With so many different types of exterior doors available to homeowners today, it is worth taking some time to discuss the various options and how to make best use of them in your home in the Fairfax, Northern Virginia, and Maryland markets. Just because your house currently has traditional hinged swing doors doesn’t mean you can’t replace some of those old doors with newer designs to open up, lighten, brighten and beautify your home.
Most Common Types of Exterior Doors
Steel Doors
Steel doors make great exterior doors. They are weather resistant and provide the highest possible security for your entry doors and exits.
Wood Doors
Wood doors are solid heavy doors that can be used anywhere. However, if you choose to use wood exterior doors, you will need to be prepared to maintain the door on a regular basis via either painting or staining. For this reason, I strongly recommend either steel or fiberglass for exterior doors.
Fiberglass Doors
These are low-maintenance sturdy doors that can truly be used anywhere. They are easy to finish, versatile, durable, and not has heavy to operate as steel or wood doors. There are many very appealing fiberglass entry doors on the market today for exterior door ensembles that will give an immediate face lift to any home entryway.
Sliding / Gliding Glass Doors
Patio doors are best used for exterior openings to provide the best features of both window and door. They provide more visibility, light, and fresh air than either a conventional window or door … yet also provide entry and exit without taking up added floor space. Due to their space-saving design, sliding glass doors are great for smaller rooms or hallways. Because of the sliding functionality however, they cannot be opened to provide full-opening access.
French Doors
These are one of my favorite types of doors because they are so versatile and beautiful. They are an elegant way to easily convert many smaller spaces into one large expansive area … whether these individual areas be indoor or outdoor. Use French doors to open an indoor family room or living area onto a veranda, garden, patio, deck, or balcony for a great entertaining duo . They also provide full-opening access, unlike sliding doors … however they do take up floor space. If the floor space is a concern, you might want to consider exterior French Doors that open outward.
Storm Doors and Screen Doors
These secondary doors are often overlooked by homeowners as being unimportant or inconsequential. Nothing could be further from the truth. By giving extra thought and consideration to the specific objectives of the particular door in question, and choosing an appropriate secondary door … you can raise the effectiveness of the doorway exponentially, making you much happier with your door choice in the long run. Storm doors and screen doors serve a dual purpose. During colder months, they provide an additional barrier to the exterior elements while creating an insulating buffer zone. During warmer months, they can allow your door to become a ‘window’ on the world allowing extra light and fresh air into the home.
Here at American Windows & Siding of VA, Inc., we enjoy helping people. If you have any questions about steel entry doors, patio doors, French doors, storm doors, or door replacement of any kind … feel free to contact us anytime and we’ll do our best to answer all your questions!
