ENTRY DOORS

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Entry Door Buying Guide

Your complete guide to buying the perfect Entry Door.

Buying the Perfect Entry DoorWe've been a part of the Orange County entry door sales and installation business for over 20 years, and over the course of that time, we have learned a LOT about doors.

Most of our Orange County customers come to us not yet decided on what type of door they want or need for their home - and most have a boatload of questions they need answered, such as:- Should I buy wood or fiberglass?- Which door has the longest warranty?- Which door provides the most security?- Which door is most energy-efficient?- Can you stain or paint a fiberglass door?- Does having glass in my entry door make it less secure?- How are the different types of doors installed?

We always take whatever time is necessary to explain the pros and cons of every option available, including price, style and material, as well as important considerations like maintenance, insulation and energy-efficiency, security, and durability. A new front door is an important investment for your home, so we feel strongly about providing the education needed to make the most informed decision. Here is our handy guide to helping every Orange County homeowner find the perfect new entry door fortheir home.

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How (and Where) to Shop for a New Entry Door

1. Find the right door company/installer.

We recommend finding an entry door company that specializes in doors, as they are likely to have a lot more knowledge of the entire process and the intricacies of each type of entry door. A qualified entry door dealer should be able (and willing!) to explain how the different types of doors are manufactured and installed, differences among brands, as well as the pros and cons of each material when it comes to maintenance, durability, security, and energy-efficiency.

Reputable dealers specializing in entry doors are going to have relationships with manufacturers, as well as distributors and their suppliers. Consequently they should know about the warranties of all three. This is especially important for West Coast homeowners, as most manufacturers are located on the East Coast where doors and their components are manufactured slightly different than what is required here on the West Coast. Typically only the door slabs (the doors themselves, not the frames) are shipped west from the manufacturer, and the rest of the door is allowed to be fabricated on other companies’ frames. The distributors then sell the finished pre-hung door to us, the dealers.

Needless to say, there’s a lot to know, and unfortunately warranties can be complicated. It is a discriminating dealer who can make sure you get the longest warranty available from the door manufacturer of your choice.

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We also recommend that the dealer also be the installer. Installation is not covered by manufacturers’ warranties, so be sure the installers know what they are doing, AND have their own installation laborwarranty - ours is two years.

Door installation may sound fairly straightforward, but installing a pre-hung entry door is actually pretty complex. It takes years of training to perfect - it is NOT a handyman’s job! Matter of fact, it doesn’t even come that easily to experienced carpenters.

Where to Shop

You have your pick of any of the large home improvement chains around; however, our customers have found that they usually come away frustrated with the lack of service they receive. It's difficult enough finding an employee to give you the time of day at some of these large home improvement and DIY stores, let alone finding someone with years of experience who actually knows how to answer your questions.

You may have gone shopping for an entry door and find yourself leaving with a garbage disposal! This is one of those products and services where you really want a niche player. It's one thing to learn facts about entry doors (heck, anyone can read from an owner’s manual); it’s quite another to know the industry intimately and experience it hands-on.

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Find a company you feel confident, really knows what they're talking about...and has the experience to back themselves up - Check Yelp for online customer reviews, too!

A company devoted to entry doors (or interior/exterior doors) is going to be your best bet. They will haverelationships with quality entry door manufacturers and distributors, and will be concerned with securingthe best warranty for their customers. Take advantage of their expertise and ask a lot of questions!

2. Choose the right style and material.

A home's front door makes a big impression. An old, outdated door can be an embarrassing eyesore to the home, while a beautiful new front door can instantly increase your home's curb appeal and make guests feel welcome and at ease. Not to mention quickly becoming the envy of the neighborhood (added bonus!).

Likewise, an entry door also serves a big function. As the gateway to your Orange County home, the front door should be tough and durable, able to function for years without repairs; it should be built to withstand weather and the elements, resisting moisture, sunlight, dings, rust, and other wear and tear; it should keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer; and it should keep your home and its contents - namely your family - safe and secure.

StyleYou pretty much have your choice of any style for your entry door: rustic, contemporary, modern,colonial, ranch, craftsman - you name it. Tie your home’s decor with a neat bow by choosing a style thataccentuates your home and complements its architec-ture. Or, demonstrate your uniqueness with a boldstatement by painting the door a bright contrasting color or choosing an interesting pattern of shapes toadorn the door. For an extra touch of elegance, add decorative glass or sidelights to the door as well.

