We are faced with replacing existing steel doors on our home and are in need of your expertise as to which type would be best to install considering all factors, such as weather and the various types of materials in door construction.
We have briefly looked at the Pella fiberglass door and have also looked at the Wausau Taylor Wood and Steel doors.
With respect to the weather, the doors are on the East and West sides of the home so the heat from the sun is very much a consideration. A wood exterior door would seem to be problem with periodical refinishing due to the ultra violet ray damage.
Fiberglass is a consideration but we have been advised that these doors are prone to warpage and will possibly present problems with respect to sealing. The Iowa winters can be a little cold so we want a good seal to prevent energy loss.
I would be most grateful to hear from the experts on this as to which type of door would be best.
Thank You
Replies
FWJ
I'm afraid no one can tell you what do use.. doors tend to be a personal decision..
Steel doors can have magnetic weatherstripping which is more effective and durable than typical rubber seals
On the other hand nobody will ever confue a steel door for anything else.. and most don't feel they convey a very positive image.
Fiberglas proeprly laid up and cured won't warp but there simply is no way to keep them from fading and looking cheap with out the same sort of maintinace wood doors call for..
Wood can look impressive or cheap.. the finish on them can be durable or require frequent replacement.
IN the end though the finest home all have wood doors.
Frenchy:
Thank you for your reply. The finish is a concern if the fiberglass door will continually require re finishing. I've tried to keep the continual maintenance and or repair issues as a priority as we are heading into retirement and our senior years. I've been blessed with good health thus far and hope that this continues but I'm not too keen on the continual refinishing requirements of fiberglass. Again, I thank you!
I had my side door replaced recently with a Provia foam-filled FG door. Many $$$ including installation. I've noticed a significant temperature difference between the inside and outside surface, which is good because energy efficiency was my main criterion for choosing the door. The door is on the south-facing part of the house.
Haven't decided if I'd go with FG for the front. This company only sells FG with the wood grain, which I think always looks cheesy on synthetic material. OTOH heck of a difference between R-5 and R-1 (the latter for a wood door).
In the meantime, I have a $XXXX FG back door and a $100 aluminium POS in front (courtesy of PO).
Edited 4/21/2008 12:19 pm ET by Taylor
Taylor:
Thank you for your input. Energy is definetely a high priority as well as stability.
Frank
I kinda like the fiberglass doors.They seem to paint or even take gel stain well.They seem very stable and are typically a little heavier than light guage metal doors.My experience is that they don't warp, split, crack, check, or rot or swell.I have never seen insects attack fiberglass doors.I say for a little more money get fiberglass.If you are short on money, get metal.Just my opinion.
Thank you for your input! Have you had alot of experience with the installation of doors as well?
Frank
I am not a great carpenter or door man.I am a gen contractor.On my first 2 houses last year I used thermatru fiberglass doors with sidelights.They cost a little more, but I feel they are a great product and that they added value in curb appeal.
If it's purely a matter of durability then steel is the obvious choice. Steel will also stand up to the weather better than anything else. And you can't beat the reliability of the magnetic seals.
In Iowa wood is only really an option in a sheltered location.
Fiberglass is probably a good compromise between wood and steel, with the added benefit of superior insulating properties. But it will require refinishing more often than steel will.
Pella has both steel and fiberglass in their 'entry systems' door line. Ask about it.
As to other fiberglass doors. I have some experience with therma tru. The cheaper units look fake and cheap... are fake and cheap. The more expensive units look much better.
IMHO
If the unit will not be directly exposed, then I would go with a wood door. They look so much better... so many more options.
"Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing..."
Waters is right. If you are going to get direct sunlight, then fading will be an issue for either wood or fiberglass. However, I have seen that magnetic weatherstrip on the steel units actually stick to the door and peel the paint off during normal usage.
Remember, in direct sunlight the steel door MAY be too hot to touch on some days--here in Texas--whereas the wood or fiberglass are much cooler.
You've got lots of things to consider. I'm a wood door guy by trade, so you know my answer.
Good luck
I install fiberglass doors for the front door on all the houses I build. Steel for back doors because they are cheaper.
I have had no callbacks on fiberglass doors. On my own home I installed a fiberglass about 9 years ago and noticed the other day that the paint was not as dark as it used to be... Seems like pretty good service to me. It is not directly exposed though. It is under a porch roof and probably only gets direct sun about 3 hours a day - in the late afternoon. I have read the literature about fiberglass warpage, but never have experienced it myself. If you were to go with a fiberglass door I would recommend against getting a smooth one (get wood grain). The paint doesn't hold as well on smooth, and if not primed properly, a smooth fiberglass door can take about 6 coats of paint for very dark colors. Re staining fiberglass doors, Personally I haven't seen stain jobs hold up very well and it's difficult for an armature to really make them look good - it can be done though. Some door manufactures have special staining kits for their fiberglass doors.
Re steel doors, they are the least expensive. Sorry this is not a deal where the cheapest is the best :-). They probably offer the most security, but major down side is they can get dented. Fixing one is the same as repairing a dent in a car fender - bondo, etc, although often I just go ahead and buy a new door slab. Another thing about steel is that my company also builds apartments and rents them out. They have had problems with these doors rusting out at the bottom. I'm guessing that this would be on units 20+ YO units. I would imagine they get a fair amount of abuse though. Boss man had said he wanted to start using all fiberglass - not sure what happened with that...
Re installation, I don't feel that one type of unit is any easier or harder to install than another. Doors with adjustable thresholds are better for obvious reasons. The only word of caution I have is that if you are installing a unit with sidelights and a transom, you better make darn sure your rough opening is plumb and the floor is level.
My experience with wood doors is fairly limited with respect to installing them in homes I had to warranty.
For whatever prehung door you get the rot free jambs (FrameSaver is on brand name) and PVC brick mold if available.
Matt:
Thank you very much for your informative response. I would also like to thank all the others that responded, Savvy, DanH, Watters, and Door Boy. I've been out of touch for a few days or I would have responded earlier.
Again, I thank you all for your time and the information you shared.
Frank