Your Front Door Can Do More

Your front door is the gateway to your home, and the introduction to the style you will find once you walk inside. Your door welcomes people to your property and your personality. It has a big job! Therefore, selecting the right entry door for your home is a big decision.

The emphasis on curb appeal has become increasingly important and represents the pride of homeownership. The curb appeal of your home depends greatly on your door. It acts as the focal point, showing the world your style and welcoming it in. Inspired by home renovation television shows, homeowners are taking design into their own hands and letting their inspiration guide them.

Your front door not only impacts the exterior of your home. It can also help revive the look of your interior entry.  Your entry door can increase light and add to the aesthetics on the inside of the home. It also has a significant role to play in the energy efficiency of your home.

With so much potential hinging on your entry door, JELD-WEN offers an innovative range of entry doors to help show off your style.

Enter, the power of entry door selection.

The first thing visitors to your home see is your door. You are setting the stage for style as you welcome your guests. It requires care and consideration when choosing what door best suits your home. The first thing you need to decide is what configuration you’re looking for. Do you want side lites or a transom window? Are you looking at a double or single door? The answer to those questions will help you narrow down the selection process. Next, you’ll choose the style of door. What style of home do you have? Where do you want to go with that style? These decisions will help you select the style of door and help guide the finish of that door, whether you’re looking for a wood look or a more modern feel.

Finally, you need to decide how much light and privacy you want out of your front door. Renovators today want a lot of light in and a good view of the outside, while home builders and contractors still often gravitate to solid doors. Solid doors will provide the greatest amount of security and efficiency but will not give the light so many people seek.

are less efficient but are still a strong trend, with tri-pane glass doors growing in popularity in recent years. If you have the choice to let in some light, the trend in glass doors ensures we keep a wide selection from which you can choose, to meet both your style goals and your budget.

If you’ve ever approached a home with a tall entry door, chances are you noticed it and felt the grandeur of entering the house through an oversize door. The trend in tall doors continues to grow, enough that you are likely seeing more of them, but not enough that you can buy one at the big box stores. They remain a custom option but, that doesn’t mean a luxury price tag. In fact, the price difference between custom tall doors and a standard 6-foot door is less than $150 – not a grand price for a grand entry.

Doors come in a variety of materials – steel, wood, and in more recent decades, fiberglass. While steel remains the most popular material for exterior doors - for their efficiency, cost, and durability – fiberglass, which hit the markets in the 1980s, has slowly but steadily gained popularity. Today, fiberglass doors are outpacing wood doors to become the second most popular door choice for renovators and home builders alike.

Unlike steel, the most popular choice on the market, fiberglass can be molded. Lines are crisper and include added detail that you cannot accomplish with steel. These doors provide more richness and detail, which works well with a smooth, modern look. Because of their versatility, we are seeing the greatest growth in the shift towards fiberglass door styles on the market.

The benefits of fiberglass doors are numerous. fiberglass entry doors can duplicate the texture and woodgrain, giving the look and feel of a wood door, but with more durability far less maintenance.  Unlike wood doors, fiberglass doors can easily withstand the vast flux in the Canadian temperatures and won’t crack, meaning they maintain their beauty and efficiency for significantly longer than a wood counterpart.

You’ll still find wood entry doors as the preference in pricey markets like Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. Outside those markets, however, mid-century modern-inspired doors are found coast-to-coast, and those are increasingly fiberglass. Ultimately, these doors are more efficient than wood, offering stronger insulation and protection against the outside elements. Fiberglass doors limit air leaks and reduced heat transfer compared to wood doors. Given the volatility and complexity of the Canadian climate, fiberglass doors offer the best choice for immediate benefits and long-term value. Not only do they hold up against the elements, but the strength of fiberglass also protects against scratches and dents, so they hold up against whatever you and your family throw at it, literally!

No matter what entryway door you select, add your personal touch with your colour selection. The shade you choose can complement or contrast your home. Black is still the most popular door colour, by far, but this year, you’ll be seeing a lot more slate grey and green adorning front porches. Slate offers a similar feel to black but is less stark and more subtle, offering a slightly more relaxed feel. Being fun and adventurous with door colour isn’t something you see much of in big cities. But head out to farms in Alberta and you’ll see plenty of green and yellow doors. Walk down through neighborhoods in St. John’s, Newfoundland and you’ll see a rainbow of colours. No matter where you live in the country, if you’re at all concerned about resale, black and charcoal grey doors will increase the value of your home by more than $6,000. Keep it simple if you’re looking to sell.

Whether you go traditional or modern, transom or side lite, single, or double door, black or yellow, you are invited to change how you welcome yourself and your guests by swapping out your entryway door. Updating your door gives you the opportunity to make a small change that will have a big impact.

will help make a house a home by integrating style, quality, selection and energy efficiency.