What You Should Know Before Buying New Doors

<div class=article-entry><img alt= class=attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image height=600 loading=lazy sizes=(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px src=https://dcr-apis.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/wp_contents/uploads/2017/06/PeninsulaDoor-3.jpg srcset=https://dcr-apis.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/wp_contents/uploads/2017/06/PeninsulaDoor-3.jpg 900w, https://dcr-apis.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/wp_contents/uploads/2017/06/PeninsulaDoor-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dcr-apis.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/wp_contents/uploads/2017/06/PeninsulaDoor-3-768x512.jpg 768w width=900/><div class=featured-caption></div>A front door can dramatically change the façade of a house for better (a fresh door design) or worse (a weathered and worn door). Given the extent of use that every door gets, it’s important to make sure your doors will reliably serve you for a long time.While selecting and installing doors may seem like a straightforward task at first glance, the design options and technical considerations required can actually be overwhelming. New door installation is only one of the many door-related projects that door contractors are best equipped to handle. A quality door contractor can guide you through a wide range of design options and features and help integrate them seamlessly into your home environment.<h3></h3><h3>Determine What You Need</h3>When starting the process of a door installation project, you can ensure that things go smoothly by doing a little homework first and having some idea of what you want before hiring a contractor.Are you looking to replace entry doors? Are you interested in sliding doors, French doors, accordion doors or doors with other special features? What kind of security features would you prefer? Are you replacing all of your doors, and if not, do you wish to match your new doors with your existing doors? What kind of handle, knob, lock or latch do you prefer? What kind of molding do you like best? Do you simply need a door repair or maintenance?Answering some of these questions in advance will expedite the process of locating the right door contractor for your project. <h3>Front Door Design</h3>What kind of door style do you prefer? What other elements are you attempting to match your doors with? It’s vital to your home appearance and curb appeal to select doors that match your exterior, whether it consists of siding, wood, brick, stucco or stone.Lift and slide Commonly referred to as sliding or patio doors, these space-saving doors use multiple panels in front of each other. Lift and slide doors are not to be confused with pocket doors, which slide into a wall. A common variation is the barn door. One advantage of lift and slide doors is that, thanks to their lack of inward or outward swing, they come in a variety of sizes and offer open wall capabilities.Multifold or accordion doors These doors are painted on a series of engines along a track and stack smoothly at one end to open up a wall. Because they don’t slide inside the wall or lie flush against the wall, swing area is still a factor. Such doors are perfect for opening up indoor/outdoor spaces like patios, sunrooms, swimming pools and dining areas.Pivot doors These doors rest entirely on the bottom of the frame and pivot on a hinge located along the bottom side of the door. Because the weight is not “hung,” these doors can be significantly heavier and increase the longevity of the frame. They also allow for the use of a larger door by reducing the swing radius.Steel pane doors One advantage of steel doors is that, given the capacity of steel to support more weight, the windowpanes on a steel door can be significantly thinner. This provides a sense of greater openness and can also offer a wider range of less orthodox glass designs.Pocket doors Pocket doors are a common door type with several desirable features. Rather than swinging open and shut, these doors slide into the wall and effectively vanish when they’re open. This can have the effect of making a bedroom or bathroom feel slightly less closed or private, but it also saves space and can add a touch of luxury, romance or modernity to accent a room.Such doors also often feature windows or frosted glass, allowing light to permeate deep inside the room. These doors can also provide a colorful or stark contrast to the colors in the rest of the room. Perhaps the most popular place for pocket doors is on closets and pantries. Multilayered pocket doors can also effectively create their own wall, closing off and opening the outside.Another popular alternative similar to the pocket door is the barn door. This door style slides in front of the wall rather than inside it. Barn doors are still space-saving, but they may obscure light switches and they don’t offer the same privacy thanks to the gap between the door and the door frame.Glass doors Glass doors offer yet another appealing alternative. Such interior doors are common in both traditional swinging and pocket styles, and they offer the advantage of letting natural light from one part of the house filter into another while maintaining privacy. Most glass doors in the home environment are opaque or frosted. Traditional solid wood-paneled doors can also be upgraded by replacing panels with glass.Antique or salvage doors Antique or salvage doors offer a host of benefits and have become popular thanks to their throwback charm, higher-quality hardware, and lower prices. Be sure to take the time to find a salvage door that properly fits your space and is largely free of irregularities and warps. <h3>Door Aesthetics</h3>Doors have the capacity to liven up a room significantly yet tastefully. They can make a white walled room seem more colorful and highlight colors and patterns in the furnishings of an interior environment. Additionally, colorful interior doors can offer aesthetic transitions from one room to the next. Consider spicing up at least one room in your home with a colorful door in a mudroom, basement, bathroom or bedroom. You might also consider a multicolored door or a patterned door design.One popular trend is the use of garage doors or wall-sized systems of pocket, sliding, or accordion doors to create an open wall, blurring the line between indoors and outdoors. Open walls are unparalleled for adding light, openness and space to an interior environment. This specialty design trend can transform an interior space. <h3>Door Security</h3>One of the most important features for entry doors in particular is adequate