Let’s Talk Doors

If you’re in the market for a new entry door, you may be wondering what is the best option for your home. With so many choices between material and designs, we want to make the choice a little easier and have broken down the pros and cons of wood, steel, and fiberglass doors. 

Wood

An entry door made of wood may be the traditional choice when replacing your entry door. Here are the pros and cons of that decision: 

Pros: 

Energy Efficiency- Wood doors have a natural R-value to help protect your home, especially in the New England cold. While a wood door will not be as energy efficient as a fiberglass door, it will give your home a fair amount of protection. 

Tradition- Wood doors give your home a very traditional New England look. They can help keep the historical integrity of your home. 

Cons:

Weather- Moisture and wood do not mix. Wood is a material that can rot over time, and water from rain can cause the joints to loosen allowing for air gaps. This causes your energy efficiency to quite literally go out the door!

Maintenance- Wood doors will scratch, peel, bubble, and even warp if not taken care of properly. With wood doors, you will find yourself repeatedly repainting or staining the door. 

Steel

Steel is another popular style of an entry door, but is it truly the best option for you?

Pros:
Maintenance - Steel doors aren't nearly as high maintenance as wood doors. They will not rot over time and you don’t have to worry about painting or staining the doors.

Cons:

Durability - One of the downsides of steel doors is they can scratch, dent, and chip -  which will rust over time when they are exposed to the elements. In addition, dents in steel doors are not as simple a fix as one might think, which shortens the lifespan of the door. 

Style - Steel doors do not offer nearly as many finish options as fiberglass doors. Most of the time steel doors are flat and painted, and they can’t mimic wood doors like fiberglass.  

Energy Efficiency - Steel doors are typically drafty and not very energy-efficient. Even with an insulated core, steel doors don’t offer the energy efficiency you can get from fiberglass doors. The steel absorbs the heat and cold that is happening outside. 

Fiberglass 

Fiberglass doors are the latest in new door options. They offer you the best in energy efficacy all while having the most versatility in design options.

Pros:
Low Maintenance - Fiberglass doors are resistant to fading, cracking, chipping, and will need the least amount of maintenance compared to both steel and wood. You won’t have to worry about repainting or staining your door any time soon!
Durability - Fiberglass doors are the most durable doors on the market and their life span will outlast both wood and steel doors. 

Energy Efficiency - Fiberglass doors are the best in class when it comes to energy efficiency. If you are looking to bring your heating bill down, fiberglass doors are the way to go!  
Customization - When it comes to designing your fiberglass doors you can choose the exact door to fit your style and home. Fiberglass has the largest range of options from glass options, to paints, to woodgraining that looks architecturally true to a real wood door. The world is your oyster when it comes to designing your fiberglass doors! 
Cons:
The only con we can think of is not having a fiberglass door installed in your home!

At Window World all of our installers are Thermatru certified. Offering an industry leading product with industry leading installers.  Contact us today for a free quote.