Doors

Doors often make the biggest impression when it comes to the outdoor and indoor aesthetics of your home. Choosing the right door material and design not only affects the curb appeal of your home but also the efficiency and interior design as well. That is why we at Aluma Glass provide a wide range of options, both in design and construction, to ensure we have the right door to match your needs and budget.

Finding the “Handing” (Swing)

At the top of the priority list of, but least thought about option is which way your door will open and swing. While we don’t think much of it on doors which are already installed, it is something to be decided when choosing a new door, for several reasons.

Determine the door set

If the hinges to your door are on the left-hand side of your door frame, you have what is called a left-handed door set. Vice versa, if the hinges are on the right-hand side of your frame, it is called a right-handed door set.

Determine the “outside” of the door

When picking an exterior door, it’s easy to determine which side is the outside of the door; on an interior door, though, that determination isn’t as simple. For example, if you are standing in a hallway of your house looking into the bedroom, you are on the “outside” of that room. The same goes for if you are standing in your bedroom and looking into an attached bathroom. The reason this is important is to determine if your new door needs to have an inswing or outswing. The best way to determine which swing works best is to experiment in each room. Stand inside the room facing the opening where the door will be installed and determine if an inswing or outswing will work best for the room.

Material Type Breakdown

Whether you’re selecting a new entryway door for your home or upgrading interior doors, the construction material you choose will play a major role in design and efficiency. At Aluma Glass, we work with the best manufacturers in the market to ensure we have the right build style and material for your new doors.

Fiberglass

Fiberglass is quickly becoming the most popular material for door construction due to its cost and durability. In addition, fiberglass doors:

Can be made to look like wood, though it won’t rot or ward like wood or rust like steel.
Excellent energy efficiency, considering most fiberglass doors are filled with a heat and cold-resistant material designed to help you beat the heat of the summer and cold of the winter.
Come with long-term warranties, seeing as fiberglass doors are made to last.

In addition, the manufacturing process of fiberglass allows these doors to take on any shape or color you might need, making the custom options nearly limitless.

Wood

Wood doors will likely always be the most popular on the market simply due to their ageless beauty. When maintained properly, wood doors will last from generation to generation. Some other benefits of wood doors are:

Wood doors are dent resistant, unlike steel and aluminum doors.
Can easily be changed as your home’s style changes. Wood doors can be painted and repainted easily, meaning as your home adapts to different styles, your doors can remain.

Some, though, shy away from wood doors simply because they do require more maintenance than other materials. As paint or stain fades, wood doors will need to be refinished. Also, solid wood doors aren’t as energy efficient as other materials, such as fiberglass, and do tend to be considerably more expensive.

Steel

When it comes to durability and security, there’s no better material for your door than steel. Our steel doors are designed to be stronger and maintain their profile better than wood and fiberglass. Steel doors:

Aren’t likely to suffer from cracks or warping, meaning they hold up in any condition.
Offers the best of energy efficiency, making your investment in a new door work in favor of you in the long run.
Easily repairable should there be a dent occur, diminishing the likelihood of a complete replacement ever to be needed.

Steel doors are perfect for those needing to stay under a lower budget while not compromising on style and performance.

Finding the Right Hardware

When purchasing a new door, the hardware is just as important to the design of your door as material and color. If you have the wrong hardware, not only will the functionality of your door be compromised, but the style will be altered as well.

Find your style

A doorknob is not just a doorknob. And, while the style of the door might be noticeable if the hardware is scratched, dented, or doesn’t match the style of the rest of your home, the hardware sticks out like a sore thumb. You want to find hardware that not only matches the style of your door but takes your home’s architecture and your taste into consideration. That’s where our professionals can help.

We can help you not only match the style but also weigh the pros and cons of different hardware styles, such as comparing doorknobs with levers. Some homes need levers, such as those with disabled occupants, while other homes need doorknobs to prevent a pet from opening the door accidentally.

Decide which functions your door needs

While the function of exterior doors is obvious, interior doors can play different roles. You have three essential functions to look for: Bed and Bath, Closet, and Inactive.

Bed and bath doors are considered to be privacy doors. They often have a push-button lock which can be disengaged by turning the inside knob.
Closet doors often latch without a locking mechanism, as privacy is not a common need in closets.
Inactive hardware is essentially decorative hardware, such as the hardware on French doors, where latching or locking is not needed.

Whether choosing a new interior or exterior door, the choice is often difficult. Contact us at Aluma Glass today and let our team of door professionals help make the right choices for your style and budget.