How to buy an exterior door?

Buying an exterior door for your home is a big decision. The right entry door can improve curb appeal, security, and boost the value of your home.

But appearance isn't the only consideration when buying entry doors. Front doors need to be strong enough to withstand the elements and keep intruders at bay. But it also needs to reflect your personal style and complement the overall design of your home.

To help you make the right choice, we've put together this article on how to buy an exterior door featuring some key considerations that will help you make an informed decision.

Terms you should know before buying entry door

Before you go shopping for a new entry door, you'll want to know a few basic terms. Here are some of the more common ones:

• Pre-hung: A door that's attached to a frame and can be installed in an entryway without additional carpentry work. Pre-hung doors are easier to install than slab doors, and they come with hinges and a handle or knob set already attached.
• Slab Door: A door that's not attached to a frame at the factory. Homeowners get the door and must install it themselves, attaching hinges and fitting it into an existing frame. Slab doors are more difficult to install than pre-hung doors, but they're also easier to customize.
• Lite: Glass panes that are part of a door, usually made of tempered glass for safety reasons.
• Door Transom: A fixed window above a door or another window, usually with decorative glass or clear glass for added natural light inside the home.
• Divided Lite: Grilles or mullions that divide up a single pane of glass into multiple lites or panes to give the door a more traditional look.
• Grille: Grilles are decorative elements that can enhance and customize your entryway's appearance inside and out. These grilles are installed between two layers of glass to give the appearance of divided lights.
• Brickmould: Exterior casing around a pre-hung entry unit that covers the gap between the jamb and exterior siding/brick veneer (brick molding is used to give the appearance of real brick).
• Inswing: An in-swinging exterior door has hinges on the interior side of the door and thus opens inward.
• Outswing: An out-swinging exterior door has hinges on the exterior side of the door and thus opens outward.
• Left-hand or right-hand: When determining which hand your door should be, it's important to think about where your hinges and knob will be located. To determine which hand your door should be, stand on the exterior side of the entryway, facing inside. If the hinges and knob are on your left side, you need a left-hand door; if they're on the right side, it's a right-hand door.

Time to think about replacing a front door

Every homeowner gets to a point where they need to replace their front door. If you are thinking of how to buy a new front door and wondering if it is time for a replacement, here are a few signs to look out for that will help you decide.

• You can no longer lock or unlock your front door.
• Your front door has become damaged in some way.
• There's a draft coming from your front door.
• Moisture collects around the edges of the door
• The paint on your front door is peeling
• Unusual noises and sticking
• Outdated style
• You are having security concerns

Be sure to make use of an exterior door buying guide like this when thinking of replacing your door so that you don’t make a mistake and buy a product you will end up not liking.

Exterior door materials

When shopping for an exterior door, whether you are looking to buy white entry doors, or matte black entry way doors, or earthy brown, you can choose from a variety of options in terms of material, size and type.

The materials available on the market include:

• Wood. These doors are very stable and provide excellent insulation. They are also very easy to customize and come in many different styles and designs. However, they require regular maintenance to protect them from damage and rot.
• Fiberglass or steel. These are more durable than wood doors, but they don’t provide as much insulation. They also tend to be quite expensive, although they require little maintenance over time.
• Aluminum doors. These are the most affordable option and are relatively low-maintenance, but they don’t provide good insulation. Plus, they don’t look as good as other models do.

Your choice will largely depend on your personal preference and budget.

Steps in ordering an exterior door in United Porte

If you think your entry door is due for a change, you are in the right place. United Porte stocks a wide variety of exterior doors. We have also provided this guide for buying front doors to make it easy for you to buy what you want. 

To order an exterior door on United Porte:

• Go to the exterior doors category on our website;
• Choose the door you like out of the many options available;
• Select your preferred size and features;
• Click on the “add to cart” button;
• Proceed to checkout;
• Enter all the necessary details including your shipping information and payment information;
• Click “place your order”;
• Relax and wait for your door to be delivered to your doorstep. 

Hopefully, this guide for buying an exterior door has covered all you need to know about getting an exterior door that is a match for your home. Remember, when buying a front door you should look for a product that is aesthetically pleasing, secure, durable.