The front entrance to your home is like a gateway into your most-personal space. Its basic job is to provide a safe and secure entry way into your house. However, it has other jobs as well. A front door keeps things out while being a vital part of your home’s curb appeal. A front door can actually affect the value of your home. Since this is such an important part of your home, here are a few practical tips to help you pick the perfect front door for your home.
Cost and Budget
If money isn’t an object, you can skim past this first tip. However, if you’re like most homeowners you may need to be budget conscious when contemplating any remodeling project. A new door is a fairly simple remodel, but it can become expensive.
Once you establish the financial parameters of your new door project, you can begin to account for all the costs. If the doorway needs dramatically altered, you must account for framing costs.
When you select a door that fits within the existing frame, you’ll obviously save those monies. Some doors are pre-hung. These doors require less carpentry work. When you sit down to propose a budget for your new front door, don’t forget to weigh all the factors.
There are going to be upfront costs that may be offset by long-range benefits. Here some important things to consider when thinking about how much you should spend for a new front door.
Life of the Door –
- Life of the Door – Most doors are designed to have an infinite lifespan. However, cheaper doors will not offer you this long-term benefit. When thinking about the lifespan of a door, you’ll want to ask about weather performance, coatings and what materials are used for the hardware.
Efficiency –
- Efficiency – There are basic doors that will do the job intended. However, you can also purchase finely-crafted doors that are ultra energy efficient. The cost of the door will be offset over time by reducing energy costs.
Modifications –
- Modifications – This is an aspect of your budget will consider which door you choose with respect to shape. If you’re considering a new door vastly different that the existing one, you’ll need to account for modifications to the door jamb. When calculating these types of costs, it’s wise to consult with a professional.
Door Style and Material
As you begin to formulate a budget for your new door, you’ll want to include style and material in this decision. Doors of more basic design are going to prove more affordable. There are three basic materials used for doors as well, wood, metal and fiberglass.
The style you choose will also factor into the final cost of your new door. Doors that have exquisite craftsmanship will present an impressive visual aura to the front of your home. However, they will usually cost more.
There are some basic guidelines you can follow to help you get the right style of door made out of the right material. Here’s a short list of considerations for picking the perfect style of door.
Material –
- Material – Wood is the classic material for a front door. Metal and fiberglass doors will resist dents and have an infinite lifespan. Wood doors can have an equally high-level of longevity if properly maintained over the years. When choosing the door material, blend cost with feasibility to help make the best choice.
Style –
- Style – This is the aspect of picking your door that will present the visual aura. You need to not only consider your personal tastes, but the architectural style of your home. It would not present well to have a Gothic style door on an ultra-modern home. However, the choice is yours.
This is another aspect of picking the perfect front door that you may want to solicit the advice of a professional. Other aspects of picking a style include privacy and light. A solid front door will present one type of visual appearance, while a door with glass will offer another.
Size –
- Size – Of course the final criteria for picking the perfect front door for your home will involve the size. Like all the other options, size will affect the budget and the style. While most sizes come in each of the three material types, some larger custom doors may not.
Like the other questions you’ll be answering in your search for the perfect front door, talking to a door expert when picking the right size is helpful. The size of the door can alter the costs of refitting the space, how many windows you can add, and the door will hang.
These are a few basic tips to help you search for that perfect front door to your home. Anytime you make such an important decision about your valuable investment, it’s wise to consult the advice of an experienced professional. Door experts can help you with all these decisions, so you’ll arrive at the right decision to fit your home and your budget.
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