Your entry door says a lot about your home. It can scream “modern” or whisper “rustic.” It can make potential buyers pause or turn them away.
The best entry doors offer security, energy efficiency and beauty. Entry Doors Atlanta offers an extensive selection of fiberglass, wood and steel doors to meet the needs of Orange County homeowners.
Your home’s exterior — from its landscaping to the doors and windows — is what greets visitors, and is often referred to as “curb appeal.” It is one of the first elements that people notice, and can have an impact on whether a potential buyer decides to visit your home or not. There are many ways to boost your home’s curb appeal, including gardening, painting, and adding new fixtures. However, perhaps the most effective way to improve your entryway’s curb appeal is to invest in a new front door.
A new entry door instantly adds style and sophistication to your home, making a good impression with guests and passersby. It will be a welcome contrast to the surrounding siding, bringing out its best features and attracting attention. New doors are available in a wide range of colors, materials, and finishes, and can fit your home’s architectural style. A beautiful wood door evokes timeless beauty, while a durable fiberglass door with an energy-efficient design will help keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
Replacing your entry door is an affordable and easy project that will instantly enhance your home’s aesthetics, boosting its curb appeal and value. In addition, a new door may help lower your energy bills by reducing drafts and improving insulation.
An entryway with a fresh coat of paint and attractive accessories will make a lasting impression on anyone who sees it. This is especially important if you’re thinking about selling your home in the future. A new entry door that is both stylish and functional will attract potential buyers and help you sell your home faster.
A new front door can also increase your home’s energy efficiency and reduce drafts, which can cause your heating and cooling systems to work harder. Therma-Tru offers an array of energy efficient doors that will help to reduce your energy bills and save money.
Security
Keeping your home secure starts at the front door. Whether you have an old hollow-core door or an exterior door with large windows, the right features can keep unwanted guests out and your family safe.
Security doors are a popular choice for homeowners looking to upgrade their entryway. They can be made from aluminum, composite, fiberglass or steel materials and are equipped with keyed locks and deadbolts for protection against break-ins. Many also come with weatherproofing to protect against harsh weather conditions.
Solid core doors are a better option for your home’s security than hollow-core doors or older wood doors. They’re a lot more difficult to break down and offer an extra layer of defense against intruders looking for a quick getaway.
When it comes to choosing a new entry door, look for one that meets PAS 24: 2022 standards or has Secured By Design accreditation. This means that the door has been tested for resistance to brute force and can withstand pressure on the lock when it’s engaged.
Another way to improve your front door’s security is by upgrading the strike plate. The strike plate is the part of the door frame where the latch sits when it’s locked. It’s important to replace any existing strike plates that use cheap screws that can be easily yanked out by a burglar.
Homeowners who want to add an extra layer of security can opt for an electric strike system. This works by connecting to your alarm system and emitting an electrical current that causes the strike plate to jiggle when pressure is applied to it. If a burglar tries to open the door with brute force, this will trigger the alarm and they’ll be deterred from coming back.
If you’re worried about someone breaking into your home through a glass window in your entry door, try installing frosted privacy film on the inside of the window. This will not only allow natural light to filter through but it will obscure anyone who might be looking in to investigate a possible break-in. This is a cost-effective way to help deter opportunistic criminals.
Energy Efficiency
The entry doors you choose can have a significant impact on your energy costs. In addition to reducing heat transfer between your home and the outside, energy-efficient doors limit air infiltration and increase insulation. Combined with smart technology that monitors indoor temperature and outdoor conditions, the right door design can reduce your energy consumption and lower electricity bills.
The material a door is constructed from and the amount of natural insulation it offers play the biggest role in its energy efficiency. Fiberglass exterior doors are a great option for homes in cold climates as they offer superior insulating properties. The foam core in fiberglass entry doors also helps with acoustic comfort.
Besides the material, the glazing level is another factor that affects the energy-efficiency of an entry door. Solid-core wooden doors have decent insulating properties but are not the best choice for harsh climates. In these cases, insulated steel and fiberglass doors with a high U-factor are the preferred option.
When choosing a new entry door, be sure to look for the Energy Star rating and NFRC label to verify its energy-efficient capabilities. These ratings help homeowners compare products with one another and make educated decisions about their home improvement needs.
Other factors that affect a door’s energy-efficiency include its frame and sealant. Wood frames often warp and rot over time, decreasing their energy-saving abilities. Steel frames are better suited for southeastern Wisconsin weather, and many manufacturers use high-performance polyurethane sealants to provide an effective barrier against air infiltration and moisture.
Newer entry doors are made with energy-efficient materials that fit better than the old doors that were originally installed in your home. Additionally, homes settle over time, which may cause gaps and cracks in the frame and sealant of older doors that can compromise a door’s energy-efficiency.
Regular maintenance of your entry doors can improve their energy-efficiency as well. Keep an eye out for signs of wear and tear like deteriorating weather stripping, swollen hinges, or loose paint or hardware. Addressing these issues promptly will ensure that your entry doors are working as efficiently as possible to keep your electricity bills low.
Customization
Your front door is a major visual element of your home, and you have many options to customize it. You can select a new style to match your home’s overall architectural design, or you can change the material and add windows with custom glass. You can even have built-in lighting installed. It is important to choose a style that fits the innate style of your house, however, because you do not want your entry door to clash or detract from the appearance.
The most common option for an exterior door is wood, which comes in several different styles and stains to complement any style of architecture. Other popular choices include fiberglass and steel, both of which come in a variety of panel sizes and configurations to fit different aesthetics. Each option has its own benefits, such as fiberglass’s durability and low maintenance, steel’s insulating properties, and wood’s natural beauty and handcrafted appeal.
Once you have chosen the type of exterior door, the next step is to choose the configuration and glass style you would like for your home. There are many choices available, from traditional single doors to elegant double doors, each offering unique advantages. In-swing doors allow for more interior space, out-swing doors increase accessibility and security, and you can let in extra light with sidelites (clear glass side inserts) or transom inserts (glass panels that slide in above the door).
If you opt for a wood door, you’ll also need to decide whether you want a prehung door that has already been encased in a frame, or you want a slab of wood that can be custom sized to your specific doorway and frame opening. Installation time depends on the type of door you choose, but in general a prehung entry door will be easier to install and take less than five hours.
Once you’ve selected the style and configuration of your replacement entry door, it’s time to finalize your order and set a timeline for delivery. Once you’ve approved the design, Doors For Builders will issue a proposal with all the details needed to craft your custom entry door. This will include design basis information, any graphics/pictures of the door, a listing of all materials and accessories, pricing, payment terms, warranty, cancellation policy and change order policies.