Need a new front door?
Make a grand entrance!
By Daina Feick
You mow the lawn, trim the hedges and tend to the garden. You may have put in a new walkway or redone the driveway. But if you want to bring your home's curb appeal to an all-new level, maybe it's time to make a grand entrance with a new front door.
While the choices were once quite limited, today's entrance doors recognize homeowners' increased interest in eye-pleasing options as well as durability, low-maintenance and energy efficiency.
Starting with style, one idea is to trade a solid door for one with glass panels – clear, frosted, etched, stained glass or with wrought iron detailing – or an entry system with a transom and/or sidelights, all of which will add character to the outside and natural light on the inside.
If space and budget permit, a double door entry system (which could also feature a transom and sidelights) can make a dramatic difference for many homes.
Current entrance doors also come in a wide variety of materials including traditional wood, fiberglass, composite (a combination of wood and fiberglass) and steel insulated doors.
Fiberglass doors, in particular, are growing in popularity. One reason is because they don't rot, warp, crack, split or twist as wood doors might do over time – although there are now new wood doors that resist the elements better than ever before.
Another reason is appearance: many fiberglass doors are stamped and embossed with a realistic grain pattern that matches real wood, often making it hard to distinguish between the two materials. At the same time, fiberglass doors offer energy efficiency, come in many stains (from traditional dark to red mahogany to light blondes) and are manufactured in a seemingly endless number of styles. They're also low maintenance.
For fans of colour doors, before choosing your hue, be sure to consider the tone of your home's brick, siding, soffits and decide if you want your door to make a bold statement or blend into its surroundings. For boldness, your best bet might be red or black while subtlety is often achieved with taupes, greens, creams and white.
Your new door's hardware also needs careful selection, not just from an aesthetic point of view but to ensure your home's security. Because decorative knobs and handles (available in a multitude of styles as well as finishes including brass, brushed nickel, wrought iron, copper and bronze tones) don't always offer the best lock systems, it's usually a good idea to incorporate a deadbolt into your exterior door system.
And while you're thinking ‘hardware', don't forget about exterior lighting such as coach lanterns by the front door with matching fixtures for the garage. Fixture sizes should always suit the space in which they're going and finishes should reflect the rest of the hardware.
Never before have homeowners had such an extensive selection of front door products and accessories. To learn more and truly make a grand entrance, visit a door and window specialist in your area. Be sure to ask about other options such as decorative grilles, multiple lock systems, tint and reflection glass, low E glass with argon-filled gas thermal units and retractable screens. | 
