The doors of a property serve a functional and aesthetic purpose, securing points of access and keeping inclement weather and uncomfortable temperatures outdoors. Today’s modern homeowners may elect to install a fiberglass door for the main entrance of their home and other prominent entry points of a property. Discover why and how a fiberglass door is beneficial and an intelligent addition to a home compared to other construction materials.
What Is Fiberglass?
Many homeowners may be familiar with wood, metal, and plastics, but what about fiberglass? Fiberglass is a durable composite material composed of reinforced plastic threads that use silica-based glass and a resin hardener.
Because of the unique composition of fiberglass, it is a popular, non-corrosive, insulating material. Fiberglass is a common material for boats, cars, aircraft, pipes, and roofing. What’s more, fiberglass is incredibly lightweight yet strong, withstanding exposure to the elements.
Why Choose a Fiberglass Door?
Many traditional and vintage homes have wooden or metal doors. However, modern homes often have a fiberglass door. Check out the many reasons fiberglass is beneficial and offers superior performance compared to other construction materials for exterior doors.
- A good option for households with kids or pets
- Fiberglass is ideal for properties on the coast, weathering the elements like a champ
- Fiberglass offers a stable medium for a door, and it doesn’t warp, chip, or degrade easily
- When adding a stain similar to wood, it lasts longer and doesn’t require as much maintenance
If this isn’t enough to prove that homeowners can benefit from installing a fiberglass door for the front door or an exterior door, there are other points to explore. Fibreglass shows little to no shrinkage or warping compared to wood or metal doors. Also, the structure of fiberglass ensures tensile strength.
Enhance Your Home With a Fiberglass Door
Fiberglass doors are usually not ideal for interior spaces. Still, they are a preferred choice for homeowners that need an elegant solution for a front entry door or an exterior door at the side or back of a property. A garage, shed, or granny flat may also benefit from having an attractive, sturdy fiberglass door that will last a decade or longer.
Durability
Traditional building materials for doors like lightweight vinyl, composite wood or plastic, hardwoods, and metals are subject to developing damage over the years. When there are kids, pets, or unforeseen accidents, it’s easy for entry doors to end up with unsightly scratches, ding, dents, and even rust.
With a fiberglass door, it’s very difficult for this type of exterior door to develop any visible damage. The strength of fiberglass makes it resistant to warping, corrosion, fading, swelling, cracking, or rotting. Even under intense physical impact, fiberglass doors stay strong.
Worth the Cost
Okay, so fibreglass is pretty expensive upfront compared to vinyl, steel, or wood doors for a home’s entry or exterior entry points. However, the upfront cost pays off in the long run. Fiberglass doors have a higher R-value and insulate a home very well, which improves a property’s energy efficiency because they reduce heat transfer and energy loss.
So this leads to lower energy bills and reduced strain on HVAC systems compared to homes with a wood or metal door. Also, with proper maintenance, a fiberglass door should last 15 to 20 years before replacing it. Retailers of fiberglass doors typically include a generous warranty to back up their product’s durability.
Versatile Style Options
Imagine the look of finished wood doors without all the maintenance. Believe it or not, many fiberglass doors come in a wide range of styles and finishes to ensure a home has curb appeal and looks classy. Choose from fiberglass doors for the front door that looks so much like wood; it’s hard to tell the difference except under close inspection.
The only caveat is that fiberglass doors are only available in standard sizes. Homeowners can enjoy a durable door that looks refined without struggling to keep up its appearance or worry about fading, warping, cracking, or scratches ruining the finish.
Weather Ready
Forget about installing a storm door when a home has a fiberglass door. The nature and construction of fiberglass make it tough when put up against the heat and UV rays of the sun, strong winds, heavy storms, or flying debris that threatens to fade, warp, ding, dent, or scratch wood or vinyl doors.
Low Maintenance
There’s no need to stress about constantly repainting or restaining an outside door that is fiberglass. Compared to wood or vinyl, fiberglass retains its original appearance over the years without requiring a touch-up often.
This is often thanks to getting an acrylic or polyurethane finish. To keep fiberglass doors looking their best, consider using a gentle lint-free cloth or sponge, wipe down the door with vinegar or water, and spray clean with a hose.
Improve Security
Enjoy peace of mind as a homeowner when the front door and other exterior doors are fiberglass. The material strength and expert installation ensure that this type of door holds fast to the frame. Plus, fiberglass is highly resistant to impact, making it very difficult to break down and gain entry.
And compared to wood or vinyl, because fiberglass isn’t likely to rot, warp, bend, or break easily, it is no easy task to attempt to kick it in. A lightweight, sturdy fiberglass door is the second best choice versus installing a heavy steel door for security.
Are There Any Drawbacks with Fiberglass?
Overall, there are more benefits than cons to installing a fiberglass door. The only downsides for homeowners are a lack of fiberglass doors at a non-standard size. Remember that fiberglass is an incredibly strong material, so it is difficult to trim to a custom size.
Also, the average cost of a fiberglass door is a bit more expensive than other materials like wood or metal. And last, it is best to hire a certified professional to install a fiberglass door rather than attempt a DIY installation. This is to ensure the door’s performance, security, and longevity.
Choose a Fiberglass Door Today
Investing in a weather-resistant, secure fiberglass door for entryways and exteriors is a smart move for homeowners. Fiberglass is tough enough to handle exposure to the elements, fluctuating temperatures, and requires less maintenance than wood or vinyl. Discover more fantastic solutions for residential and commercial properties at American Window Products.