Why Should You Consider Replacing Your Home’s Exterior Doors?

There are several signs that may indicate that it’s time to replace your home’s exterior doors. For instance, you may notice the following:

• Daylight or drafts seeping in around the edges of the door. When an exterior door is closed, it should create an airtight seal protecting your home from outdoor elements. If you can see natural light coming in around the frame or threshold—or if you notice drafts of cool or warm air—it’s likely an indication that the door is due for an upgrade. Keep in mind that if light and air can get in, then so can water, insects, and other unwanted critters!
• Your energy costs are high. If your doors are allowing outside air into your home, it’s not only a matter of comfort—you may also notice your utility bills increasing, as the air leaks require your HVAC system to work harder in order to maintain the desired indoor temperature. Fortunately, newer exterior doors tend to be far more energy efficient than their predecessors, and the products you’ll find at The Window & Door Store feature the latest energy-saving technology to help minimize your energy costs while maintaining a comfortable temperature inside your home.
• It has become difficult to open, close, or lock the door. As the primary entry points into your home, your exterior doors are crucial to your family’s safety and security. Therefore, if your doors have become difficult to open or close—which is often a sign that the door is warping or otherwise deteriorating—they should be replaced as soon as possible. Similarly, if the locking mechanism is no longer functioning properly, it may be a good opportunity to consider replacing the door. While you could simply replace the lock, installing a sturdy new door with one of the latest locking systems will help ensure your home’s security for years to come.
• Signs of damage or deterioration. From intense sunshine to strong winds and rain to general use over time, it’s natural for exterior doors to endure a great deal of wear and tear over the course of their lifespans. If your doors are starting to show signs of damage or deterioration—such as dents, scratches, rust, or a peeling finish—these issues are not only unsightly, but could indicate that the door is no longer as structurally sound as it should be.
• You simply want a new look. Exterior doors—and particularly front entry doors—are a significant factor in your home’s curb appeal. Therefore, if you’d like to update the style of your home, installing a beautiful new exterior door is a great way to do so.

Benefits of replacing your exterior doors

While it may seem like a minor upgrade, replacing your exterior doors can improve your home in numerous ways. Here are a few of the key benefits you may enjoy:

Greater energy efficiency

As mentioned above, newer, high-quality exterior doors are designed to enhance your home’s energy efficiency by minimizing air leakage and providing reliable insulation. When selecting your new doors, look for those with an ENERGY STAR label, which indicates that the product has been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency to help minimize energy usage. In addition, examining a door’s label from the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) can help you gauge how well it will perform in your climate. Since Arizona’s climate requires you to cool your home more frequently than heating it, look for doors with a low solar heat gain coefficient (which ranges from zero to one) and a low U-factor (which ranges from 0.20 to 1.20) on the NFRC label.

If you are installing new sliding glass doors, choosing those with dual-pane glass, low-emissivity (low-E) coatings, and low-conductivity gases—such as odorless, non-toxic argon or krypton gas—between the panes can help maximize energy efficiency. In addition to reducing heat gained and lost through the glass, these features can help protect the flooring, drapes, and furnishings inside your home by blocking the sun’s harmful UV rays. By choosing exterior doors with these and other energy-saving qualities, you will enjoy lower utility expenses—thereby allowing you to quickly recoup the costs of the door replacement—and a more comfortable environment inside your home, no matter the time of year.

Improved safety, security, and overall durability

A sturdy new door can be the key to keeping children and pets safely within your home and unwanted intruders out. In recent years, it has become increasingly common for entry doors to be made from steel and fiberglass, which tend to be far more durable than the wooden construction that was popular in the past. As a result, newer doors are more resistant to break-ins, as well as damage and deterioration that could create an eyesore and require frequent repairs.

Updated style

A beautiful new door can enhance your home’s aesthetic appeal from both the inside and outside. At The Window & Door Store, we offer a wide variety of doors to suit any space or style. For instance, we can help you upgrade your home’s appearance with the following types of exterior doors:

• Entry doors. Featuring steel and fiberglass construction for superior safety and long-lasting durability, our entry doors can be customized to suit the aesthetic of any home with a variety of paint and stain options and virtually limitless design options.
• Patio doors. Whether you’re seeking hinged or sliding patio doors, our vinyl, wood-clad, aluminum, and fiberglass options offer maximum quality and energy efficiency to ensure lasting style and function.
• Multi-slide doors. Consisting of multiple framed glass panels that glide along a track, multi-slide (also known as multi-panel) doors offer a visually striking way to blur the boundary between your home’s indoor and outdoor living spaces. These doors bring in abundant natural light and gorgeous, uninterrupted views, making them one of our most popular products. With numerous design options available in aluminum, vinyl, and wood-clad materials, we can combine panels to create floor-to-ceiling openings for spaces ranging up to 20 feet wide and 10 feet tall.

Increased home value

Due to the above-mentioned benefits, installing new exterior doors can notably increase your home’s resale value. While the specific amount of the increase may vary depending on several different factors, one study by Realm, a data clearinghouse for homeowners, estimated that replacing your front door can generate a return on investment of nearly 500 percent!

Installing your new exterior doors

In order to fully harness the benefits of replacing your home’s exterior doors, it’s crucial to ensure that they are installed properly. At The Window & Door Store, we will guide you through each step involved in choosing and installing your new doors. The process begins when you either visit our state-of-the-art showroom in Scottsdale or book an in-home appointment with our professional design consultants, who will introduce you to our many different options and make recommendations based on your unique style and preferences. Once you’ve made your selection, our highly trained experts will provide a full-service installation, including handling any framing, stucco, or drywall needs in order to deliver a flawless end result. Our team will also manage the schedule and workflow, allowing you to relax and watch as your space is transformed.

Would your home benefit from stylish new exterior doors? Contact us today to request a free estimate!