Your color/stain choices will depend on the type and brand of door you choose as well. For example,most manufacturers of fiberglass doors have standard stains and paint colors to choose from and willfactory paint or stain your door for you. Factory paint/stain is definitely the way to go; that way yourdoor comes to you from a quality manufacturer as a complete, finished product.

MaterialThe most common entry door materials are steel, wood, and fiberglass.

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Pros and Cons of Steel Doors

Steel doors are very inexpensive compared to their wood and fiberglass counterparts. They no longerhave that bulky industrial look; now they can be painted to a beautiful finish. You may have heard thatsteel doors provide the most security. Makes sense, right? Steel sounds super tough. In reality, however,steel doors provide little if any security advantage over their fiberglass or wood counterparts.

Despite its reputation for strength and durability, steel has actually performed more poorly than woodand fiberglass for durability in Consumer Reports testing against fiberglass and wood for normal wearand tear. One of the factors tested was salt air and heavy rains - two major concerns for OrangeCounty and SoCal homeowners. (Heavy rains? you might be asking yourself. Think about it: while OrangeCounty doesn’t have a heavy annual rainfall average compared to other places in the country, when itdoes rain here it is often heavy and wind-driven, which can be very damaging.) Steel will rust fromexposure to moisture. Steel can dent from heavy use, and the damage can be very difficult and expensive to repair. (Families with kids and large pets, beware.)

Energy-efficiency is also a concern unless the steel door is all-paneled. Even then, steel is a poor heat insulator and will conduct temperature! There are cities in Orange County and the surrounding areas that get quite hot during the summer months, so steel would not be advisable for homeowners in those areas.

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Despite being the least expensive, steel doors also have a shorter lifespan than wood or fiberglass. Oneimportant thing to remember when shopping for steel doors is the gauge. The higher the number, thethinner the steel. No bueno.

Pros and Cons of Wood DoorsWhile solid wood doors can be very beautiful and luxurious, they are by far the most expensive - and theyalso require the most maintenance.Not all wood doors are solid - most are made with a thin piece of plywood or laminate on either side, with athicker piece of hardboard backer behind it. (These are often called “solid core wood doors”.) All wood issensitive to moisture, so homes in places with salt air, humidity, exposure to rainwater, water runoff, heavydew, etc. are at risk of having their wood doors swell, bow, disfigure, and eventually rot from moisture.

Wood doors are also sensitive to sunlight and will fade over time if not properly maintained. Overexposure tosunlight can even cause the door to peel and crack. This is an issue for many Orange County homes.Manufacturers of wood doors generally require that wood doors be protected by a specific sized overhang toshield it from sunlight and the elements; otherwise, the warranty is void.

Pros and Cons of Fiberglass DoorsAfter 20+ years of experience in entry door sales and installation, we have come to the conclusion thatquality fiberglass is far superior to wood and steel when it comes to entry doors. Fiberglass doors are inthe mid- to high price range, depending upon what type and brand door you purchase.

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Price is about the only potential downside we can think of, but even so, you get so much more bang for your buck. With a quality fiberglass door, it is worth every penny - and, it will still cost less than a solidmahogany or oak door. A good fiberglass door can increase the value of your home and can save youenergy costs in the long run too!

With fiberglass, you pretty much get all the pros of wood and steel without any of the cons. Fiberglass ismoisture resistant so it won’t rust, swell, bow, disfigure, or rot; it is perfect for humid climates and willresist heavy rainfall and wind-blown debris without damaging the door. Fiberglass doors are actuallymade of the same stuff as surfboards, which are built to withstand the rough waves and harsh saltwater!A fiberglass door won’t fade, crack or peel from exposure to sunlight.

Fiberglass is more secure and 5 times more energy-efficient than wood or steel - many even qualify for Energy Star rebates from state and federal government. Fiberglass entry doors require the least maintenance and last the longest. As such, their manufacturers tend to offer the best warranties.

Fiberglass doors can be painted or stained. If you desire the elegance and richness of solid wood, you canattain it with fiberglass. Advances in technology over the last 10-20 years have allowed manufacturers toreplicate the look and feel of various wood grains. Seriously, even the pros can’t tell the difference!

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3. Other Important Concerns

Energy-EfficiencyQuality fiberglass doors are made with a thick polyurethane foam core which provides five times theinsulating value of a wood door, as well as weather-stripping to prevent drafts. This combination can lower heating and cooling costs and improve the comfort of a home year round.

