When replacing your point of entry, a wood front door offers style as well as function. Though steel and fiberglass are currently the most popular materials for doors, wood remains the classic material if you want an elegant door. Wood front doors start at under $200 plus installation at big-box stores, but can go into the thousands. What adds to the cost of these doors?
Door cost is influenced by the material, the construction technique, the trim (such as raised panels), the presence of glass, the hardware, the installation, and even the warranty. For most people, the door is more than a way to get in and out of the house, so unless you want a very basic door that you install yourself, that $200 figure is not very realistic. Before you go door shopping, you should think carefully about what qualities you want in your door so you can have a realistic idea of cost.
Characteristics of Wood Front Doors
Available in pine and hardwoods of all types, wood doors are often sold prefinished with durable stains and clear finishes. The most weather resistant doors have high-gloss sheens and are finished on the top and bottom to prevent absorbing moisture and swelling. To keep a wooden door in good condition, you need to repaint or refinish it every couple of years. Despite the maintenance requirements, many of the most high-end doors are made of wood. You should choose a wooden door in a style that matches the architecture of your home, in a material and quality that matches your budget.
Wooden doors often use frame and panel or rail and stile construction, where the panel is the center of the door and is surrounded by rails on the top and bottom and by vertical stiles on each side. While some very expensive doors are made of solid pieces of wood, many high-quality doors are engineered for energy efficiency by insulating the panel with an insulation value as high as R-5 and laminating the rail and stile to make the door better fitting and more resistant to warping.
To add style and allow light to flow into the home, many wooden doors have windows incorporated into the main door, or have transoms above or sidelights on either side of the door. Glass can add substantially to the price of the door, especially if it is decorative.
Realistic Costs for a Wood Front Door
A replacement door system that includes a pre-hung door with frame, hinges, locksets, sidelights and weatherstripping can be a more than $4,000 for the best quality. According to HomeAdvisor, an online site where consumers can find home repair professionals, the average cost of installing a door without glasses is nearly $1000, while Angie’s List estimates nearly double that for a basic door, with hundreds to thousands more for glass panels or sidelights.
If you are interested in replacing your wood front door with a new wood, steel or fiberglass door, call Rocky Mountain Windows & Doors for a free in-home consultation and estimate for an expertly designed and installed wood front door.