An entrance door generally includes any exterior door such as the front door or back door. There are many reasons for homeowners to decide that's its time for a new exterior door, apart from it needing repair or re-painting. Reasons may include poor fitting, poor weather-stripping, unfashionable appearance, and poor state of repair. Regardless of why you are in the market for a new door, you should be happy to know that there are plenty of options to choose from.

In the past, there wasn't much to choose from when it came to front doors and entranceway doors. The selection was very limited. Back then, most front doors were made from wood because wood is durable and attractive. Unfortunately, wood also requires a great deal of maintenance to ensure longevity. However, even with the maintenance, wood remains one of the most eye-catching options today.

Options have increased over the years with regards to entrance doors. The manufacturers that provide entrance doors recognize the consumer interest in having several attractive, energy efficient door options. The competition in this area continues to grow and with this competition comes even more improved designs to choose from. Metal, wood and fiberglass are the most common materials that entrance doors are now being made from.

Fiberglass doors, in particular, are one of the most energy efficient door options. With a polyurethane foam core, the insulation value of a fiberglass door can rise to that of five times that of wood. Fiberglass exterior doors reflect the beauty of wood while also being extremely energy efficient and easy to maintain in any climate; hot or cold. The color and grained finish are molded into the door so scratches are not very noticeable. Basically, fiberglass offers practicality and low maintenance as well as providing an aesthetically pleasing door.

Bottom line, exterior doors are important aspects of a home. They are usually decorative and wood is the most popular material although steel and fiberglass also have a lot to offer as well. Wood has its disadvantages in that it can warp overtime, its finishes deteriorate rapidly when exposed to weather, and it is not a good thermal insulator. However, most of these problems can be solved with the proper sealing and routine maintenance. If you are not interested in having to constantly maintain your door, consider fiberglass or steel as an alternative entry door option.