Like fiberglass, wood and steel doors can be thermally insulated; however, they still have their drawbacks. Steel is a poor insulator of heat, and condensation can accumulate on the inside of the door. It is also a high conductor of temperature, so in extreme temperatures the door will be hot or cold to the touch. Most wood doors do not come insulated, and wood has very poor insulation value when compared to a fiberglass door with a polyurethane core.

SecurityA door’s security is determined by several factors: the material the door is made of, the door’s framework,and the door’s hardware. There will be differences in security levels between wood, steel, and fiberglassdoors, and even variations among each material, depending upon brands and low- to high-end prod-ucts.

Material. A common misperception is that steel is the strongest material for a front door, when in reality, many steel doors are made with such a thin layer of steel that they can be pierced with a sharp knife or other pointed object. Fiberglass and solid wood are not easily punctured.

If someone tries to kick in a wood door, they might be able to break through the wood, depending upon the composition of the door. With a steel door, they may not break through, but the door will likely become dented (which can be very difficult and costly to repair).

Keep in mind that any doors being kicked may open with enough force if the door jamb is notstrong enough.

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Framework. More important than the door’s material is the door frame or jamb. Even the strongest solid wood door or fiberglass door can be broken into if the door frame is weak or vulnerable.

Fiberglass door frames/jambs are made either of wood or PVC composite material. The PVCcomposite gives the door extra reinforcement and rigidity, about twice the screw holding powerof wood. The more of this material the better the overall strength of the door.Unfortunately, door frames are still the weak link when it comes to security, because they need to be reinforced. (We have developed a proprietary security bracket (patent pending) to solve this problem, so stay tuned!) With a properly reinforced PVC composite door frame, your fiberglass entry door - and consequently your home - will be much more secure.

HardwareAlong with the door’s framework, your choice of hardware can impact the security ofyour door. The two most popular types of hardware are standard “tubular” hardware, and mortise hardware.

Standard “Tubular” Hardware. An entry door usually comes from the manufacturer with two holes on the face of the door (called a "double bore") to accept the hardware. Standard hardware is sold on the shelves of any hardware or home improvement store and is made to accommodate industry standards.

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Standard hardware makes the consumer's job easy, because you have a wide variety of styles and manufacturers to choose from, and you don't have to worry about whether or not the hardware will fit the door. Tubular sets, being more prevalent, are usually less expensive than mortise sets.

Mortise Hardware. Unlike standard hardware, mortise hardware is not sold on the shelves. It is special ordered when you purchase your door. The surface area of a mortise hardware deadbolt is almost twice that of the tubular set, making mortise a more "heavy duty" option. With standard hardware, the deadbolt is usually the only locking point; with the mortise set, both the deadbolt and the thumb latch lock.

Another feature is the ability to lock the thumb latch as you are leaving, without using a key. One of the best features (also available on some tubular sets) is the Emergency Egress function. When you turn the knob or lever from inside your home, the deadbolt and latch strike unlock all at one time.

Mortise sets are most often made from solid brass and have more intricate moving parts. While there are fewer style options, they tend to be more expensive than tubular sets.

GlassYou may choose to have decorative glass adorn your new wood or fiberglass entry door. Keep in mind,this is another factor that will impact the price of your door.

Most entry door manufacturers rate the transparency of each glass design on a scale of 1-10. Level one iscompletely transparent, and level 10 is completely obscure, where shapes may be visible but detail is not.

When selecting glass to fit into your new entry door, you will have your choice of hundreds of shapes,sizes, designs, and caming.

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Caming refers to metal strips that bind pieces of glass together in a window or door. Caming can be very intricate and ornate, or very simple.

Our security-conscious customers usually want glass in the upper third of the door, as opposed to near he door handle. While it is a personal choice, you should know that glass in entry doors is tempered and very difficult to break (4-6x stronger than regular glass). (Also good news for parents of budding Babe Ruths).

Tempered glass isn’t unbreakable; however, it wouldn’t be likely for someone to simply shove their maglight or crowbar through the glass and unlock your door. In fiberglass doors, clear glass is usually dualpane and decorative glass is triple pane, so a person would have to break through all panes.

ConclusionAs you can see, there’s a lot that goes into selecting and purchasing a new entry door for your home. Andit’s an important purchase, not to be entered into uninformed. Hopefully this has helped you to have abetter idea of what you’re looking for.

For a more detailed explanation of any or all of these points, we invite you to give us a call on 714 (974)-5728 or request an appointment through our website, for a Free no obligation ‘in-home’ estimate. Our friendly experts will gladly walk you through all your questions. We strive to bring you a better door buying experi-ence.

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