RESOURCES

Check out the different door options so that you can select the best door for your home.

There are many different types of doors that you can choose for your home. The first thing you'll need to be aware of when when deciding on your door is that there are significant differences between interior and exterior doors, so you'll need to ensure you're purchasing the correct one. This is a fairly simple concept; if you are looking to replace a door within your house, choose an interior door. If the door you need to replace is going to lead outside, then choose an exterior door. Exterior doors include doors connecting the house to the garage. Exterior doors are thicker, and are made with seals and gaskets so that the cold air stays out. Placing the wrong door in the wrong area will mean less energy efficiency, and potentially higher risks of break-ins and other security problems.

Energy Efficiency

Since doors are the main entry and exit to a house, cold and hot air is constantly escaping, necessitating the frequent use of heating or cooling systems. Existing doors can be made more energy efficient by adding weather-stripping. Usually, weather-strips are designed for do-it-yourself projects, and can be purchased from your local home store. This simple, easy to install upgrade can do wonders for the energy efficiency of your home.

According to Natural Resources Canada, doors have less impact on the energy consumption of a home compared to windows, because there are fewer doors in a house. But it is still important to have efficient doors. They type of material your door is constructed out of can have a huge impact on your home's energy consumption. For example, metal-clad doors are more efficient than solid wood doors, and their also much more resistant warping (a common cause of air-leakage). It is important to note that if the door doesn't fit right then the type of material doesn't matter, because a poorly fitting door will make the home drafty, and lose energy.

Design

Adding a new front door can spice up the look of an older house, especially when it comes time to sell your home. Many potential buyers are attracted to the exterior of the house first, so adding a new door will be one of the first things they notice when they visit. Exterior doors come in all sorts of colours to accentuate the exterior colour of your home.

There are many different styles of doors to choose from:

• Panel Doors are made up of wood panels, and held in place by wood stiles and rails made from plywood, solid wood, metal or glass.
• Solid Core Doors have solid lumber cores, and compressed wood fibre cores or rigid foam board.
• Hollow Metal Insulated Doors are made of fabricated and welded sheet metal, with a mineral or cement board as a core.
• Hollow Core Wood Doors are made of plywood or pressboard face and honeycomb wood core. These doors are for interior use only.

Usually, six panel pine doors are the most common, but hollow core doors have become more popular due to the cheaper cost and the use of pine. Metal or fiberglass doors are popular modern choices for the energy efficiency and durability.

Many doors nowadays come with the option of glass trimlites installed. This decorative glass serves not only to beautify your home, but will also increase the brightness of your home by allowing extra light in. Some homeowners like glass in their doors for security reasons, allowing them to see outside without actually having to open the door.

So when you are looking to update the doors in your house, whether it's to help consume energy, or just for looks, it's important to research the different type of doors, and choose the right one for your house.