As you consider the design of the front of your house, your first thought probably goes to your front door. The front entrance can make or break the overall look of your home. Do you like it? Does it reflect your personality and aesthetic?
Is it Time For a Front Door Upgrade?
If not, it may be time to consider a front door upgrade. But what is the secret to finding the perfect front door to create a perfect entrance?
To find a beautiful front door that is exactly right for your home, it’s important to consider two key elements:
- How do you want your door to look? This is your front door’s design.
- What do you want your door to be made of? This is your front door’s material.
How to Choose a Design:
First, you must decide if you want to invest in a door designed specifically for your home based on your preferences, or purchase a pre-made door, instead. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.
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Hand-Crafted
Hand-crafted doors are beautiful to look at and can perfectly encapsulate your design aesthetic. However, they are typically made of wood and can require more maintenance than other materials. Furthermore, they may not be as energy efficient, and they may actually decrease your home’s value in the long run if you anticipate selling your home in the future.
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Marvin Exceptional Pre-made Front Doors
Although many box stores are known to compromise quality on pre-made doors, there are many door companies out there—Marvin Doors are our personal favorites—that create exceptional doors. With a long history of creating excellent products, companies like Marvin Doors not only offer a large array of door designs to choose from, but go out of their way to provide exceptional customization options.
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Design Features
Once you’ve decided where you will purchase your front door, you will want to decide what design features are most important to you. For example, do you want a door that lets in lots of natural light, some natural light, or no natural light? Although it is pleasant to have lots of sunshine streaming through your front door, many people opt for smaller windows or no windows in their front entrance in order to increase security or energy efficiency. Additionally, you may want to consider other design features common to front doors, like panels and hardware. These choices will ensure your doorway design perfectly reflects your aesthetic.
How to Choose a Material:
Equally as important as your front door’s design is the material you choose for your front door. The material in your front door is incredibly important, and often big box stores sell brands that compromise on the material in order to bring the overall price of the door down.
Energy Efficiency & Security
On the other hand, companies like Marvin Doors set the standard on using materials that make their doors stand out in both energy efficiency and safety. Often, these companies use engineered materials to ensure your door is stronger, tighter, and safer than traditional doors while looking as beautiful as natural materials. Even better? These engineered doors are built to last and require very little maintenance or care on your part.
Easy to Update
Another important thing to consider when you are choosing the material for your door is whether or not you want to be able to paint and repaint your door in years to come. Some materials take new paint layers easily and continue to look beautiful no matter what. Other materials repel most paints or require frequent re-paintings to keep your front door looking beautiful.
Consider Your Climate
Finally, it’s important to take into consideration where you live, especially if it’s humid or in a climate with extreme temperature swings as these variables can dramatically impact the door’s life and efficiency. Be sure to talk to your trusted contractor or retail expert about how your location can impact your front door.
Discount on Insurance
One other final thing you may want to think about is whether or not the material you are choosing for your front door will save you money in the long run. Many home insurance programs offer discounts for energy-efficient or stormproof front doors. Plus, efficient front doors can easily save hundreds of dollars on your monthly bill. If these savings appeal to you, be sure to look for a material that will meet your needs.
Regardless of your design and material choices, you’ll need a trustworthy source to find your perfect front door. At SoCo Wood & Windows, we work with only the best brands, including Marvin, so you can be confident that your door will last. Additionally, we’ll walk with you through every step of your project. To get started or view our showroom, visit us online or give us a call today.
