Easy to follow suggestions for choosing exterior wood doors
There are many unique materials and styles available to select from when choosing an exterior door. The materials most people are familiar with are solid wood and steel with an insulated core. Exterior door manufacturers are also now using alternative materials such as vinyl and fiberglass to create strong doors which do not require much maintenance. There are many advantages to a solid wood exterior door, including the natural beauty of the wood and the strength of the door.
There are many types of wood that are used to make wood doors with cedar, walnut, mahogany, pine, and oak being some of the most common. A wood exterior door will require regular maintenance to give it protection from changing weather conditions. While a preservative will be added to most high quality wood exterior doors by their manufacturers a protective coating will still need to be applied regularly to protect them for the long run. Wood exterior doors are subject to expansion and contraction in responses to the changes in the moisture content of the air around them.
The performance of the door will often be dependant on the weather where they are installed. Wood exterior doors which are in hot and moist environments will require maintenance at least once a year. Here are a few tips about choosing exterior doors. Another material commonly used for exterior doors is steel. These doors most often use a wood frame which have been filled with foam insulation which is then coated with a steel skin. You will get strength and rigidity from the wood frame while the foam insulation provides greater energy efficiency. There is very little maintenance involved with a steel door.
Fiberglass doors are made in a similar fashion as steel doors except the outer skin is fiberglass. These doors provide excellent durability and energy efficiency. An embossing process can even be used to give the outer skin of fiberglass the look of real wood. One of the newest materials used to make exterior doors is vinyl. The structure of these doors is created using chambers in the vinyl with added strength coming from aluminum, steel or wood. Vinyl exterior doors are known for excellent energy efficiency and great weather resistance.
