home remodeling and doors

Doors aren’t as important as windows in terms of energy-efficiency, but in a remodeling they should be considered carefully. Renovations are a crucial moment to make things better in terms of energy-efficiency...

Namely, consider carefully your entry, patio, garage or even your interior doors. Consider their location, their efficiency and the air leaks that may be associated with them.

Also do not forget that a poor location of the interior doors can diminish the efficiency of cross ventilation – an important cooling element in hot climates, or a feature to take into account in zone heating and zone cooling.

Professionally installed doors

Energy Star entry doors are a warranty of quality, and should be considered. To get the most out of an exterior door, have it installed professionally.

Pay attention to…

In a remodeling project pay special attention to…

1 – Patio, glass and garden doors (glazed doors and doors with large glass surfaces can be very energy-inefficient and a cause of large energy loss).
See: Patio & Glass & Garden doors.

2 – Entry doors and their materials. The most efficient exterior doors are made of fiberglass, wood cladding, and steel with polyurethane foam or other insulation layer (solid wood doors aren’t truly efficient). Consider Energy Star rated doors. See: Exterior doors

3 – Garage doors, namely in attached garages. See: Garage doors basics

Storm Doors

Storm doors may reduce air leakage and save energy when applied to old-inefficient doors. It’s a low-cost solution, often considered when the replacing of old doors are too expensive.

See: Storm doors

Weatherstripping

In a remodeling, pay attention to the gaps in the edges of the doors. They should be properly sealed to reduce drafts and air conditioning and heating bills.

Energy-efficient doors are well insulated and tightly sealed, and should have door sweeps at their bottom (to prevent air leaks).

See, for details: Storm doors and Exterior doors

Glass and doors

When remodeling, pay attention to the glass elements of your exterior and garden and patio doors. They are always a potentially weak point. Bet on double or triple-paned and low-emittance (low-E) glasses.

See, for details: Low-E glasses