We are thinking about replacing our front entrance
door, what are our choices?
All exterior doors are made to resist the elements,
but that's where the similarity ends. Your choices include all-wood,
insulation-filled steel, and insulated fiberglass in a wide range of quality and
prices. The front entry is no place to skimp on either.
The
most decorative doors are wood, especially those handmade by skilled craftsmen.
High quality natural wood doors today require little maintenance and provide
beauty and elegance to your entry. Natural grain varies in every door providing
a unique appearance. With or without an insulated core, wooden doors, especially
the high quality ones with double or triple weather stripping, will lower your
heating and cooling bills.
You can add decorative glass panels (beveled, etched
or leaded), transoms or sidelights to your door without giving up the positive
insulation factor. Triple-pane, tempered glass eliminates this concern as well
as any safety issue. If you want a highly insulated door with the beauty of
wood, insulated cores are available in some wood doors, and a steel door inside
thick, hand-finished veneers is also available.
Insulated
steel doors, some of them stainable, are a good alternative against thieves.
They are more durable and rigid, standing up to the trials of storms and
moisture. They are superior for overall security, durability and efficiency. The
options of decorative glass are still available for individualizing the
entrance, including the use of security glass, with a plastic pane between the
indoor and outdoor glass panes.
A reasonable alternative is a
composite door. Stainable ones are made of a durable skin of resin with either
fiberglass or carbon fibers. The skins are placed in large presses to produce
the graining and texture of a natural wood door. Unlike a wood door, a composite
door will not warp, crack, swell or chip with changes in weather and humidity.
Polyurethane foam creates an energy efficient and strong core. Secure against
forced entry, you may also add decorative triple-pane and tempered
glass
Add openers that delight the senses and your welcome is
complete. Many of today's handles, knobs, knockers and lock sets are interesting
and eye-catching, produced in shiny brass, hand-hammered iron, or rough-cast
bronze. For maximum security, entry door hardware should be paired with a
mortise lock, which fits into a rectangular slot cut into the edge of the door.
With this additional step, kicking in the door or trying to spread the jamb will
not provide entry. Even more effective are the new - but expensive - keyless
locks which open doors with the touch of a keypad, a magnetic card, or a hand
held clicker.
Whatever your choices, today's many entry door
options can provide just the right design for you.
You can find a professional to consult with for
your special needs right here on the Home Improvement
Hotline!
How should I care for my hardwood
door?
Wood door maintenance really
depends on direct sun/water exposure. The frequency of door maintenance
varies with individual applications. The bottom line is every few months,
look for dulling in your finish which is usually the result of sun burning your
door. The sun’s ultra violet rays are bad things, but no worse on doors
than anything else. You should always check for cracks in the caulk around your
door unit, but this is no different for a wood or metal door. As a
rule of thumb, every 12 to 18 months the exterior of a door should receive a
light sanding with fine sand paper, about 220 grit. After this, one should
take a clean cloth, apply a little paint thinner to it and thoroughly wipe the
door off. After the door dries for a few minutes, apply a single top coat
of polyurethane. When applying polyurethane, brush it on. Please do not
short cut and try the aerosol cans. It is important to get a complete
coating on the door and do not be afraid to let the polyurethane drip into
crevices and cracks to keep the door sealed for best protection against water
damage. Voila, the door is good for another 12 to 18 months
Always remember, wood came from a living breathing
tree and it is more sensitive to the elements than metal, but it is far more
beautiful. It will change and grow in character over its life.
With just modest attention and care, a wood door can last for many, many
years
Finely crafted
wood doors are a source of individual expression and beauty in domestic and
commercial architecture. Wood has the ability to adapt to many designs, allowing
for thousands of creative possibilities. Wood sets the standard for all other
door types to achieve. But no other material delivers the architectural detail,
precise shadow lines and mesmerizing grain patterns of wood.
The inherent warmth of wood doors is due to millions
of naturally occurring, tiny honeycomb cells between the fibers, which provide a
relatively high percentage of air volume, an excellent insulator. According to
WDMA sources, wood's insulating properties are 600 times more effective than
those of steel. And because wood doesn't conduct hot or cold like most man-made
materials, the possibility of "thermal bowing" is diminished. Thermal bowing is
caused by extreme temperatures, when one surface of the door is very cold at the
same time the other side is very warm. When the cold side of the door contracts
and the warm side expands, the uneven pressure that results may cause the
structure to bow. Wood is much less susceptible to this problem.
Door Protection during remodeling
and construction.
Doors installed
during a home remodel or construction should be protected from construction
traffic. However, never seal door behind an air tight vapor barrier as
severe damage can occur to your door from excessive heat build up from the solar
heat gain of sun exposure. No warranty applies to doors experiencing such
conditions. The same applies to the installation of air tight storm doors over a
wood door, steel door or fiberglass door.
Easy to Install and Finish
Wood is easily planed at the home site to fit odd-sized
openings. Imperfections in framing and jamb systems are not the roadblocks that
they might be for non-wood, less-adaptable door materials. In addition, shavings
from planing a wood door are much less irritating than fibers and other debris
from man-made materials. Wood doors, when prepared properly at the home site,
take stain evenly and beautifully. In this way, wood is more forgiving than
non-wood surfaces.
Like anything worthwhile, wood doors require care. We
recommend you install wood entrance doors under an overhang that blocks the sun.
When finishing the door, all six sides, (four edges and two faces), must be
properly sealed, per manufacturers instructions. Avoid applying dark-colored
paint, as it is more prone to noticeable fading in the sun. Inspect your wood
door every one to two years.
How will my door be packaged for motor freight shipping?
When your merchandise arrives,
particularly, doors and skylights, you can expect the product to arrive on a
motor freight carrier. Dealing with a motor freight carrier is
definitively different than using UPS or the Postal Service. When your
product arrives, expect it to be heavy and bulky. Skylights can generally
be handled by a single individual although, some models can be quite heavy
weighing 50 to 70 pounds each. Door units can weigh between 100 and 450
pounds in their crate. ***Do not expect a motor freight driver to help you
unload. They will move your product to the tail of their truck and from
that point on, the load is yours to manage. Have some able body friends on
hand to help out or whom ever you can recruit. Often, door units are
easier to manage once removed from their crate and you might want to uncrate
immediately after removing your shipment from the truck.
