Choosing the best doors for your home can feel daunting since there are numerous options that can leave you feeling confused. Doors enhance the privacy and security of your house but are often overlooked when it comes to aesthetics and design elements.
Selecting the perfect door can impact your home’s visual appearance and value. If you are searching for the perfect door, there are endless options from Doors Plus to make your house feel secure and complete. However, you ought to consider a few things before choosing the right door for your home.
1. Consider Your Home’s Style
Your home’s style should be the primary consideration when choosing the perfect doors for your home. If you plan to remodel your property in the future, it’s best to consider the style you intend to create. Ideally, you should try to select a door that blends well with your home’s overall style and features.
Traditional styles often have classic design features with simple and clean lines. Modern homes come with bold features, geometric shapes, and asymmetric designs. They also have lots of glasswork and open-plan interiors. Ultimately, it’s best to define the style of your home before narrowing down on available door options.
2. Review Different Types of Doors
When deciding on the ideal doors for your home, it’s essential to know whether you’re looking for an exterior or interior door. While you can install any door for interior and exterior use, understanding where you intend to use the door helps you choose the right style. Doors come in numerous styles and designs for your home.
Flush doors have minimalistic designs with flat surfaces and can be ideal for any room in your house. However, flush doors blend well with modern architectural styles, and the sleek design can be tailored for exterior and interior use. These doors can also offer better indoor acoustics due to their ability to block noise.
Panel doors come with a classical, traditional design with raised moldings and are often made from natural wood. These doors are best suited for a traditional house style.
Security doors may seem unappealing compared to other types of doors. However, they offer an extra layer of security and can also improve the aesthetics of your home. You can have custom security doors with attractive designs to enhance your home’s appearance.
On the other hand, bifold doors can be ideal for modern house designs to partition spaces lacking interior walls. You can get different designs suitable for indoor and outdoor use, and they often come in glass and timber.
3. Materials
The door material should complement the aesthetics in your home and also determine the design and style. Doors are often made from wood, steel, and fiberglass, but you can find systems that combine the primary materials. Typically, the materials come in different colors and textures to offer more variety.
Wood is a classic option for most house designs and can offer a high-end appearance and resistance to dents. Nevertheless, wooden doors require regular inspection and varnishing to maintain visual appeal and functionality.
For exterior use, steel is a versatile and cost-effective choice for the best security. Modern steel doors don’t have to be plain and boring, and custom designs come with laminated wood veneer and stainable wood-fiber coating. Glass has become a popular material for modern-style house doors. While it may feel less secure, advanced glass safety doors have the necessary security measures to keep off intruders.
4. Insulation and Energy Efficiency
Most of the heat loss comes from continuous air leaks around the door. Unlike wood, fiberglass and steel materials provide better insulation against natural elements. Typically, a good door should have a quality frame with an outstanding design that integrates the door with the frame to ensure proper sealing.
Unlike in the past, modern doors are made from a combination of multiple materials for maximum safety and insulation. High-quality exterior door designs combine fiberglass and steel materials with an integrated thermal break. Thermal breaks are heat-resistant materials sandwiched between inner and outer skins to prevent heat conduction.
5. Security Features
Statisitic show that the front door is the main entry point for over 34% of burglary cases. It’s vital to ensure that the doors you choose for your home are strong and secure.
Most modern steel, wooden, and fiberglass exterior doors feature almost similar strength and security features. The locking mechanisms are often the main security concern. Ideally, secure doors come with a reinforced steel strike plate and a long deadbolt. Front doors with a side window should have double-certified armored glass to resist break-ins.
Most importantly, it’s essential to pay close attention to locking devices on your door. And there’s no shortage of options.
Reinforced locks are burglarproof, tamperproof, and childproof spring-loaded locks. Ideally, the locks can withstand about 800 pounds of impact. Door jammers are used for preventing unauthorized entry and can withstand about 2500 pounds of impact.
Technology advancements have brought futuristic security devices for home safety. Smart locks run the gamut from contactless app models to Alexa-operated security devices. Some outstanding features of smart locks may include:
- Remote operation
- Built-in alarms
- Touchpad
- Fingerprint access
- Alexa-enabled
Most importantly, some locks come with up to 365 combination codes, so you can switch the codes daily.
6. Safety Compliance
It’s essential to ensure the doors you choose for your home comply with Australian standards. The regulations cover aspects like width, height, and thickness. As such, it’s imperative to work with a compliant brand to ensure the longevity and safety of your doors.
The ISO 7172:1988 standard involves the regulation of the stability, strength, and performance of doors. Energy stars also provide certification for energy-efficient products, while the NAFS certification deals with fenestration energy performance for doors and windows.
Endnote
It’s easy to overlook door choices when building or remodeling your house. Besides adding an aesthetic appeal to your home, doors can provide a reliable safety barrier.
Choosing the right doors for your home depends on factors like style, design preference, security, materials, and efficiency. When you get the basics right, you are on the right track to choosing the best options for your property.
