My son-in-law wishes to replace the existing front entrance door on their house he and my daughter bought a year ago. It’s metal, and the plastic trim on it has melted and warped as any one would expect. The door has also warped, leaking air as a result. The question is, replace with wood or fibreglass, knowing it gets a lot of afternoon sun. I think fibreglass, but it is more expensive, and they don’t have much money. Since I’d probably advance them the difference, what do you think?
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Nothing wrong with metal, just forgo the plastic trim.
FG is more likely to warp. Matter of fact, I'm suprised to hear of a metal door warping
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Is there a storm door, and is the door positioned to get a lot of sun? If so, the heat from the sun is being trapped between the storm and entrance door, causing deformation of the plastic. Most door manufacturers void their warranty if an installed storm door is not a venting type.
Unless you are near the coastline, or the door is exposed to a lot of moisture, steel will do just fine, just be sure to maintain the door by painting it every so often. I paint ours every 5 years, and after 25 years it's still looking pretty good.
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If you really want FG, I have looked into a number of companies, and one I was very impressed with was Plastpro (http://www.plastproinc.com). Their prices were very good, and close to steel. Not sure what their budget was, but maybe you could find something in FG that would fit your budget.
I am assuming the plastic trim is around the glass. They offer a "lifetime" warranty on surround now!! You must request it. O.D.L. offers it. You can just swap out the light and save the door. Is the door really warped? Or is it just out of plumb? It would save you a lot of time and trouble if you check these things before replacing the entire unit. Do you have sidelights attached to this door? I would not use fiberglass under those conditions. It will warp even worse than what you have now. The foam expands when heated up (PM sun!) and warps the door panel. Steel is better.
Edited 3/5/2007 5:02 pm ET by WINSTALL
Sometimes you can replace the plastic trim with wood. (Or you could machine pieces from some sort of non-thermoplastic composite.)
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Edited 3/5/2007 6:53 pm by DanH