A step-by-step process to finding the best entry door for your home

Choosing an entry door can be a daunting process. Chances are, you will only purchase a small number in your lifetime, so you won’t be familiar with all the aspects to consider. Doors are also expensive, so its important to make a good selection. Not only will you have to look at the door very often, it may also impact the resale value of your home. In order to simplfy the process and empower our customers with the knowledge they need to make good decisions, we have created the following guide to choosing an entry door:

1. Choose the material

The first step in choosing an entry door is deciding what material you want the door to be made of. Most doors are either Steel, Fiberglass or Wood, and there are pros and cons to each. In the past, almost all doors were made of wood. The problem with wood is that it requires more maintance than other materials, and even with care, wood doors tend to be less durable than fiberglass or steel. They also often are not as good insulators(although that also depends on how much glass you have). Wood doors have become much less popular today due to the advent of fiberglass doors.

2. How much glass

The next step in the process is determining how much glass you want in the door. There are a multitude of options including no glass, full glass, big ovals, small ovals, half-moons at the top and many more options. Some things to think about when deciding how much glass to have include privacy concerns, how decorative you want the door to be, and costs. Generally, the more glass in a door, the more expensive it is.

3. What glass design

After selecting how much glass you want, you then must choose the design for your door. This step is more important if you have a full-glass door, or one with a lot of glass. There are literally hundreds of different glass options available with varying styles and aesthetics. Custom glass is also an option, although that typically adds costs and increases lead time.

4. Hardware

Even though it is a relatively small part of the door(both physically and cost-wise), hardware can make a big difference in how a door feels. A knob and deadbolt are typically standard on any door. However, you can also upgrade to a lever or a decorative handle-set. You can also choose different finishes, typically brass, satin nickel or bronze. Adding nice hardware is a great-way to make your door feel nicer. If you are getting a lot of decorative glass, we recommend upgrading to a handle-set because a knob sometimes doesn’t feel right with fancy glass.

5. Options

There are several options or a door such as a mail slot, peep-hole and knocker. Some doors(like full-glass) are more limited in terms of the available options.