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Exterior Doors
Exterior Doors: A buying guide
Making An Entrance with Exterior DoorsThe main entryway to your home can make a lasting first impression; choose a door design that harmonizes your style with the architectural style of your home. Exterior doors are constructed of wood, fibreglass, steel, vinyl or aluminum. Unique glass and solid-panel configurations can dress up any exterior door and express as much or as little detail as desired. Choosing the Right Front Entry DoorFind your ideal front entry door in five easy steps: 1) Choose your door configurationStart by selecting the door configuration. Do you prefer a single door or double doors? Would you like one with sidelites and a transom? 
2) Choose your door styleNext, decide on the door style that appeals most to you. How much glass and how many solid panels do you prefer? What shape would you like the glass to be? Glass panels are called "lites", and they are referenced in proportion to the door. For example, the doors from left to right are: 3-panel half lite, 7-panel centre arch lite, and flush full lite round top, 6-panel camber-top, arch top fan lite, and 2-panel 3/4 lite. 
3) Choose your glassOnce you have established your door style, choose the glass. The design of the glass is generally the most aesthetically impactful feature of the door. Designs range from simple and delicate to intricate and ornate. Here are just a few examples. 
4) Choose your materialChoosing the material is the next step. Would you prefer a wood, fibreglass or steel door? Wood DoorsWood doors are natural insulators and can be trimmed to fit an existing doorway. There are two types of wood doors: stile and rail, and flush – both are built around a frame of stile and rail members. Panels or glass fill the spaces between the members of a stile-and-rail wood door, while the frame of a flush wood door is completely covered on both sides with a wood veneer, hardboard, plastic laminate or other material. Flush doors may be hollow or solid; solid core doors provide better security, sound proofing and fire resistance than hollow core doors.
Fibreglass DoorsFibreglass doors offer excellent durability. They are resistent to denting, rotting, cracking and warping. They are energy efficient and require little maintenance over the course of their lives. Fibreglass doors can give the appearance of a wood-grain finish or a smooth finish.
Steel DoorsSteel doors are constructed from heavy-gauge, galvanized steel and provide superior security without sacrificing style. They have a wood stile-and-rail framework filled with polyurethane insulating foam and covered with a steel skin. The skins are often embossed to match traditional wood door styles.
5) Choose your finishLastly, choose your finish. Would you prefer a door that is paintable, stainable or pre-finished? The Home Depot offers a wide selection of colours to suit virtually every individual taste, ranging from bright white and light taupes to rich blues and reds. Choosing the Right Patio DoorFrom the interior, patio doors provide a large, unobstructed view of your backyard oasis, and from the garden, patio doors blend in effortlessly with your home's exterior. Patio doors are available in sliding and hinged models, and they are made of wood, wood clad, vinyl, aluminum, steel or fibreglass. Sliding DoorsSliding patio doors may be manufactured with aluminum, wood or vinyl frames. Most are two-panel doors, with an active (operating) panel and an inactive (fixed) panel. The glass may be single or insulating, but it is always tempered safety glass. Sliding doors are great space savers as the operating panel slides on a horizontal track in front of the fixed panel instead of swinging into the room. Be sure to choose the sliding direction that best suits the flow of your room, either left or right.
Hinged DoorsHinged patio doors are more energy-efficient and are available in wood, fibreglass and steel construction. Their security features are superior to those of sliding doors, and double-hinged French doors allow accessibility to the full width of the opening to accommodate busy household traffic. Hinged patio doors are easier to operate, and are available in several designs. Sidelites/transoms and fixed panel systems are available.
Choosing the Right Storm DoorA storm door serves two main functions. Firstly, it protects the primary door from the weather, thereby increasing energy efficiency. Secondly, it provides ventilation in the summer while maintaining a level of security. Storm doors are made of aluminum, vinyl, fibreglass or wood, and the two most popular styles are full-view and self-storing screen. Most storm doors are surrounded by a lightweight frame that is fastened directly over the exterior door casing.
Energy Efficiency of Exterior Doors
Most entry and patio doors carried at The Home Depot qualify for the Energy Star rating. Many of our exterior doors have double or triple-paned glass with a low-emission coating and argon-gas-filled glazing to significantly reduce heat loss and drafts. They also boast durable PVC door sweeps and custom-fitted polystyrene cores for stable insulation. Rating may vary by region. Consult the Energy Star website for more details. GlossaryMullionsInner vertical members of a door frame RailsHorizontal members of a door frame SidelitesA fixed window that is installed on one or both sides of an exterior door StilesOuter vertical members of a door frame TransomsA fixed window that is installed above another window or exterior door |
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