Home Exterior Upgrade: Tips on How to Buy the Best Entrance Door

By Maria Rogerson

March 22, 2022Home & Decor

Investing in a new entrance door is an essential long-term investment for your home. It separates your interior space from your outdoor, preserving privacy and protecting your interior from the cold, heat, and unexpected visitors. Plus, it’s a great way to make a statement about your home’s style and the overall ambience in your house.

Tips for Buying the Best Entrance Door 

To find high-quality entrance doors that meet all the standards, you should consider several aspects such as price, material or material combinations, artistry, technical specifications, functionalities, maintenance and aesthetics.

Door Materials That Are Made to Last 

Aluminium 

aluminium entrance doors
source: eygwindows.com

Aluminium is a highly durable eco-friendly material resistant to weather and temperature changes, making it ideal for almost any home. Aluminium’s structural capabilities make it possible to design a wide range of entry doors in different dimensions, as well as an infinite number of surface treatment options for unrivalled aesthetics. Aluminium doors come in various colours, ranging from smooth, matte hues to metallic and structural shades. The material is often synonymous with modern, stylish, and appealing design, but it also looks great in a contemporary setting.
 
On the other hand, aluminium entrance doors can complement most traditional home styles because of their flexibility, high security, stability, and optimal acoustic and thermal insulation.

Wood 

Wood has been the most popular entrance door material for generations, and this tendency is unlikely to change very soon.

Wood is a natural material that is both sturdy and warm and an excellent natural insulator. It can be mixed with glass and aluminium for style effects or adorned with aluminium or glass accents to generate a sense of creativity. Moreover, you can use conventional sidelights to showcase the wood’s classic elegance. 

Unlike aluminium, wood requires more maintenance- you need to repaint your wood front door now and then. We recommend using a canopy to protect it from harsh weather and preserve its original beauty for decades.

Steel 

These long-lasting, cost-effective, and energy-efficient doors are secure, low-maintenance, and come with a comprehensive warranty. They resist warping, shrinking, and swelling as well.

Remember that adding glass panels to these doors will reduce their insulating efficacy. The disadvantage of this option is that it cannot solve a scratch, dent, or rust problem. You also have a limited selection of non-standard sizes.

Door Styles to Take Your Home to the Next Level 

Traditional Style 

Traditional entrance doors
source: childersdoor.com

Traditional style doors usually have two to twelve raised panels; some models also have coloured panes and glass inserts with scrollwork. You can choose a wood, metal, or fibreglass door to complement your home’s traditional style or go for a custom model if you want to. 

Modern Style 

Modern doors with straight and clean lines perfectly match stylish and contemporary homes. You will have access to various models, including doors with blocked raised panels, doors with square raised panels, doors with panes of frosted glass, and doors with panes of translucent glass. 

Rustic Style 

These front doors are frequently made of wood, and they are an excellent choice for rustic homes with wood, brick, or stone exteriors. You can go with a typical rectangular or arched shape with scored lines, raised panels, or glass.

Custom-Made 

A custom-made entrance door is the best option if you want your door to blend in with the structure and match your home down to the last detail while still providing all of the functions your family may require. You’ll be able to customize your home with a door that was designed just for you. You won’t have to make any compromises, and the door will be inspirational and fantastic in every way while serving its primary purpose.

Different Door Types to Meet Different Home Needs 

French Doors 

french entrance doors

These external doors are ornamental and give your property an appealing appearance. Depending on your preferences, you can choose a frame made of any material available on the market. However, there are two drawbacks to this door style. It isn’t the safest option, and it doesn’t provide enough privacy.

Sliding Glass Doors 

Sliding glass doors combine conventional aesthetic excellence with a spectacular view that only a wide window can deliver. You can also choose your frame. However, there is usually at least one panel that you can’t open, which can be inconvenient.

Storm Doors 

These doors are a great addition to your home since they give another layer of safety to your existing outer door while increasing your home’s energy efficiency. Depending on your requirements, you can select a steel, PVC, or aluminium model. They’re long-lasting, dependable, and won’t rot, warp, or break over time. They are, however, excessively hefty and expensive.

The Right Colour to Complement Your Home’s Exterior

Choose the colour of your front door based on your property’s decor and the colour of your home exterior. Single-shade and plain facade tones allow for lively, multi-coloured entrance doors and patterns. In contrast, vibrant and colourful facades usually demand doors of simpler colours or combinations in one or two colours. 
If you’re not a natural risk-taker, stick to traditional colours like black, white, steel blue, grey, brown, or any natural wood shade.

Accessories for Maximum Security 

Your exterior door should include high-tech features in addition to great aesthetics and artistry. You can turn your front door into a custom-made smart entrance tailored to your specific needs using modern technologies. 
The most significant technological advancement in the field of front doors happened in locking systems and locks. Smart locking systems that use security codes, smart cards or chips, biometric fingerprint locking, and even facial recognition systems are becoming increasingly popular.

The Importance of Thermal Isolation 

In addition to burglary security, a good entrance door should also guard against the elements, such as cold and heat. Providing thermal comfort and limiting thermal losses will be a breeze with good thermal insulation, resulting in cheaper heating. The thermal transmittance rate (Ud) indicates how well a door insulates against heat. The acceptable thermal transmittance rates for quality front doors are Ud = 0.58W/m2 to Ud = 1.3W/m2 (the lower the figure, the better the thermal insulation of the door).