Choosing the right entry door matters. This door is the most important door in your home or business. This door makes the first impression that visitors have of your property. Choosing the right entry door helps you to make a statement and tie together the exterior of your home or business properly.

If you are worried about how to choose an entry door, you need to use this guide to help you make the right choice. Knowing what to think about and look for in your entry door can help you end up with the door that you have been looking for, and which will make your home or business location look great.

Types of Entry Doors

You need to think about your various options when you are shopping for an entry door. You might want a door with glass inserts. You might also want a solid wooden door instead to ensure that your privacy is protected.

Some doors have built-in thresholds that prevent drafts from seeping under the door. Weather stripping and other features will also help with drafts and other issues that might lead to hot and cold air slipping in through the front door.

Entry door design includes more factors than just the appearance of the door. You should be sure that you look at all of the specs of the door that you are choosing before you select one solely based on its appearance.

Door Materials That You Can Choose From

Picking the right material for your front door is important. You might be thinking of wooden doors, but there are other options.

·       Wood

Wooden doors are the most common type of front door that you can pick. Wood is attractive, and it comes in many varieties and types. Budget wood doors are actually typically not solid wood and instead have a wood “veneer” on the door on both the inside and the outside. These doors are usually engineered wood in the middle layer.

Wood does need refinishing periodically, but most homeowners or business owners feel like this is a worthwhile exchange for a lower-maintenance door type.

·       Steel and Aluminum

Steel and aluminum are the most durable materials for a door. These doors don’t warp or crack, and they are ideal for sealing out the weather all year long. This is an affordable door type, and they can be styled with all kinds of nice design features to make them unique and beautiful.

Aluminum can be less energy efficient than steel, but this material is often more durable and lighter weight than steel. Warranties for these doors last for at least two decades in most cases as well, which is a great argument in their favor.

·       Fiberglass

Fiberglass is an increasingly common front door type. It is versatile and needs almost no maintenance. It is also a great insulator, which is perfect if you have tough weather shifts throughout the year. These doors typically have a foam core, which makes them lightweight and durable at the same time.

·       Composites

Composite doors combine wood, foam, and other elements to make durable doors that are cost-effective to produce. These doors can come in many colors and designs and are ideal for use in all kinds of applications. Your choice of a composite door can come down to the style options, price, and design, but this is often the most cost-effective and durable selection that you can make.

Design Considerations

You have lots of style choices available to you when you are front door shopping. You should keep them all in mind when you’re trying to find the right front door.

·       Modern or Mid-Century

This is the most common design choice out there. These doors have wood finishes, clean lines, and are often made in natural colors. You will find that this door type most often fits with all home styles. Darker colors are also an option, and some people choose painted doors rather than natural wood finishes.

·       Traditional Designs

Traditional designs often include moldings or shutters and might have limited panes of glass in them as well. You might find these doors in natural finishes or with painted exterior surfaces. This is the kind of door that is often best suited for houses with traditional design types or for basic design needs, even on modern homes.

·       Coastal Doors

When you live in a coastal location, you need to think about durability for your front door. You might need to go with a composite door or a door that is made of durable materials like metal. This door will likely need to be painted since the moisture in the air can damage unfinished surfaces, causing the door to swell. You should be able to get your door for this kind of home in all sorts of styles and colors.

·       Grandiose

If you need to really make a statement, a grandiose door will include lots of panes of glass, be taller or wider than the standard entry door, or have design notes and features that are not common in standard doors. These doors can be custom ordered, or they might be prefabricated with this type of styling in mind.

Picking the Right Front Door is Important for Practicality and Design

No matter what kind of style you want to communicate, when people walk up to your home or business, there is a door that is perfect for your needs. You can pick from traditional door types, grandiose doors, or basic doors, all of them made from various materials that suit your style preferences or the weather where you live.

Having the correct front door on any building makes it easy to welcome people in, set the tone, and create a cohesive exterior look for your home or business location. Be sure that you look at all of the specifications of the doors that you are interested in so that you are sure that you are getting the right door for your needs and goals.