All entrance doors open, close, and lock…or, at least are supposed to. However, your door may not open, close, or function smoothly and properly. Choosing an entrance door is exhausting and overwhelming; there are so many options, features, and styles, not to mention brands too! You’re investing in something that will add value to your home and curb appeal. Do it right the first time!

Where do you start? That’s a great question! We are going to walk you through choosing an entrance door.

Entrance Door Budget

Budget is an important thing to remember when choosing an entrance door. The more elaborate the door is, the more it will cost. When you begin shopping for a new door, you’ll find a range for each style, option, and feature. There are a couple questions to keep in mind while shopping for your entrance door: 1) How much do you want to spend? 2) What are you willing to compromise on? If you want to keep the cost down, begin shopping for a door without glass (i.e. panel style doors).

Entrance Door Styles

The door style is subjective – ultimately, it comes down to what works for you. If your home is more modern, traditional, or historical, you most likely will gravitate towards a style of door that reflects that. If your home doesn’t have a style or you want to mix it up a bit, the choices and options are endless. There is a plethora of styles of doors to choose from such as panel doors, quarter glass, half glass, three quarter glass, or full view glass. The style of the door is only one of the many important components in choosing a door. Materials and features are where the fun begins.

Entrance Door Materials

Both fiberglass and steal entrance doors offer key advantages over wood. Don’t get me wrong – wood doors are beautiful, but they are also very sensitive to moisture and they are very high-maintenance and costly. Moisture can cause a wood door to bubble, warp, crack, and/or rot. If a wood door is exposed to direct sunlight, it can cause the finish to crack or fade (become dull) over time. They require a lot of maintenance to keep them in tip-top shape. Here at All American Window & Door Co., Inc., we offer Maxima or ProVia steel or fiberglass entrance doors.

  • Steel doors – these doors are engineered to resist cracking, splitting, warping, rotting, or twisting. Most steel doors have various gauges. The lower the number, the thicker the steel is. ProVia offers 20-gauge steel and Maxima offers 22-gauge steel.
  • Fiberglass – these doors look and feel like a wood door, but they offer more benefits and features that wood door can’t offer. Fiberglass offers beauty, security, energy efficiency, and minimal maintenance.

Entrance Door Features

One benefit to either steel or fiberglass is the fact that both of them are superior in strength and protection; you will not have to deal with them rotting away. Outside of wiping the door with water and a rag, it is a maintenance-free deal! You don’t have to sand, stain, or paint the door.

  • All the glass styles are tempered. Tempered glass is much stronger than standard glass.
  • Jamb reinforcement plate (not available on all doors) – this provides additional security in the frame where the handle set and deadbolt lock. The strike plate is the piece of metal on the door jamb with a hole for the deadbolt.
  • Polyurethane foam insulates the door and provides thermal performance and energy savings.
  • Weather stripping lines the perimeter, which insures a seal like that of a refrigerator or freezer door.
  • Adjustable hinge plate system allows for easy alignment and adjustment to your home (Note: not available on all doors).

Entrance Door Installation

Maxima and ProVia entrance doors are pre-hung, which means the door, jamb, and frame come pre-assembled. The door is pre-drilled for the handle set and deadbolt installation. At All American Window & Door Company, we pride ourselves in having a maintenance-free product. Our skilled installers will trim the exterior and finish it off with a bead of caulk which is a commercial grade sealant.

We get it – your home is your greatest investment. Our installers are very careful to lay tarps down and be mindful of your interior and exterior space. Call today for your free estimate and to take advantage of our entrance door sale going on.