article

Things to Consider When Replacing Your Front Door

By Bluehammer Admin

Your front door is one of the most functional, visible, and important elements in your home. If you're looking for a home improvement project that can boost curb appeal, improve security, and add style to your space, replacing your front door delivers an impressive return on investment.

What's Involved

The amount of work involved with replacing your front door depends on the age, style and location of your home. Historic homes often have odd-sized entryways, while even newer houses can shift and settle, leading to doorways that are less than square. Start by measuring up your existing door to determine if you can choose a ready-made model or if you need to have a custom door built.

Factors To Consider When Choosing A New Front Door

Security

Your front door serves to keep your home safe and secure. The stronger your door is, the better it will protect you and your family against break-ins and home invasions.

While design elements like large glass inserts in your front entry can add to the curb appeal of your home, they also make easy targets for criminals. Look for a door that includes reinforced materials around the lock and handle holes, covered hinges, and other safety features. If glass is a must-have,

Materials

Steel, fiberglass, and wood are the three most common materials used in the construction of exterior doors, with steel being the most affordable option. Steel doors are strong and durable, however, design options are limited and adding features like viewfinders can be difficult.

Fiberglass doors are quickly gaining popularity among home improvement experts thanks to the fact that they require minimal maintenance and come in a wide variety of styles, while wood doors deliver unbeatable curb appeal and custom styling at a premium price.

Just like wood floors and furnishings, wooden doors do require re-staining and sealing every few years - that's why front doors made of wood rarely come with a factory warranty.

Insulation

Upgrading the front door of your home can cut down on drafts, heat loss and heat gain, leading to improvements in your home energy consumption and comfort. Steel and fiberglass doors deliver the best R-value, while wooden doors and models with large glass inserts are less effective as insulators.

Color

Upgrading your existing door with a splash of color is a great way to instantly give your home unbeatable curb appeal.

Red is a popular choice when it comes to front door colors, although yellows, blues, and even black doors are gaining popularity. If in doubt about the color, snap a photo of your home and use a basic photo editing program to preview how different colors look before you commit.

Hardware

If you're looking for a specific hardware style or design for your new front door, consider choosing your hardware first, then selecting your front door based on your hardware. Doors can be ordered in a wide variety of styles, shapes, and materials, while door hardware is virtually impossible to modify and in many cases, costs more than the door itself.

Want to estimate your home improvement costs before talking with a contractor? Claim your home for free with bluehammer to estimate costs, secure your home inventory and learn more about your home.

* THIS REPORT IS AN OPINION THAT MAY BE INACCURATE AND IS PROVIDED SOLELY AS AN INFORMATIONAL TOOL NOT DESIGNED TO PROVIDE DEFINITIVE ANSWERS. ALL ELEMENTS ARE OFFERED "AS IS" AND BLUEBOOK EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, REPRESENTATIONS, AND GUARANTEES OF ANY NATURE, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABLITILY, NONINFRINGEMENT, TITLE, QUIET ENJOYMENT, ACCURACY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL BLUEBOOK (OR THEIR SUPPLIERS) BE LIABLE FOR ANY GENERAL, DIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THOSE RESULTING FROM USE OF THE PRODUCT, INCLUDING : (1) RELIANCE ON THE MATERIALS PRESENTED, (2) COSTS OF REPLACEMENT GOODS, (3) LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, (4) DELAYS OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTIONS, (5) AND ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF INFORMATION) WHETHER OR NOT BLUEBOOK HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Know what you should pay for your home improvement projects with bluehammer.Claim your home. It's free!

Popular


Remodeling Your Outdoor Patio On A Budget

Creating and sticking to a home improvement project's budget is about as easy and comfortable as pulling teeth. But when it comes to a task as exciting as an outdoor space remodel, it's necessary to think and talk about the budget before taking any further steps.

8 Ways to Love Your Small Space More

When we run stories on living in homes with petite proportions, you often tell us, "Small? You should see my house!" Because we aim to please, we've rounded up some of the tiniest rooms on Houzz, picking those that pack plenty of ideas and function into a small space. We think that these are indisputably compact. But, more important, do you?

New Kitchen Cabinetry: Make Your Investment A Smart One

At an average of $50,000, a kitchen remodel is a major undertaking. A good return on that investment means different things to different people. You may be considering resale value, your bank balance at the moment, the elements of your dream kitchen-or all of the above. Whatever the case, kitchen cabinets are a key component of every remodel.

Creative Ways To Keep Your Home Cool Without Running Your Air Conditioning 24-7

Heat wave! Are you feeling it? Are you over it? Are you dreading this month's electric bill that will rival your monthly grocery budget? There are a few tricks that can help you keep cool at home without running your air conditioning all day.

A Homeowner's Guide To Water Filtration

Is a home water treatment system a luxury or a necessity? Based on surveys commissioned by the Water Quality Association (an industry trade group), people who viewed water treatment as a luxury rose from 50 to 54 percent between 2013 and 2015.

8 Clever Ways To Zone Off Space In An Open Floor Plan

We've fallen for open-plan living in recent years. After all, not many of us have a formal room just for company anymore. And with modern building materials, we don't necessarily need every room to have four walls to keep it at a comfortable temperature. But although an open plan may bring the space, light, flow and garden views we desire, it can also feel problematic to organize into zones - and prove distracting to share. Enter the glass partition. It makes room division simple yet doesn't starve spaces of light or compromise the open feel. Decorative, at half or full height, framed or barely visible, a glass partition can work in every environment. Check out these designs.

7 Model Home Ideas To Steal For Your Home

You don't have to be in the market for a new home to tour model homes. In fact, model home complexes are a great place to get a few ideas for your existing home. Whether you're looking for ideas to renovate your kitchen and want to see the most current trends, are having a hard time deciding on paint colors and want to see how others are incorporating color into the home, or are simply looking for a little inspiration, you can find it here.

Simple DIY Projects That Will Increase the Value of Your Home

Looking to boost the value of your home without spending hundreds of thousands of dollars? You can! Making changes in certain rooms, like the kitchen and bathroom, is more beneficial than in others. These simple DIY projects will help increase your home's value the most.

Lawn Care For The Fall: Essential Tips to Follow

All summer you've been watering, cutting, trimming and feeding your yard in the hopes of having the greenest plot of land in the neighborhood. So what should you do to get your lawn in shape for the cool breezes of autumn? These six steps will help you get a head start on the colder weather.

Understanding Hard Water (and How to Solve It)

Do you have hard water? If you notice spots and films on glasses that come straight from the dishwasher, or you can't seem to work up a good lather when washing your hands, it's a good bet that you do.

See More Articles