Entry Doors
During your search for entry doors you are sure to find a lot of information on energy efficiency. This is an important factor when choosing a door. If you are like most homeowners, you hate to see a large chunk of your money going towards the heating and cooling of your home. If you choose to install a door that is manufactured from energy efficient materials, it will help you save money on those bills. Not only will they save you money, they can also help to save the environment because less energy is needed to heat and cool homes with energy efficient entry doors. The most energy efficient doors available are manufactured from either steel or fiberglass, utilize polyurethane insulation, and are Energy Star Certified. Energy Star Certification is provided by the Environmental Protection Agency to help consumers make purchasing decisions that have a positive impact on the environment, as well as savings on monthly energy bills.
As stated earlier, fiberglass and steel entry doors will provide you with the most energy efficiency. Entry doors made of wood do provide decent efficiency, but nowhere near the R-Value (thermal resistance) numbers that steel and fiberglass reach. A wooden door can be up to five times less efficient than a steel entry door or fiberglass entry door. That being said everyone loves the look of wood. Fortunately, door manufacturers have developed new technologies to produce realistic wood appearances on both steel and fiberglass. Steel doors can be stamped with a wood grain texture, and fiberglass doors are molded with wood grain textures. The resulting entry doors are almost indiscernible from real wood, and offer incredible energy efficiency.
Now that you know that fiberglass entry doors and steel entry doors are more energy efficient then wooden entry doors, let’s examine some of the pros and cons of each.
Fiberglass Entry Doors
When you install a fiberglass entry door, you will be getting maximum energy efficiency. Fiberglass can offer enhanced aesthetic beauty by replicating the look of real wood. However, you must be aware that cheap fiberglass doors can warp or fade. Newer, more expensive doors are less likely to suffer from these problems. Fiberglass doors are also more expensive than steel doors.
Steel Entry Doors
Homeowners on a budget often install steel entry doors on their houses. Steel doors are on par with the energy efficiency of fiberglass, but are less expensive. Steel doors offer increased security over fiberglass doors and now look just as good. New stamping technology has finally created steel doors that look just like wood doors. Also, older steel doors used to suffer from rusting problems that have been fixed through new galvanization techniques. Steel entry doors offer you the most return on investment than any other type of entry door.
Even though wood doors are less efficient than fiberglass and steel, many people still choose them. For the homeowner that must have a premium door that offers maximum aesthetic beauty and craftsmanship, there is no substitute for a real wood door. These luxury doors are beautiful, but that beauty comes with a high price tag and an almost intolerable amount of maintenance. If money is no object, and energy efficiency isn’t your main concern, wood entry doors offer beauty and security.
Any discussion about entry doors wouldn’t be complete without discussing the importance of storm doors. While you may be asking yourself, “Why would I want to cover up my beautiful new entry door with a storm door?” there are some compelling reasons to do so. A storm door can provide increased energy efficiency as well as added security. An elegant storm door can compliment the beauty of your entry door also. Storm doors will also provide your new entry doors with protection from the elements and prolong their use. Many people believe that they can install a storm door themselves after they pay for new entry door installation. Unless you are a skilled do it yourself type person, storm door installation is best left to the professionals. Also, when you are choosing your entry door it is a great idea to choose the perfect storm door and have them installed at the same time.
Choosing the perfect entry doors for your home is an important decision. By taking the time to really investigate the benefits of each type of door, you have a better chance of getting a door that will provide you with many years of reliable operation. If you choose to rush the decision, or to simply trust a sales person, you may end up with a door that you are unhappy with. You really don’t want that to happen.
Entry door installation can be expensive and you’ll be stuck with that door for a long time. Choosing a door depends on how much money you are willing to spend, your personal style preferences, and your quality standards. For most homeowners the entry doors that they choose are based on combinations and compromises of all of the above. If money is not an issue, then of course you should opt for the best doors possible, but if you are like the rest of us you will simply get the best that you can afford. However, entry door installation is nothing to cheap out on. You don’t want to be left with a door that warps, fades, or rusts a few years down the line because you thought you could get by with some cheap door from a big box retailer. Don’t do it. You will definitely come to regret the decision. Always find a trusted entry door installation company. They have years of experience with different types of doors and know which doors work best. They also provide installation guarantees and material warranties. Once you have chosen what material works best for you and what company will provide the installation, the rest is easy. Most doors are installed in one day with little inconvenience. Once complete, you are ready to begin opening your beautiful new entry doors to your family, friends, and guests.
If you are interested in entry door installation services, contact the professional entry door technicians at Preferred Window and Door in Lynwood, Illinois. They have been repairing and installing new entry doors and storm doors in Burnham, IL, the southern Chicago suburbs and N.W. Indiana since 1994. Click to learn more about entry doors or call us at (708) 895-3667.
