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Homeowners often give short shrift to the choice of which exterior doors they should put on their homes, but the decision is an important one. Exterior doors, like eyes on humans, are portals to the soul of a home; they welcome you or they shut you out; they let you know what you can expect inside.
To make a good decision about their exterior doors, homeowners need to keep many variables in mind including color, scale, and composition. To make sense of all these variables, it helps to know that exterior doors are basically made of three different types of materials. This article will explain them to you so you can make the best decision for you and your home. Wood Exterior Doors Exterior doors made from wood are prized for their beauty and texture. Generally, hardwood exterior doors are made from oak, cherry, walnut, mahogany, and maple, but they can also be made from exotic woods like teak and irico. Unlike doors made from softwoods, including pine, fir, cedar, and redwood, hardwood doors are generally finished naturally. Softwood exterior doors are usually finished with paint. Either way, because of their susceptibility to sun and moisture damage, wood exterior doors need to be treated with a durable finish and need to be re-treated periodically. Most mass-produced wood exterior doors are made with an engineered wood core and then covered with a wood veneer. Engineered woods such as plywood, oriented strand board (OSB) and fiberboard are made by binding together wood strands, fibers or veneers with an adhesive material. Exterior doors made from engineered wood are less expensive than solid wood doors, which makes them a popular choice for those seeking a wood look. When selecting an exterior door made from engineered wood, remember that veneers damage easily, so make sure that the veneer is thicker than 1/16 of an inch. Fiberglass Composite Exterior Doors Fiberglass doors aren’t made completely from fiberglass. Rather, a fiberglass surface covers a wood frame, which is filled in with polyurethane foam insulation. Fiberglass exterior doors are commonly used in especially harsh or humid climates because of their durability and extremely low maintenance requirements. Fiberglass doors can be bought in single units, but are usually sold as complete entry systems (a package of all the exterior doors you need). Entry systems usually come with a lifetime limited warranty because of the doors’ extreme durability, but even single doors tend to have long warranties. Fiberglass doors are generally less expensive than wood doors and this, combined with their durability and ability to realistically replicate the look of wood, makes them a popular alternative. Steel Exterior Doors Steel exterior doors are the best choice if your top concerns are durability and security. Steel doesn’t crack or warp, though it can dent. However, most dents can be removed with an auto body repair kit. The structure of steel exterior doors is similar to that of fiberglass composite doors in that the steel exterior usually covers a wood and foam core, though the core can be made of steel for extra security. Also like fiberglass exterior doors, steel doors can be embossed to resemble wood doors and some are even stained to enhance the illusion. Steel doors are low maintenance as well, generally only requiring periodic repainting. You made need to watch for rust on you exterior doors if you live in a moist environment.
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Exterior Doors