The front door of your home marks a border from the outside world into a space that’s your own. It’s a passage for yourself and a symbol to visitors. It’s practical- allowing residents and guests to enter but keeping out unwelcome strangers. But it also is a statement about taste and style; in many ways, it’s the center of what’s seen from outside.
Odds are, you won’t often be changing your front door. But the time may come when you want to make an upgrade. Here are just a few reasons you’d want to consider it!
Curb Appeal
A new front door can make your house look so much better from the outside! An aesthetic upgrade to your entry is a good way to make yourself and your family feel better about coming home.
But it also makes the house more attractive to passersby – and to potential buyers, if you ever decide to sell. Curb appeal is a huge factor in getting a great price for your property, and something as simple as a new door can make a huge difference.
Energy Efficiency
A new door may make your home look better from outside, but it can also make it feel better inside.
Older doors tended to let air pass in or out of your home more easily. That means your heat or air conditioning could easily escape.
Newer doors and frames have a tighter seal. That keeps the inside of your home closer to the temperature you want while losing less energy. So you’ll feel better and spend less money at the same time!
Security
As much as you want your heating and cooling to stay inside your home, you also want to keep uninvited guests out. A door should only be a welcome entrance for those you want in your home!
A new door can be sturdier and more secure than your old one. That includes the lock, of course. But the material and design of a modern door can also make it tougher to force open.
Don’t forget to incorporate your landscaping into your home’s security plan, too!
Durability
Doors are designed to be sturdy, but that doesn’t mean they’ll last forever.
After years of use and exposure to the elements, a door can start to show signs of wear. There may be splintering or fading. Some may even warp.
Again, newer materials stand up better than older ones. You can still go for a traditional look and design. But the materials used will help the door hold up longer than older doors from even just a couple of decades ago.
Technology
Surprised this is on our list? Most people are! But a lot of technology can affect how you enter your home.
Much of this does overlap with security, but it can also be an issue of convenience. For instance, keypad locks mean you never have to worry about forgetting your keys again!
Cameras and intercoms let you see who’s at the door. There are even motion-activated cameras that can record whenever a package is delivered or someone comes close to the entrance.
Ring Peephole Camera
Ease of Access
There are moments in life that present new and difficult challenges. Some of them affect our ability to move around as easily as we’d like.
Being confined to a wheelchair – even temporarily – makes life incredibly difficult. Many older door frames aren’t wide enough to accommodate them.
This usually becomes a bigger job than just changing the door; the whole frame has to be widened. But it’s worthwhile to be able to enter and exit the house comfortably.
Of course, larger doorways also make it easier to move items in and out.
Modern building codes usually require that doors be wide enough to accommodate a standard wheelchair. But in older homes, they might be a tiny bit too narrow.
Conclusion
The front door of your home expresses a lot about you. It sets the tone for both welcome guests and those with less-welcome motives. And sometimes an upgrade can work wonders by making your home more beautiful, safer, and more energy-efficient. Sure, it’s not something you will have to change every year, but a time always comes to make a change, and there can be a lot of reasons for changing the door!
