What’s the scoop on entry doors?

With our illustrious government still eager to give homeowners a tax credit for installing energy efficient windows and doors, I been asked more now than ever, what’s the best choice for entry doors. As far as materials, I boil it down to three, wood, steel and fiberglass. There are some mixed material versions such as metal or vinyl clad wood doors and other weird recipes, but I think we should stay with the aforementioned trinity.

When you start mixing too many different materials you’re asking for trouble. In Wisconsin we experience an over 100 degree temperature differential from our coldest day in winter to our warmest day in summer. What’s more is we can experience an over 40 degree change in a few hours. Temperature changes cause materials to expand and contract. Different materials expand and contract at different rates during these changes in temperature so doors constructed from materials that are likely to move a lot might not be the best choice. This is why I tell my clients to be careful when selecting national brand doors, because many are not climate specific. It stands to reason that a door system built for milder climates might not be the best choice for Wisconsin.

All the being said, if you replacing a door consider the following, security, maintenance, efficiency and design. New wood doors look the best, hands down! There’s no end to the design possibilities, paint, stain, panels, glass. There are some applications where wood is the only choice such as historical restorations. Typically wood doors insulate well and can be made secure. The trouble arises a few years down the road. Deferring maintenance on an entry door can compromise everything. Wood doors require continual maintenance, especially on elevations that face the sun. Wood does expand and contract causing paint to check and seals to fail. This is especially true on less expensive wood doors.

Fiberglass doors at first glance, appear to answer all concerns. They look almost identical to wood, appear maintenance free, insulate well and are typically less expensive than there wood counterparts. Personally, I always advise against them for a number of reasons, first fiberglass is not as structurally secure as wood or steel; second every fiberglass door I’ve ever seen requires refinishing almost as often as wood. Unfortunately, it’s much more difficult to refinish. Improper sanding can erase the simulated wood grain finish and compromise the structural integrity of the skin. Many of the fiberglass doors we’ve replaced warped like bananas in the opening. Fiberglass is easily scratched or nicked and difficult to repair.

So that leaves steel. Steel is my choice. I have five steel doors on my home, all of which are over five years old and we have very few issues. Now fair warning, this is going to sound a little bit like a commercial but bear with me. Steel doors are not all created equal.

First security; steel doors answer that concern, better then any. Quality steel doors are installed into a steel “sub-jamb” that surrounds the entire perimeter of the door opening. This means in order to kick in or pry the door open, one would have to move the entire jamb of the door. If you examine you current door, odds are the only thing between you and nature is about a ½ inch of pine where the deadbolt latches into that hole in the side of the wood jamb. One good kick? Maintenance wise, steel is relatively stable through temperature changes so finishes remain intact for years. Fading is a concern but better doors are finished with UV inhibiting paints and stains slowing the process. If refinishing becomes necessary, embossed steel doors are almost indestructible when sanded. Better doors will also be treated or galvanized to inhibit oxidation or rust. These doors typically feature reinforced handle and hinge holes as well. 

As far as energy efficiency? This is where you have to be careful! All steel doors are not created equal. Steel is a natural conductor, in other words, heat and cold will travel through the material. If you were to place the tip if stainless steel butter knife into the flame of a stove burner, eventually the heat would travel all the way through to the handle, that’s conduction. High quality, steel doors are manufactured with a non-conducting separation between the steel skin on the exterior and interior. This is called a “thermal break”. Economy priced doors separate the steel skin with the actual wood frame of the door. This is the edge of the door. Wood edges require maintenance and compromise the security of the door. Look for doors where the skin wraps the edges and there is evidence of a thermal break. This typically looks like a thin line of vinyl separating the steel. Better doors are insulated with foam. Foam filled doors are stronger, more energy efficient and the insulation won’t settle with time. Typically replacement doors are glazed with insulated glass units, but you should question the ratings on the glass. The weather stripping on steel doors should be magnetic, with a bellow. This type of weather stripping allows the door to move slightly with interior air changes without breaking the seal. The bottom seal, called a “sweep” is a wear point on the door and should be easily replaced. Typically a type of tongue and groove system is best. I would shy away from sweeps that are glued or stapled in place.

Lastly, consider installation! A 1/16^th of an inch gap around your door is equivalent to removing two bricks from an out side wall. Imagine a hole in your wall the size of two bricks on a cold winter day. Also consider that an improperly installed door will wear out faster. Our professional installation takes about eight hours per door, so you can plan on a good days work.

Now some food for thought, think about this, if you only exit your home three times a day, then the door operates six times per day, per person. Now take the average family of four, that’s twenty four times per day, times three hundred, sixty five days in a year, that’s eight thousand, sixty times,……. in 10 years?………..well you know where this is going. Entry doors are important for all the reasons stated but they also offer your homes first impression to visitors. Having a door that looks good and operates well is worth the time, money and effort of doing it right the first time.

NK aka "The Construction Guru"