How To Pick out the Front Door You’ve Always Dreamed Of
Have you ever passed by a home and thought to yourself “I wish my house had a front door like that!”? The front door is the first impression people get before they walk into your home so it’s time you make it a good one!
Are you ready to finally go for it and put in a new door? This project is a little bit more involved than draping a slipcover over a chair, but it’s well worth the hard work.
First you need to decide what material door you would like to purchase. There are three options to choose from and they are wood, fiberglass or a hybrid. Solid wood doors are the most expensive option and need to have optimum protection from the elements. If the front of your home gets direct sunlight at any time of the day or if your front porch is exposed to rain and snow you will want to avoid a wooden door.
For a door that can take a beating from the elements you should pick a fiberglass or hybrid. Fiberglass stands up well against the elements and doesn’t require extensive yearly maintenance. These doors can be made to look like wood doors so that you can get the best of both worlds- the look and the little-to-no maintenance.
Hybrid doors are made from foam and plywood. This makes them much lighter than solid wood doors and also less expensive. They need regular maintenance to keep them in good shape.
Next you need to measure and decide if you want to buy a door off-the-shelf or have one custom-made. Hardware stores and home furnishing stores carry standard door options. These doors will be competitively priced and you will be able to purchase them right away. If you want to go down the custom route a designer can work directly with the manufacturer to design a door that replicates one you’ve been envying.
How can you customize a less expensive off-the-shelf door? Two easy steps will take a standard door to the next level. Your local hardware store can help you pick out the right type of outdoor paint in any color you like to give your off-the-rack door a custom coat. The second step is the hardware. There are endless styles and finishes to choose from. You want to match your door’s hardware with all of the other hardware outside of your home. This includes your mailbox, lighting fixtures and house number.
That’s all it takes to give your home a new first impression. There’s some extra manual labor involved and measuring that you will want to get right the first time, but this is a home improvement that will make your house stand out from the crowd.