wood, fiberglass and steel residential entry doors

Bet on a high-efficient entry door for your new home, or if you are going to replace your old exterior door. Exterior doors offer aesthetics, security and should also offer... energy-efficiency. Replacing an old energy-inefficient door is expensive and energy savings aren't often high enough to justify such a replacement, but if you are going to buy one...

Wood entry doors

Wood doors aren’t the best option in terms of energy-efficiency or maintenance: their maintenance cost is high, and their energy efficiency is low. All-wood doors rarely meet the Energy Star standards for cold climates.

Exterior door materials in cold climates

Many exterior doors have a thick steel panel with a polyurethane or other foam insulation core. Fiberglass-clad doors are also very common and, if the door isn’t too big, they are excellent option. Both these types of doors - steel and fiberglass - are highly energy-efficient. Their R-values range typically from R-5 to R-6, which is the ideal for cold northern climates.

Doors rating

If you want a energy efficient door, look for a door that meets Energy Star and National Fenestration Rating Council ratings.

See: Exterior Doors and Climate Zones & Windows, Doors and Skylights

Entry Doors Performance & Materials

Fiberglass and steel with polyurethane foam are excellent core materials to get high energy-efficient doors. The other two elements are 1) multiple panes of e-low glass and 2) a weather-stripping magnetic strip.

Low-E and Low-E2 glass

Pay attention to the glass element of entry doors. Do not chose a door with a single pane of common glass. Prefer a door with a double or triple pane of good insulating glass. Low-E coating glass (in colder climates) and Low E2 glass (in hot climates) are the most common types of glass for boosting the energy efficiency of glazed doors.

Weather Stripping & Magnetic Strip

Exterior doors should include a magnetic strip - a weather-stripping device, basically similar to a refrigerator door magnetic seal. A good door, well insulated, with a magnetic strip doesn't need additional weather-stripping.

Just check regularly the foam caulking and the seals around the door to see if there is any need of replacement or additional weather-stripping.

Door Installation

Doors should be professionally installed. They should be sealed tightly to the jamb. Foam caulking should seal the door frame to the threshold and the rough opening. Air should not get around the door seals and into the house.

Warranties

Buy from a manufacturer that stands behind its doors. Check warranties. Manufacturers as Pella's offer a 20/10 Limited Warranty for the entire unit, but most of the manufacturers' warranties only cover door panels.