The front door of your home might not seem like a major feature of the house, but upgrading can have a significant impact because it’s not just the appearance that changes when the front door is changed. There are a variety of reasons replacing the front door may bring value to a home.

Here are a few of the benefits you may experience after replacing a front door on your home. You may decide that upgrading your front door – and the other exterior doors of your home – will be the next home remodeling project you plan.

Replacing the Front Door May Save Energy

Your front door might be no bigger than around four feet wide by seven feet tall, but it can allow a fair amount of air to pass through it in the summer and winter. A drafty door can let the cool, air conditioned air escape your home in the summer and allow the frigid air of the winter infiltrate your home.

Each of these circumstances can lead to higher electricity and heating oil costs because your air conditioner and heater must work harder to stabilize the temperature in your home. If your door isn’t old enough to replace, or you like the door that currently hangs on the front of your home, you may be able to have the seal of the door replaced.

An article from Deseret News explains why your front door (and the windows) can increase your energy costs:

“Doors and windows are basically large holes cut in the thermal envelope of your house. Even under the best of conditions, the R-value (the measure of the thermal resistance of a material or assembly) of doors and windows is significantly less than that of the wall in which they sit. Without the proper unit or correct installation, air and heat may be leaking out, driving up your energy bill.”

When replacing the front door on your home, you may choose from many different materials like wood, steel, and fiberglass, as well as various compositions of glass, such as insulated glass. More glass on the door usually means an increase in the value of an insulated door.

Boost Your Home’s Security by Replacing the Front Door

If you have old exterior doors, there’s a good chance they’re made of wood. While wood is a sturdy and beautiful material that can be maintained for many decades, you also have the choice of steel or fiberglass. Additionally, some doors are manufactured with more than one materials, so you may see a door made of fiberglass that features a wooden frame.

According to This Old House, your front door material can have a pretty big impact on your home:

“Perhaps the most important decision is what your door is made of. 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.”

A boost to your home’s security is one of the best benefits of having a steel door installed, but you don’t have to worry that a steel door – or a fiberglass door for that matter – will look artificial when installed. Today’s manufacturers have created safe, modern doors that provide exceptional security while also looking like a classic wooden door.

You don’t have to give up the look of wood to enjoy the security of a brand new door.

A New Door Isn’t Air-Tight, But It Can Come Close

A new door is an excellent and cost-effective method for increasing the energy efficiency of your home; however, a new door might be just one part of an overall remodeling plan designed to make your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

The government’s Department of Energy offers a simple explanation regarding your new door’s air-tight design.

“It’s impossible to stop all the air leakage around the weatherstripping on a sliding glass door and still be able to use the door. Also, after years of use the weatherstripping wears down, so air leakage increases as the door ages. If the manufacturer has made it possible to do so, you can replace worn weatherstripping on sliding glass doors.”

In addition to examining the weatherstripping and replacing the front door on your home, you may also want to take a look at the windows around your home, as well as the other exterior doors of your home. Don’t forget to take a look at the door that leads from your garage into the house. You might find that door is a drafty beast that needs replacement!

Get a Professionally Installed New Front Door

Is your home due for an exterior upgrade? Want to learn more about new door options and replacing the front door of your home? Contact O’Sullivan Installs for a FREE Consultation and download our free guide: “Seven Questions to Ask When Hiring an Exterior Remodeling Contractor in Massachusetts” for valuable guidance on your home improvement project.