What is the first thing visitors see when they come to your home? If you answered the front entry door, you are correct. Front doors play an important role in creating the first impression of your home. Fiberglass and wood are some of the common front door options, but are you aware there is an even studier option? Front steel doors are an amazing option if you are looking for a door that will provide excellent security for your home.
Thanks to their top-notch durability and strength, steel entry doors are becoming quite common among homeowners. While most people praise them due to their resistance to damage and fire, there are several factors you should look at when buying steel doors for your home. These include design, styles, and cost considerations. Fire-rated doors will boost safety for your home in the event of a fire. Continue reading below to learn more about steel entry doors.
- Steel Makes the Sturdiest Front Entry Door
Steel entry doors are robust, dependable, and last for a long time.
While its name may connote that they are made from solid steel, this is not always the case. If this were true, these doors could be very heavy, expensive, and to some extent impractical, especially when used in a residential structure. Instead, the doors have a core engineered from a polyurethane or polystyrene foam to give them lightweight properties and insulation properties. The foam is wrapped using a steel skin that can vary in thickness.
What makes prospective buyers flabbergasted is the amazing insulation that these doors provide that beats that of wooden and fiberglass doors. The trick is the polystyrene and polyurethane that is used in these doors. As we have stated here, this provides a superb thermal barrier against penetration of air and water.
Besides the robust construction, a steel entry door offers a great range of canvas for design, with various patterns, finishes and window unit configurations.
- What To Consider When Choosing Steel Entry Doors
Look at the following elements when choosing your doors:
- Security
Steel offers a great option for entry doors. Steel is naturally strong and able to resist any forced entry, offering an extra layer of protection against potential burglary. Besides that, the doors come with complicated locking mechanisms and enhanced cores to further boost security, placing steel doors at the forefront of the best doors for security.
- Energy Efficiency
If you are considering lowering the heating and cooling costs of your home through home improvement, it would be a great idea to choose a steel entry door for replacement. This will in turn lower your energy utility bills. The doors are fitted with an insulation foam in their core, therefore creating an insulation barrier against external elements. As such, you will be able to keep interior temperatures at optimal levels, therefore minimizing reliance on heating systems, and this ultimately translates to saving on energy costs in your home.
- The Price and Other Associated Costs
The price of steel doors is not going to be low. However, the high price is justified by its durability and longevity. So, when getting one, you should think about the cost of owning it as well as the amount you are likely to save in terms of energy bills as well as maintenance expenses.
To acquire it, expect to spend between $1200-$3000. The variation of the cost is dependent on the labor, materials and if you need some more customizations. For instance, a fire-rated entry steel door costs more than a standard steel door. However, fire-rated doors are preferred for commercial and industrial properties where fires could break more frequently.
- Maintenance Requirements
When choosing a steel entry door, you ought to consider its maintenance and whether it will be easier to maintain it in excellent condition. They are known as the strongest exterior doors for a reason. Steel doors need just minimal maintenance as compared to fiberglass and wood.
They are resistant to rotting, warping, and deterioration due to harsh weather elements, and they need occasional cleaning and inspection to make sure any damage and wear are addressed immediately. Therefore, with minimal maintenance, homeowners can have peace of mind knowing their door’s aesthetic appeal is maintained with minimal upkeep.
