Is a Fiberglass Door the Right Solution for You?
With so many kinds of doors available, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the selection when it comes time to purchasing a replacement. When considering fiberglass doors vs wood ones, there are plenty of virtues to both, but you need to determine the right pick for your situation. I’ve spent a lot of time installing wood and fiberglass doors all over the Houston area, and I’ve seen how fiberglass doors have many more benefits to offer. A fiberglass door not only looks great, it can save the homeowner a lot of money and it will even lessen your environmental footprint.
More Door for Less Money
Most folks don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the front door of their homes. The entry door to your home faces and protects you from the elements. Sun, rain, wind – your front door needs to take the brunt of that, season in and season out. Wood doors don’t usually stand up to that kind of punishment quite as well. Warping, twisting, bowing, peeling and bubbling are just a few of the very nasty things I’ve seen the weather in Houston do to wooden doors. They generally require a lot of upkeep that folks aren’t necessarily prepared for.
When you think about fiberglass doors vs wood ones:
Keep in mind that wood doors can absorb moisture. That can lead to a whole heap of problems, not the least of which is swelling. This is particularly a problem here in Houston, as we’re usually listed in the top ten most humid cities in the country.
Staining can sometimes prevent wood doors from rotting, but it’s hardly foolproof and requires time and energy.
Now:
With a fiberglass door, you don’t have to worry about any of that. There’s no way for the moisture to seep into the door, so it won’t rust, bow, rot or anything similar. In fact, most of these doors are so strong it’s difficult to scratch or dent them. I’ve seen a lot of things, but I’ve never seen composite fiberglass doors start deteriorating. I count on them to stand tough, even when the weather conditions out there get extreme.
Some fiberglass doors are more expensive than certain wooden doors, but you need to bear in mind that the fiberglass ones last much longer. They usually last for several years. I know some places where fiberglass doors last for multiple decades. It’s truly amazing. Wood doors don’t last nearly that long and typically need to be serviced often, too.
Environmentally Sound
The fiberglass doors I install are “HAP-free.” When I say that to people, sometimes they think I’m leaving some benefit out of the door they might want. They change their minds when I tell them “HAP” stands for “Hazardous Air Pollutant.” Beyond that, my doors are also made with extremely low VOC amounts. “VOC” means “Volatile Organic Compound,” which also does not sound like something you want in the home, or around your family.
Plenty of the door configurations I have are “Energy Star” qualified, which means that they meet the energy-efficiency standards set by the government.
I absolutely understand that the environment may not be everyone’s biggest priority, but having more energy efficient doors can also save you money on heating and cooling costs. You know how blazingly hot the summers get, and you don’t need me to remind you how chilly the winters nights can be.
Look:
Doors made of wood can’t keep out the summer heat and the winter cold like fiberglass installations can. They just aren’t built for it. On average, wood doors have less than twenty percent of the insulating properties of doors made from fiberglass. That comes in very handy as the weather gets more unpredictable.
You Don’t Need Real Wood for a Real Wood Look
There’s no doubt about it: wooden doors are beautiful. They have a warmth about them that’s unmatched and a wooden door can make a home look like a castle. But most people don’t know that Fiberglass doors can be just as beautiful. In fact, they can be made to look exactly like wood doors without having any of the drawbacks and flaws. I have wood grains on my doors that look so much like the real thing; no one realizes the doors aren’t made of wood. They can give off that same welcoming warmth of a wood door while maintaining their fiberglass durability.
I’ve seen the frames on some wooden doors rot within a year in our climate. So why spend your hard-earned money on a wooden door when you can achieve the same look by having a fiberglass door installed. For me, when you compare fiberglass doors vs wood doors, it’s an easy choice if cost, durability, and weather protection are priorities.
But:
We do offer a wood door that is just as tough as our fiberglass door – as long as you maintain it.
How do I Get a Fiberglass Door Installed?
Our Door installers at Mr. Windows & Doors Houston, make it incredibly easy to get that new fiberglass door installed. Our experts can provide you with a free quote and a time estimate. With so many finishes to choose from you are guaranteed to get the look that’s perfect for you!
So instead of choosing from a big box retailer that may save you money, but will sell you a low-quality door, make sure you get the best by choosing one of our fiberglass door installations!
