No other door of your home gets as much exposure or attention as the front door. It serves as a place to greet your friends and family, plus it commands attention from the street. Your front door can make a statement about who you are and what people can expect when they walk into your home. Replacing a front door can also add value to your home. Here are some ideas for creating an inviting entryway as well as choosing a door that fits your personal style and your home’s design.
When choosing a new front door, there are different materials to consider: wood, fiberglass, and steel.
Wood is a common choice for a front door. It offers a traditional look and provides a sense of warmth and richness. Homeowners can choose from a variety of styles and types of wood, and doors can also be custom made. A wood door should be carefully finished with stain or paint according to manufacturer specifications. When purchasing, look for a door with durable stains and high-gloss finishes – these are best for protecting the wood. While wood doors add a beautiful element to the outside of your home, they require a fair amount of upkeep. Wood is sensitive to moisture, and wetness can cause the door to crack and warp.
Fiberglass doors are perfect for harsh and humid climates we have here in Wisconsin because they can go several years without needing any paint or stain touchups. They come with an environmentally friendly polyurethane core that provides insulation properties that are at least four times greater than wood doors, and they also have a high-impact compression molded skin that will not splinter, warp, or rot. Wood grains that replicate the look of cherry, fir, mahogany, and oak are available.
Steel doors provide performance, safety, and beauty. They come pre-painted or pre-stained in a smooth or textured finish. Premium steel doors have a vinyl coating for improved weather resistance or sometimes even a wood veneer that can take a stain. Steel doors are durable and resist splintering and cracking; however, they are somewhat less energy efficient than wood or fiberglass. Heat or cold can be conducted to the inside surface unless a thermal break is incorporated into the door’s construction.
Next, consider the look of your door. Doors can be flat panel or have high definition panel profiles. Glass options include clear, double-insulated glass or a variety of triple-glazed designer glass styles. Homeowners have the option of choosing privacy ratings as well as choosing options in any size, shape, texture, pattern, or designer glass. The glass can be etched, patterned, textured, beveled, and designed with simulated divided lite and grilles between the glass. Homeowners can also choose from brass or lead caning. These decorative glass designs are sealed between two panes of tempered “safety” glass, providing the energy efficiency of triple glazing.
Just like glass packages, door hardware comes in many colors and shapes. Handles and hinges can be ornate or simple and finishes run the gamut, including nickel, satin nickel, bright brass, antique brass, oil-rubbed bronze, matte black, and satin stainless steel.
Other door options to take into consideration are whether you want to have a kick panel, peep hole, mail slot, and depending on the size of your opening, sidelights and transoms.
With all the customization options available, homeowners may become overwhelmed. That is where a trained product specialist from Callen with an eye for design can help by explaining and offering ideas of what will look and work best with the architecture and performance standards required. Call Callen today at 414-529-5509.
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