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Front Doors
The exterior doors to your house do more
than keep the weather out: they provide security
and make a public statement to every guest
who enters your home. The following can help
you choose from the many front doors available.
Styles
Plain doors present a single
solid surface
to the outside, broken only by
the door hardware
or an optional window. Distinguished
by colors,
these door are either modern
or functional.
Paneled doors have frames within
which are
either raised or recessed panels.
You may
find a range of panels and arrangements,
from two panels (one over the
other), to
classic six panel (cross over
open book),
to multi-panel (symmetric arrangements
of
eight to twelve panels).
Windowed doors improve the light entering
your entry hallway but decrease the security
and insulation value of the door. Windows
come in many styles, from small clear viewing
panes to elaborate leaded glass creations.
Material
Wood doors are the long time standard and
may be painted or finished to suit any taste.
Generally the least expensive, they require
the most care over time as they wear from
exposure to weather.
Steel doors are much more durable than wooden
doors and insulate about five times better
because of their polyurethane core. Because
of the availability of magnetic stripping
(like that on your refrigerator), steel doors
have the best seals. Steel doors may require
some maintenance because their coatings may
scratch or wear. They are also prone to damage
from dents.
Fiberglass doors are also well insulated
and extremely low maintenance. These doors
have the lowest maintenance requirements
because they don't need resealing or repainting,
won't crack or warp, and the toughness of
the fiberglass makes them resistant to dents
and chips. High end doors capture the appearance
of wooden doors and are almost indistinguishable
from them, and with the wide
range of available
staining kits, these doors offer
unlimited
possibilities in appearance. |
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