How to Choose the Perfect Front Door

by Brett Freeman

Replacing your front door is a sizable investment. Even if you choose a modestly priced door of about $200, the final bill could well exceed $1200 after the cost of a new frame, hardware, weather stripping, and installation. Before spending that much, make sure you know what you're getting.

Solid Wood Doors
A solid wood door can look like a piece of art. It can also cost as much. Custom built solid wood doors can take up to 10 weeks to be delivered, but the final product may be breathtaking. In addition to their beauty, solid wood doors are known for being sturdy and durable.

Stock Wood Doors
These doors look similar to solid wood, but their outer layers are actually a wood veneer over an engineered wood core. Stock wood doors cost anywhere from a third to half as much as a solid wood door and provide good insulation. You also don't have to wait two or more months for delivery. For maximum durability, make sure you choose a stock wood door with the thickest veneer available.

Fiberglass-Composite Doors
Although made of fiberglass, these doors are designed to look just like wood doors, and surprisingly, they do. Fiberglass-composites are the work horse of doors; they require no maintenance and can stand up to the harshest weather. And, they're reasonably priced.

Aluminum Doors
Think of aluminum doors as fiberglass-composite's snobby cousin. They have many of the same benefits as fiberglass--endurance and no maintenance--only more so. They also cost two to three times more.

Steel Doors
Go with steel if your top priority is security. The doors themselves are the least expensive of the various types of doors, although the cost of the frame and hardware can cancel out most or all of the savings. Steel doors are also extremely durable, but aesthetically they lag behind the other materials.

Source:
This Old House

About the Author
Brett Freeman is a freelance journalist. He also owns a landscaping and irrigation company in North Carolina. Previously he has worked as a beat reporter, a teacher, and for a home improvement company, and he used to own a bar/live music venue.