A GUIDE TO FRONT
DOOR MATERIAL

The type of front door you purchase will determine your aesthetic, home value and safety. As it is done with replacement windows, new doors should be chosen wisely.
When choosing a new front door you should consider price, durability, style, and material.

To help you out, here is a short, informative guide on a front door’s material:

Wood

The oldest type of front door material is wood. It has been used for a century and has proven to be very efficient. Wood is an amazing insulator and it’s very flexible when it comes to style. It works best for traditionally styled homes, but it can also be combined with modern architecture.
However, along with its good qualities come some disadvantages. Even though wood is strong and extremely weather-resistant, it’s still vulnerable to rot and termites. This is why frequent repainting and maintenance is required. If not kept in shape, a wooden front door can lose half of its lifespan.

Note: Remember to make everything blend with your home’s aesthetic. You can play around with colors, but don’t experiment TOO much. It can end up leaving the wrong impression.

Steel

When someone mentions steel, we immediately think of power and strength. And it is no coincidence since a door made from steel can last a lifetime. Wood is an amazing insulator, that isn’t debatable, but steel is at least 5 times better and with higher energy efficiency.
What wood is good at, steel isn’t and vice versa. This is why both of them are still on the market. So besides being much stronger, steel also has some cons. For instance, it’s much less flexible for stylizing, even though it can be repainted. Additionally, it can rust and dent which to fix almost always requires full door replacement.

Fiberglass

The most expensive type of door is fiberglass and it rightfully deserves its high pricing. Fiberglass is the ideal material for building doors and windows since it is even more secure and energy-efficient than steel and is offered in many styles, just like wood.
Homeowners who are obsessed with safety, always go for fiberglass, but this doesn’t make the material without any disadvantages. Besides the high cost, of course, fiberglass is prone to fading and can crack during severe weather. However, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and this makes fiberglass the best option on the door market.

Aluminum

This material is mostly used for storm and patio doors. It is very energy efficient and durable and it has something most doors don’t: a cheap price. If you are looking for a cheap, but safe door, aluminum is a great choice, however, as every door, aluminum has its weak spots.
First, it’s not as safe as other door materials. But for its defense, fiberglass is stronger than it should be, so aluminum is just enough to keep you warm. Second, this material doesn’t work well for homes on beaches and near oceans since the salt in the air can cause corrosion.

Vinyl

When we already mentioned cheap, we cannot but talk about vinyl too. This is a very popular material for replacement windows, but it works well for doors too. Unlike aluminum though, vinyl has the same strength as steel, sometimes even better. Vinyl is also praised for its high energy efficiency and little maintenance. But, it’s not as flexible when it comes to style, especially when it comes to color choices.

To conclude, each door material has its own pros and cons and to choose which one you want for your home, you should schedule a free consultation, face to face. This way the experts can offer better help.

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