We are going to replace our standard size entry doors on our ranch home. We do not live in an upscale neighborhood, so doors purchased locally (ie: Lowe's, Home Depot, Menards) will be just fine. Has anyone had experience, good or bad, with entry and storm doors purchased from the companies listed above. Anyone care to recommend a door? What should I look for when shopping for doors? Thanks for any input. Kathy C.

 

Steel doors are probably the least expensive, but steel dents and will rust if scratched, and/or not properly painted. Fiberglass would be my choice, but are about 1/3-1/2 more $$$. No dents, no warp, no rust, no---etc. As to brands, I like Therma-Tru, not carried by big box that I know of. Most big box brands are the bottom of the heap, but they do carry some fairly nice doors.

 

I think Lowes is carrying Therma-Tru....depending on your region. I like Jeld-Wen as well. They are all built (skin thickness, threshold design, etc) very similarly, but the quality of build varies. Never liked the Masonite/Stanley FG doors, seemed to have lots of flaws in the skins. Also, look for the frames that have the composite mat'l fingerjointed into the bottom 3-4 inches of the frame, if they're still out there. Not the ones with the small plastic "foot", all those do is hold water.

Check under the bottom of the threshold, some give you all these great features, then have wood support under the threshold. That makes lots of sense!!

Oh...storm doors...Well bout all you'll find is Andersen and Larson.....I like Andersen hardware better, but some of the Larson doors are better designed. Guess it depends on what style ya like.

 

I concur with the fiberglas entry doors. I installed one on my daughter's home in Denver and it is great. With their variance in heat, extreme cold, snow pack, sunshine, the door has performed well. No warpage, no leaking, etc. I, too, am a little partial to Jeld Wen, but we have a local store here in our sleepy town, so I can get quick estimates and quick delivery.

 

Speaking of painting the entry/exterior doors - our old doors are steel. One faces south and two face north in Michigan, and are 28 years old. Hopefully some improvements have been made in the last 28 years, especially regarding paint. The old doors were painted but we've had problems in the past with getting the paint to stick to the doors. It has either peeled off or has stuck to the weather strip even though we prepared the doors for painting and made sure the paint was dry before closing the door. Any tips on painting new steel or fiberglass doors? Thanks for any input. I appreciate the help. Kathy C.

 

Yep, it is metal, not wood, so painting it with paint made for wood is backing up. You should sand the door down, use a good auto primer and paint IMO. Remove the weatherstripping before you paint it and install it after it is dry. Automotive paint dries fairly quickly. Our paint gurus will chime in here shortly, but I had to get first blood on the paint thingy.

 

Dark colors will not last on a south facing steel door!!! If that is the case, use light colors. Otherwise, remove the old paint layers, sand, prime, and top coat.