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Front Door Replacement Decisions
Interestingly enough, front door replacement is the fastest, best and easiest way to automatically increase the value of your home. However, choosing the right type and material is key in this fast equity fix.
For your home, the front door is it’s face. Maybe even it’s smile, more specifically. It is one of the first things that you or your guests will notice when driving up to you house. That’s why choosing the perfect front door replacement is so important to the curb appeal of your house! Not only that, but it must be able to withstand rain, snow, sleet, hail and scorching sun. It may seem like an easy feat, but for many front doors, it’s too much to ask. In this article, we will go over your front door replacement options and what the pros and cons might be for each style and material – typically fiberglass, steel, and wood. Most combine several materials; for example, many fiberglass and steel doors have wood frames. But it’s the surface material that most affects appearance, durability, security, and price.
Front Door Replacement Materials:
Steel doors are probably the most popular options for front door replacement, for several reasons. The first is that they are the least expensive. However, premium models can cost nearly as much as a solid wood door. Steel doors are durable, more secure than wood, and will never warp, twist or crack. They hold up well in the elements. Generally, the interior features a steel or wooden inner frame filled with insulating foam, resulting in a door that provides as much as five times the R-value of an ordinary wood door. However, for all their durability, steel doors are vulnerable to dents, and if the painted skin is breached by a scratch or severe dent, it can rust. It’s also not a good idea to combine a steel door with a storm door; heat build-up between the doors can cause the surface to peel.
Wood doors are the most common option in front door replacement. Versatility and beauty are where this material really shines. There are hundreds of varieties of natural-finish stock and custom wood doors, which come in oak, cherry, walnut, mahogany, maple, fir, and pine. You’ll also find paint-grade doors in several softwood varieties, such as pine and western hemlock. Many stock wood doors are a sandwich of wood-veneer skins over an engineered-wood core. This configuration minimizes the expansion and contraction that cause warping. At about $200 or so to start, they’re a low-cost alternative to solid-wood doors. Look for tough, furniture-grade veneers at least 1/16 inch thick; anything thinner damages too easily.When shopping for prefinished wood doors, look for durable stains and clear finishes, such as polyurethane. High-gloss sheen offer the best protection for painted doors. Whichever finish you choose, apply it to the top and bottom edges. This helps prevent a wood door from absorbing moisture and swelling. Also look for careful detailing. As a rule, the more intricate the carvings and moldings, and the thicker and wider the stiles and rails, the better the door. The same goes for panel thickness. At Builders Surplus, we have a HUGE selection of solid wood doors that can be pre-hung for you.
Aluminum doors are relatively new to the market and share many of the same advantages as aluminum siding, like a baked-on enamel finish that never needs repainting and won’t rust. There are literally dozens of styles and colors available, including wood finishes. You can also combine an aluminum door with a storm door without fear of the hazards of heat build-up. The main drawback of this type of front door replacement is that, like steel, aluminum can dent, and since they are usually built to order, aluminum doors are more expensive than steel.
Fiberglass doors are much more resistant to damage than steel or aluminum and can be made to mimic genuine wood. However, they come free of the drawbacks. These doors can be painted or stained any way you choose; in fact, they should be repainted every five years or so, making them slightly higher-maintenance than steel. Beneath their molded surface is a framework of wooden stiles and rails, including wood edges for the lock set. Voids in the framework are filled with polyurethane-foam insulation. Fiberglass-composite doors carry long warranties and are smart choices for humid climates.
As far as styles are concerned, there are hundreds to choose from, but the main variations will be in windows or engravings. You can find rectangular doors, arched rounded doors, single or double doors. Obviously, the more light that you would like, the
more windows you should choose, but too many windows can be somewhat of a privacy issue. You can find window panels to go on each side of your door that offer a nice alternative. You can also find a door that has a separate top and bottom piece. This acts almost as a window. You can have the bottom closed and the top open for some fresh air!At Builders Surplus in Louisville or Newport, our front door replacement options are endless! We offer virtually every style and material that you could be looking for. Our selection is far to large to put on the website, so come on in and take look around! Our sales associates will be happy to answer any questions that you might have.
Don’t be afraid to get a little quirky when it comes to your front door, either. Want to make it a crazy-cool color? Do it. Want to splash some sort of design on it? Go ahead. I encourage you to make it your own and let it standout. Because, honestly, it’s going to anyway.
Another thing I kinda like about windows is that they’re two sides of the same coin. We talked about the importance of curb appeal before, and windows sort of add to that enhanced focus, but they’re also very endearing on the inside, as well. 
Having a yard that’s pleasing to the eye is going to get you those seriously-this-just-went-on-the-market kind of offers, and who doesn’t want to be in that driver’s seat, no pun intended. Just don’t make it TOO busy, you know what I mean. Keep it nice. Keep it neat. Keep it complete.
I hope these five things gave you a bit of insight and, hopefully, some inspiration to make some renovations to increase home value. Change isn’t all bad, people! Remember that, and keep on enjoying this weather! Hope to see y’all in here soon, but until then be safe and stay blessed!
If you’re looking to sell your home, odds are you’re already feeling a bit overwhelmed. Figures roll around your head, you start to look at your home a little more closely, needing to repair this, needing to repair that. In all, putting your house on your market can (and should) give you a bit of perspective. I am, of course, referencing the flip-the-script mentality, a buyer’s perspective. It can be difficult using empathy and tying up the laces of someone else’s shoes, but all in all, you need not worry. Here are some design choices to make sure you sell your home as quick as possible and for more money. Check it out.
Among the many areas in a household, an elegant bathroom can absolutely sway an opinion. Let’s break into that buyer’s perspective and use a bit of imagination. You’re touring a gorgeous home with a beautiful kitchen, elegant flooring, unique designs, nice color detail, and then you get to the bathroom, and that happy expression slides off your face instantly. Unappealing bathrooms makes a house less attractive because a buyer has to weigh in the cost and time of a remodel. Instantly. And they haven’t even closed on the house yet. It’s just one of those things. 
And if you’re looking for a company to meet those kind of demands, look no further but to Andersen doors. We carry them here at Builders Surplus, and trust us, they provide the best products – hands down. If that doesn’t suit your fancy, and you’d like to go with something a little more elaborate, we have some really outstanding French patio doors and an absolutely stunning iron door for an excellent price! See for yourself 
Something as simple as changing your kitchen cabinet hardware can make the style more relevant and intriguing. Another is switching your cabinets to improve design. Here at Builders Surplus, we have these simple design choices readily available. We carry awesome cabinet hardware from well-known brands like Top Knobs, Jeffrey Alexander, and Amerock! Looking for cabinets? Once again, nothing but the top (and affordable) lines at Builders Surplus. 
