If you want to add some serious curb appeal to your home, installing a new front door is one of the easiest and affordable ways to get that “wow factor.” A quality exterior door also has one of the highest returns on investment (ROI) rates of all house renovations — on average, over 70 per cent!
Exterior doors serve a variety of purposes. We want our doors to provide easy, reliable access into and out of our homes. We expect them to offer strength, durability and security. We’d like our doors to provide significant thermal resistance in order to keep heating and cooling costs low. And on top of that, we want exterior doors to provide a good first impression, expressing our personal taste and improving the visual appearance of our homes.
That’s a lot to expect from an exterior door, but with the right manufacturer and installer, it’s possible to meet all of these goals — and more. Learn about current market trends and factors to consider from local experts Ecoline Windows.
Which material is best for an exterior door?
Exterior doors come in a variety of materials, each with unique benefits.
- Fiberglass: Durable and long-lasting, you can expect a fiberglass door to last for many years without repairs. Fiberglass doors are the most energy-efficient units on the market, and are virtually maintenance-free. These doors also come in a variety of finishes, including wood grain and fibreglass smooth.
- Steel: Due to its natural strength, steel makes for an extremely solid, safe, and burglary-resistant front door. Only slightly inferior to fiberglass doors in terms of energy efficiency, a steel door is slightly more cost-effective. Steel doors can also be customized with a variety of colours, finishes and features.
- Wood: Solid wood doors are elegant and durable, but many wood doors are now hollow. Solid wood doors are significantly more expensive than steel or fiberglass doors, and require more regular painting and care to maintain their appearance.
No matter which door material you choose, you’ll be able to customize your selection with a variety of design details. Glass or no glass? Symmetrical or asymmetrical design? Modern or traditional hardware? If it’s been a while since you last purchased or installed an exterior door, you may be excited for the opportunity to install a door with internal (mini) blinds.
5 reasons to love internal front door blinds:
- Longevity: With blinds safely secured between two pieces of tempered glass, there’s less potential for damage. Blinds won’t swing out of shape when the door slams, and they won’t get caught in your grocery bags when you pass by with a bulky load.
- Curb appeal: Tidy, professional internal blinds give your front entryway a boost in value and make a good first impression.
- Cleanliness: Internal blinds are fully sealed, which means they’ll always be dust- and dirt-free. That means less to clean!
- Natural light: With a solid external door your entryway will rely on artificial light, but with internal blinds you can let the sunlight pour in! You’ll have full control of the natural light in your space, making them a great choice for your entry, garden or patio door.
- Privacy: Natural light is great, but privacy is important too. With internal blinds, you’ll get the best of both worlds — you decide when you want privacy, and how much.
For all of your door and window needs, consult with Ecoline Windows. From their showroom and warehouse in Kelowna, Ecoline Windows works directly with homeowners in Lake Country, Vernon, Penticton, Summerland and the rest of the Okanagan. Visit the Kelowna showroom at 180-1855 Kirschner Rd. They’re always happy to chat with customers face-to-face and offer additional information about all of their products and services.