security. For any entry door project, it’s important to assess your security needs. Specially made, heavy duty security doors can keep out intruders and the elements and provide you and your family with peace of mind.Security doors are built to withstand several hundred pounds of force, and they also offer features that protect against intruders, fire, and other hazards. They’re more weather-resistant and they come in a wide range of design styles, although they’re often made of steel or heavy duty aluminum.Door hardware also comes in a variety of security grades and forms, from dead bolts and alarm triggers to simple handle locks. <h3>Door Size</h3>The available space you have is another consideration when selecting a door. Will your door fit easily in the existing entryway, hallway or other opening? Is there room for the door to fully open? Will the open door block other passageways or bump into ceiling fixtures such as lights and fans? Will the door remain more open than closed, and if so, will the open door obstruct the room or provide an inconvenience?If it’s an interior door, will the height of the door leave space at the bottom for ventilation necessary for adequate climate control? Will the height of the door leave space at the bottom for rugs or carpet when the door swings open? <h3>New Entry Doors</h3>The front door is perhaps the most noticeable element in a home, and it can make or break your home’s curb appeal. Features like insulation, weatherproofing and durability are key when selecting a front door.Your front door is also an opportunity to make a bold statement and define the kind of home you live in. If the budget allows, custom carved, painted and/or patterned doors will set your home apart from those around it. Here, color, geometrical patterns and texture all come into play. Other popular design features include double doors, arched doors and gate-style doors.Do you want your home to have a door with windows or open geometrical designs? Would you prefer the more secure, fortress-like feel of a heavy carved wood door? How large do you want your door to be? The frontal proportions of some homes call for larger door designs.Your front door says something about you and the kind of home you live in. Antique doors or doors with exotic Mediterranean, Asian, or modern features can provide eye-catching stylized effects.Another consideration for exterior doors is energy efficiency. Although doors account for a small portion of the exterior surface area of the home, they’re the primary culprit for energy loss. Paying attention to the energy efficiency of your door area is the best way to ensure your house stays properly heated and cooled.If you live in an area with more extreme weather and/or tend to use climate or air quality control systems, an energy-efficient door can take 10% off of your utility bills. Additionally, in certain areas, energy-efficient fixtures qualify for tax credits. <h3>Popular Door Materials</h3>The most common materials you will select from when choosing your interior and exterior doors are fiberglass, wood and steel.Steel doors can be both attractive and surprisingly inexpensive, ranging from $150 to $500. Sizing and installing a steel door, including all materials, typically costs $1,000 to $1,500, but you’ll earn three quarters of this back upon resale. The downside of steel doors is that they’re less durable than wood or fiberglass doors, typically lasting only five to seven years, depending on usage and exposure to the elements. Steel doors are also more expensive to repair.Fiberglass doors present a happy medium between steel and wood, offering the cost-effectiveness of steel and many of the aesthetic benefits of wood. But perhaps the greatest advantage of a fiberglass door is that its durability is twice that of wood and steel. Additionally, it’s virtually maintenance-free, rarely requiring a reseal, paint or stain.They also offer considerable protection from intruders and rank at the top of the list for insulation and energy efficiency. Fiberglass doors cost between $150 and $600, and the total project cost is typically between $1,500 and $2,500.For many homeowners, there’s no aesthetic substitute for a wood door. Wood is the standard for higher budget projects, providing luxury and handcrafted features that steel and fiberglass doors can’t match. As such, wood is typically more expensive than either of the two common alternatives, ranging from $500 to $2,000, not including installation.Additionally, wood doors typically need to be repainted or resealed a minimum of every two years. However, wood doors are also easier to repair. You can also purchase energy-efficient doors that are made of sustainably grown and harvested wood. Keep in mind that the energy efficiency of any door also depends on its framework and windows. <h3>Develop a Budget for Materials and Labor</h3>Once you better understand the scope of your project, you can begin developing a budget. Visit local home improvement stores and browse websites to look at the available options and prices for the kind of door you want. As you research, keep a comprehensive list or spreadsheet detailing estimated materials needed, sources and prices. Be sure to include peripheral material costs in addition to the actual door, such as molding and seals. A detailed budget and price list will prove useful when negotiating with prospective contractors. <h3>What to Look for in a Door Contractor</h3>Be sure to look for a contractor that possesses both the necessary experience and licensing for the specific type of work you need. All door contractors must be licensed by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB). The CSLB offers more than 40 different license classifications. You can verify a prospective contractor’s current license on the CSLB <a href=https://www.cslb.ca.gov/>website</a>.It’s likely that the contractors you’re considering have a portfolio of previous projects for you to browse, which will offer a good indication of the scale and style of work they have completed. In addition, you can request references from previous customers. Portfolios and references go a long way toward providing you with the information you need to make an informed selection. <h3>Obtaining Permits</h3>Under the California Building Code, no building or structure can be altered, repaired or improved without obtaining a permit. Codes vary greatly by city and county, so you can find out more about your specific door project on the CSLB’s website, which details requirements by city and county. In addition, your contractor can help you identify whether your project requires a permit and how to obtain a permit, if necessary.</div>