What are the Benefits of Fiberglass Doors?

Steel and fiberglass entry doors have overcome their cheap image and now compete as equals with traditional wood doors. Early fiberglass doors looked more like fiberglass boats or bathtubs than real wood doors. But all of that has changed in recent years.

Traditional wood doors are usually constructed by making a wood framework and assembling it around beveled wood panels that are slid into the frame during manufacture. Because these panels expand and contract with heat and moisture, they are designed to “float” inside the framework. This means that there are joints all over the door that are potential points of water and air intrusion. Compounding the problem is that most Douglas Fir doors are manufactured using very thin veneers as the top visible layer on the doors. This is ok if the door is not exposed to the elements but if it gets sun and especially rain those joints will start failing and the veneers will start peeling in a very short time.

Not too surprisingly, the biggest advantage of modern fiberglass entry doors is they offer the look of real wood with none of the disadvantages. You can actually get a fiberglass door that can be stained to look exactly like a wood door. You pay more for this wood look but you save as much as half of the cost of a real oak or mahogany entry door.

Fiberglass doors will never warp or rot in humid climates or cold conditions. Wood doors are almost constantly in need of refinishing and protection from the elements. Fiberglass entry doors need almost no maintenance, even less maintenance than steel doors. There are no joints or veneers – the skins are made from a liquid fiberglass product that is poured into a mold. Those vertical Fiberglass Six Panel Door lines that you see on each side are an aesthetic addition to give the painters a stopping point when they brush in different directions. The tops and bottoms and even the sidepieces of many of these fiberglass doors are made of a non-rotting composite material that will outperform wood for many years.

Fiberglass doors usually offer more cold weather advantages. They have a very dense industrial foam filling inside them that slows heat and cold transfer. When properly installed, they will help keep your house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.