What is the best material for your exterior doors?
As winter comes around again, staying warm becomes part of life at home. With energy more
expensive than ever, making sure your home is working to help you is just as important as how it
looks. Your choice of exterior doors can have a major impact on that, but did you even know there
was a choice? Wood remains the most popular of course, but there are alternatives, and they might
be perfect for you.
What is a popular front door for energy efficiency?
In places like Chicago where temperatures can drop significantly in winter, having a front door that
can help keep heat in and cold out can really help. As a result, the most popular front doors are
those that are very energy efficient, but what does that mean in practice?
Solid wooden doors
Wooden doors were the only choice for many years, and they are still easily the most popular today.
Wooden doors look great of course, but there is more to them than that. In fact, wood is one of the
better insulators, they offer a barrier between your home and the world outside, keeping the heat in
where you want it.
Are aluminum doors energy efficient?
Aluminum doors have grown in popularity in the last decade or two, due to their durability and low
maintenance requirements. However, not all aluminum doors are the same, and some are not
suitable for a cold environment at all. However, the latest aluminum doors can be incredibly energy
efficient, more so than a wooden door, thanks to an innovation known as a thermal break.
What is a thermal break?
A thermal break is an insulating layer within the door that completely isolates the exterior side from
the interior. Made of polyamide plastic, or in some cases a fabric, the thermal break stops the
transfer of heat energy between the outer and inner parts of the door. This means that the outside
may be cold, and the inside warm, and no energy ‘leaks’ between the two, saving your heating bills
and keeping your home warm and cozy.
Are fiberglass doors a good choice?
Fiberglass doors are a great choice, as they not only look good, but the way they are constructed
means they are excellent insulators and will help lower your energy bills in winter. The doors are
manufactured with a foam insulation core, and because fiberglass itself is a poor conductor of heat,
you end up with a door that is really energy efficient.
Can Stainless Steel front doors keep the heat in?
Stainless steel doors are often chosen for their security capabilities, but modern stainless steel front
doors have much more to offer. Available in many styles and colors, they are as versatile as any
other material, and have the same benefits as a fiberglass door. Featuring stainless steel faces
wrapped around an insulated core, they offer excellent energy efficiency with the insulation, and
alongside fiberglass doors are the best option for keeping heat in and the cold out.
Choosing the right front door style
With a range of materials that offer great thermal efficiency for even the coldest winter days, there
are some other things to think about when it comes to choosing your exterior doors. The style of
your door can also affect how good they are for keeping the warmth in your home. Designs with
glass in them inevitably compromise how good an insulator the door is. Double glazed door glass can
help with this and maintain energy efficiency, so if choosing a design with glass make sure it has
double glazing if you are bothered about heat insulation.
The question then, is what sort of look you want. One of the really important points about the best
front door to choose today is that there are so many options. You may love the look of wood, but
you can have a really natural looking effect that is almost indistinguishable with stainless steel and
fiberglass doors today. They don’t rot or lose their looks either, so you really can have anything you
want, and choose the best material too.
Whether modern or classic style, there are options with all these materials. Don’t forget that while
we talk about energy efficiency in terms of keeping heat in, in the summer they also help keep the
heat out. Running aircon is expensive enough, you don’t want half that cool air disappearing outside.
With an insulated front door, it keeps the heat out as well.
