Different Types of Home External Doors

This article talks about the different types of home external doors available.  External doors to your home should be secure, and match the exterior decor of your property.  There are many options when choosing exterior doors, such as the material, insulating properties and level of security.

Factors You Should Consider

Below are some of the most important factors you need to consider when selecting different types of home external doors.

Appearance

The entrance to your home is usually the first thing people notice when they walk up.  It is essential that you choose the correct style of door to suit your house.  For example, if your house is a Victorian style, then a traditional style would probably suit your house best.

Material

It is important to consider the material your door is made from.  This is because different materials have different properties, drawbacks and benefits.  Exterior doors are available in a variety of materials, such as:

• Timber / wood
• Solid wood
• Composite
• Aluminium
• uPVC

Functionality

Your front door is probably the most used door in the house.  Therefore, it is important to have well-functioning door that is easy to open, close and lock.

Insulating Properties

All doors have an energy rating, known as a U-Value.  The U-Value of your door is a measurement of how much heat is lost through its thickness.  Doors with lower U-Values prevent heat loss more, thus saving you money on heating bills.  Composite doors typically have very good energy ratings due to there low U-Values.  Most timber doors offer very poor (higher) U-Values in comparison to composite doors.

A good guide when it comes to U-Values is to understand the heat lost through a cavity or solid wall in your home.  In general, an uninsulated cavity wall has a U-Value of  1.6 W/m²K, while a solid wall has a U-Value of approximately 2 W/m²K.

Security

There are varying levels of security when it comes to selecting different types of doors.  Security options include the following:

• Multipoint locking system
• Bluetooth entry using your mobile
• Fingerprint activated locks
• Keypad entry

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Types of Home External Doors

Composite Front Door

A composite material is constructed from more than one material.  This means you can combine two or more materials to improve the performance of that product, by making use of those individual material properties.  Composite external front doors are typically made up of materials such as PVC, woods, insulating foam and glass reinforced plastic.  A combination of some or all of these materials is a door with:

• Higher thermal resistance (due to the insulating foam)
• Resistance to weathering and fade over time (due to uPVC)
• Better durability and security.

On the downside, composite door are considerably more expensive than other ones.

Wooden Doors

Wooden doors are a great choice if you have wooden framed windows, as it will match the overall exterior theme.  They are also very study.  Painting and staining your wooden door is a must every few years in order to keep it looking great.  They offer a natural look, and come in many types such as walnut, maple, oak and pine.

On the downside, wooden door are very expensive.  They are susceptible to warping, expansion and rotting.  If you have a choice, we advice against buying wooden doors.  There are better choices of material out there which require less maintenance, but still offer the wooden look.

Fibreglass Doors

These types of doors are highly durable and energy efficient. Unlike wood, fiberglass doors are maintenance free as they do not warp, rot or expand.  They are available in all kinds of finishes such as wood grain.  Fibreglass doors have foam core insulation, which means it keeps heated or cooled air from escaping your home.  They are also very resistant to any scratches or dents.