Do you check the condition of your entry doors? Probably not. Because these doors are made strong, they serve for long periods before incurring any significant damages. But, some things shout your entrance door needs replacement. An efficient exterior door:
- Is easy to operate
- Is strong enough to provide maximum security
- Helps in lowering energy costs
- Allows lighting and ventilation into the house
- Provides a curb appeal
Rotting, damaged, and broken entry doors are no longer efficient. When you notice these characteristics with your door, Tome Home Windows and Doors advises homeowners consider a replacement. Here are key factors to look at for your replacement to be as planned. Take a peek.
Door Styles and Materials
- Entry Doors – These are installed either as single or double. They are operated by swinging them right or left and are available in fiberglass composite and insulated steel.
- Steel Insulated – Insulated steel entry doors are affordable and easy to maintain. They provide high definition aesthetics to your entrance since they can be created to mimic wood doors. Steel insulated doors can be painted, giving you an option to change color any time you want.
They can have glass additions to enhance their aesthetics and for allowing natural lighting. - Fiberglass Composite – You can choose different finishes for your fiberglass composite entry door. These doors make an excellent choice since they are weather-resistant, are durable, and do not require maintenance.
Replacing these doors is relatively easy since they are available in retrofits. Fiberglass composite doors fitted with glass sidings for aesthetics are also available. You can buy these doors in one of their 24 factory colors or customize yours. - Patio Doors – They are also called sliding exterior doors. They are often made from vinyl clad, and to add strength to them, they are reinforced with steel. These doors have fantastic features such as sealed glass for optimum energy-efficiency, nylon ball bearings for smooth operations, and a track made of stainless steel.
- Garden Doors or French Doors – Garden doors are typically double doors. They are used in entrances that require a wide opening, such as the patios or to the garden. They are fitted with pencil grills, mini blinds, clear Low-E, and internal grills.
Entry Door Glass Options
Glass options are categorized according to their performance. They include:
- Decorative: used for decorative purposes and are always handcrafted.
- Obscure: used for providing privacy and lighting. So it is an ideal option if you need maximum lighting and privacy in your home.
- Low-E coating: helps in improving energy efficiency and protection from UV rays
- Impact-resistant: protects from extreme weather conditions as well as impacts from humans.
- Mini-blinds: Used for providing privacy and as a maintenance-free option
- Grills: they can either be painted or stained. These glass options add style and dimension to your door.
- Sidelights: they can either be used on either side or single side of the door. Sidelights are customizable to fit your door.
- Transom windows: they are available in different shapes such as radius, triangle, or round top and are fixed at the top of the main door.
Trim and Hardware Options
French entry Doors
They come with cool features to enhance their security. They include a multi-point lock system, reduced air filtration, heavy-duty lock, and warp protection. They are available in black, brass, pewter, and polished nickel finishes.
Patio Doors
- Standard Handle – These patio exterior doors feature a C panel handle. A multi-lock is also available and comes in white, ivory, black, and sandalwood.
- Optional Euro-style Handle – These entry doors have two heavy-duty locking points. The handles are smooth and rounded with built-in key locks. These handles are available in satin nickel, brass, and nickel, black, white, and bright chrome.
- Optimal Internal Mini-blinds – These are easy to operate and are often fitted between glass panes. The handles are available in numerous colors and wood grains, which make them outstanding.
- Optimal Grid Patterns – These handles are maintenance-free. They come in colonial designs, making your grills look decorative.
Door replacement can be totally overwhelming if you do not have a specific design in mind. There are lots of cool replacement exterior doors available, and you need serious planning before going shopping.
