When people first come to your home, your front door and patio provide their first impression. The inside of your home can be decorated to perfection, but if the outside doesn’t match the interior or the character, it will feel like something is missing. Whether it’s a Victorian home or a contemporary design, the kind of doors you have matters. Other factors, like the amount of light coming in, energy efficiency, and cleaning requirement, also factor into choosing the right door for your home. If you’re about to select doors for your new custom home or replace doors on an existing home, read on!
The Different Types of Doors
Front doors are the main entryway to your home. They need to be tough and sturdy, able to withstand harsh weather elements, and keep out potential intruders. But, you also want them to be inviting, especially if you plan on entertaining guests at your home frequently.
Front doors can be customizable, so if you want a classic looking door but still want some light to get into your home, you can add glass designs and glass panels to the front door. Your entryway door is one of the only places in your home where you can have glass accents in your home.
Wood Doors
This Old Home notes that wood doors are the most common door material, and for a good reason. They’re versatile and are treated to minimize warping, which can cause a door not to open or close fully. Certain kinds of wood doors cost more money compared to other door materials, but you can’t put a price on a functioning door that lasts a long time.
Steel Doors
If security and your family’s safety is a concern of yours, a steel door may be your best option. Steel doors are durable and typically don’t break or warp. If something happens to dent the door, they can easily get fixed with auto-repair materials.
Fiberglass Composite Doors
If you’re looking for a door that requires little maintenance, a fiberglass door is going to be best for you. They mimic the look of a wood door and are better suited for humid climates. The door carries an extended warranty and, just like wood doors, are an affordable option for your entryway door. However, if you have a lot of features added on to the door, whether for decoration or other purposes, they can quickly add up.
Aluminum Doors
If you’re looking for a completely customizable door, aluminum is going to be your best bet. They aren’t likely to rust and are easily color and style-matched. The warranty on the doors is also long-term, similarly to fiberglass. Be warned though. With all of the customizable features, the price of the doors can increase rapidly, making aluminum doors one of the pricier door materials.
Glass Doors
Glass doors are going to be for your back doors. French style doors are two glass doors that each open into the room. A modified design of French doors happens when one door opens into the room, and the other is stationary and poses as a window designed to look like a door. Sliding doors slide horizontally to let people in and out of the house. When choosing your back door, space must be the first thing considered. If the room has lots of space, a French door is appropriate since the doors open into the room. A sliding door is better suited for a smaller space since the door slides on a track and won’t take up any extra space.
Other Things to Keep in Mind
When you’re purchasing your doors, be sure to buy them from the same company. This ensures that coloring and the parts used to assemble the doors will match.
If you’re using the same hinges that were on the original door, make sure the hinges on the new door match in terms of placement. If they don’t match up, you’ll have to replace the entire frame to make sure everything matches completely.
Most doors nowadays are energy efficient doors, which can help you save money in the long haul. The more energy efficient a door is, the more likely they’ll be better insulated.
Choose Doors that Complement Your Home Style
Curb appeal is one of the biggest buzzwords in home design. If you choose the wrong type of door for your home, you risk decreasing your home’s curb appeal by unintentionally giving your home a cheap look. A basic rule of thumb is that if your home has a classic look, go with a wood door. If your home is more contemporary, choose a glass door so it can make a statement. When it comes to the color or stain of your door, you’ll want to choose one that matches the general color scheme of your home to keep your house uniform.
Traditional homes can handle a wood or fiberglass door. Because those are two of the more common door types, they won’t stick out on your home or draw attention to your home that you may not have been planning on initially. More contemporary homes can handle glass doors or doors with side-lites in geometric shapes to bring in a little more light to your home. Spanish or Mediterranean style homes can be a more dramatic door complete with window accents, wood or iron grilles to give the windows a striking appearance, and other kinds of decorative hardware.
How to Clean Different Door Types
Just like the inside of your home, the outside of your house needs general upkeep. Wood doors take the most maintenance. Be sure to dilute the cleaning products with water to avoid accidental stripping of the paint and stain, which will lessen the curb appeal of your home.
A plus of steel doors is they require less cleaning. Don’t let that fool you, because they still need general touch-ups from time to time. Use an all-purpose cleaner to clean the door, wipe it all off, then buff the door to make it look brand new.
Because glass doors don’t have a color associated with them, they’ll show dirt, dust, and everything else faster than other door materials. Be sure to clean the inside and the outside of the door to give more shine and avoid giving off a dirty impression to your home. Wash the doors with soap and water first, then finish off with a glass cleaner.
Don’t let something easy, like the wrong front door, ruin the overall style of your home or cause preventable expenses.