Choosing the Right Door for Your Home

by Vitrocsa john Webmaster

Picking the perfect door for your home might seem simple enough until it actually comes down to doing it! It’s not an activity most of us are familiar with or do on a regular basis. This lack of familiarity with the process, offerings and overall impact of your choice makes choosing the right door for your home a much more difficult task than many would expect.

Consider that doors not only serve as an entrance and exit to a room or home, but also can control the natural light that a room is exposed to, determine what if any view there is going to be from inside and outside a room and also can determine, add, or subtract to the style of a house.

In addition, energy efficiency needs to be taken into account, especially when considering doors that lead to the outside.

Creating a Focal Point

The main difference between doors comes down to whether it’s going to be an interior door or an exterior one. Interior doors only exist in rooms that lead to another room within the house, while exterior doors are ones that lead to outside.

There is a lot to consider when choosing interior doors in terms of privacy and also space. Cavity sliding doors are always a great option for bedrooms, dens, kitchens and even bathrooms; whereas standard hinge doors often take away from what floor space can be effectively used.

Cavity doors (which slide into the wall as opposed to swinging in or out) come in many different materials, including glass or solid wood the latter of which preserves privacy for bedrooms and bathrooms. The glass options are incredible for rooms that you might want to feel a bit more open, or as exterior doors that allow the sun into your home!

Keeping Your Home Energy Efficient

If you do decide to choose cavity sliding glass doors for your home, it is always important to make sure to think about your energy efficiency. Exterior sliding glass doors need to be able to keep the cold out in the winter and the heat out in the summer, which means certain materials are going to be better than others.

Making a decision about glass doors can be very overwhelming because there are so many different types as well as dozens of glazing options to achieve project-specific objectives (such as keeping sunlight out).

Energy Star glass products are generally seen as a great “go-to” option, but as they are only quality products based on how much non-solar heat flow the glass allows, it may not suit your needs. The NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council) rates doors based on the glass, frame and spacers, making them a much better reference when choosing energy efficient glass.

So, when it comes round to choosing new doors for your home, remember the points above and you’re sure to end up with a door you’ll love.