Wood, Steel Or Fiberglass Doors: Which One Should You Choose?
Front doors form entries and exits from our homes, and we all want them to look good to create an excellent first impression to our visitors. However, with so many exterior doors materials such as wood, steel and fiberglass doors, choosing particular material for a front door can be challenging.
However, what you choose depends on the qualities you want your front door to have, and the amount of money you are willing to spend on a front door. From fiberglass doors to wood, check out some of the front door materials available.
- Wood
Wood is standard material homeowners go for especially for their front door. It is preferred because of its beautiful finishing. Wood is also an easy material to resize, shape and style. These doors are effortless to customize with other elements like glass and sidelights. Wood is a rigid material, so it lasts long.
However, besides the executive look, a wooden door requires constant maintenance. You will need to keep repainting the door to maintain its look. It also absorbs water, and this leads to swelling and rotting. This door type is prone to insects like termites, and they can weaken it.
- Fiberglass Doors
This door type resembles a wooden door, but it has fewer disadvantages than real wood. If you are a wood lover but are not ready for the attention a wooden door needs, you can go for fiberglass exterior doors with a wood finishing. It looks exactly like wood, but it’s not wood. Fiberglass doors are durable and do not dent or warp easily. These doors are very energy efficient, meaning they will save your energy bills. They do not require repainting because they do not fade when exposed to the sun. Fiberglass doors are slightly more expensive than wooden doors, but their energy-saving characteristics will payback.
- Steel
Steel is another most preferred material for a front door by homeowners. A steel door is solid, and this is a significant feature we want in a front door. They are also sealed with insulated foam, to make them energy efficient. However, these doors rust easily, especially in houses along the coast because of the salt concentration. Once they dent, they are hard to repair, and you may not have a choice but to buy a new door. However, unlike wood or fiberglass doors, they come at a cheaper cost and more commonly available than its counterparts.
- Glass
Do you have a home along the coast or facing a beautiful forest? We cannot get enough view of the sea, and this door would be the best in such a situation. They will also bring a lot of light into the house, something we all want to have. Besides the beautiful views, your neighbors might get an opportunity to peep what is going on in your home, which becomes a disadvantage. To avoid these, you can pair your glass door with either of the other three materials.