Gateway to Your Home: Entry Doors Buyers Guide

Although doors are one of the most commonly purchased home improvement products, most consumers have very little knowledge about them. For the most part, when choosing doors for your home, most folks ponder on what kind of statement they want to make and how much they are willing to spend. While these concerns are equally important there are other issues to consider as well. Generally an informed consumer tends to make better decisions, so it is always best to do some research and familiarize yourself with the lesser known aspects of doors, so that you can be more confident when it comes time to make your purchasing decision

First Impressions

Front entry doors are viewed as the gateway to your home. They should be attractive and leave a good impression on all those who visit your home. Often times this is the first thing people think of when while buying a front door. It doesn’t need to be overly decorative but it should match the overall look and feel of your home. The options are literally endless in regards to ornate carvings, laminated or frosted glass panels as well as color. They come in various styles like French doors and Patio doors.

Choosing the Type of Material

First, you should consider the material of the front door. There are a varieties to choose from- wood, fiberglass or steel.

Wood

Although wood has the most quality of these selections it also tends to be the most expensive and will require the most care. There are many beautiful selections of wood types to choose from like maple, oak, mahogany, pine and many more.

Fiberglass

An alternate option to wood would be fiberglass doors. It is weather-resistant and doesn’t come with the headaches of wood. It endures bumps and scrapes better than wood and is less expensive.

Steel

Steel doors are another option for doors if your concern is security. They can be made to resemble wood doors. They also resist dents and scratches however they will require occasional painting to maintain appearances.

When choosing any one of these doors make sure to complement its look with a coordinating door handle and matching lock to complete its look.

Price

Finally the most important factor while looking for doors for your home is the cost factor. The pricing of the doors are often dictated by the materials being used, the accompanying hardware, its style and size. Just make sure to do a bit of research before you order the doors to be built.

Keeping in mind all these factors will help you make the best choice of doors for your home. Whichever material you choose to go with, keep in mind its quality, resistance to scratches and dents, its ability to withstand fluctuating temperatures, and sturdiness.

Image by Ivy Dawned and licensed through Creative Commons.