Install or Replace Exterior Doors, By Stu Silverman

The front door is a major element of your home's fasade, and replacing it is an easy and affordable way to update the look of your home and improve its curb appeal - not to mention its energy efficiency. And if you're installing new exterior doors on a new home, you have just as much choice to create the look of your new home.

You may need to replace your existing door because it isn't providing adequate insulation. Old exterior doors or doors in poor condition can contribute to more than 40% of a building's energy losses due to air leaks. So a new door will not only look great, but can help improve your home's energy efficiency.

More choice than ever

Technological advances in the past ten years have multiplied the types of doors available. And there are now more styles and combinations to choose from than ever before. We'll discuss the four main categories of new exterior doors: steel, fiberglass, composites, and real wood.

A majority of exterior doors being bought today are steel doors. Steel is very durable and won't warp or twist. Steel exterior doors are generally filled with an insulating foam, which provides the door with excellent insulation value - almost five times better than an ordinary wood door. But don't think of steel doors as hard, cold and unappealing. You can buy steel doors with synthetic wood grained embossed finishes that really look like real wood. And some of these finishes can even be stained! One drawback to steel doors is that they can be dented easily.

Fiberglass growing in popularity

Fiberglass doors have increased in popularity in the past few years. Fiberglass doors have many similar properties to steel, but are much more resistant to damage; they are insulated with foam and provide excellent insulation value, they are tremendously durable, they expand or contract very little with weather changes, they won't rot, warp, crack, split, bow, twist or splinter, and they can be made to look exactly like solid wood.

Many fiberglass doors have realistic wood graining and a surface that you can stain or paint. With fiberglass you get all the versatility and beauty of natural wood, with the advantages of added durability and insulation value. Fiberglass doors also come in a wide variety of styles, with countless options for stained and beveled glass. But keep in mind, that like wood, the outdoor side of fiberglass doors needs to be painted or stained every few years.

Composites can be best of both worlds

Composite doors blend different materials, such as a fiber-reinforced core which is surrounded by real wood. The core is twice as strong as wood and won't warp, rot or expand with humidity like solid wood could. And the outer layer has all the natural beauty of real wood, and its regular need for maintenance. So you have the look of a solid wood door without its major drawbacks.

Wood doors benefit from new technology too

Many real wood doors made today use technology to improve upon a classic. One example is the *cut and turn* method, where a solid piece of lumber is cut lengthwise into one or more pieces, and every other piece is rotated 180 degrees before being glued back together. The result is a solid wood door that is much more resistant to bowing and warping.

Old exterior doors or doors in poor condition can contribute to more than 40% of a building's energy losses due to air leaks.

Another popular method is to create a core with various stable pieces of wood, and then covering the core with a thin veneer of virtually any species of wood you choose. This method also produces a door with all the natural beauty of solid wood, but which is much more resistant to warping or twisting. For all their beauty, however, wood doors are not the best insulators, require regular maintenance, and may be prone to rot and expansion, depending on the species of wood, the climate and amount of direct exposure to the elements.

Many more options than the door's material

The material of your new door is just the beginning. You can buy doors in virtually any style, any color, and with all types of hardware. Then, if you have the space around your entryway, sidelights (full or partial windows placed vertically alongside a door) and/or transoms (windows placed horizontally above a door) can really add beauty. And don't forget about stained, textured, semi-transparent or beveled glass to add a unique touch of character to the door glass or sidelights and/or transoms. The possibilities are truly endless. So have fun with it, and make your new exterior door and entryway a real centerpiece.