ometimes, all you need to do to give your home’s exterior a fresh new look is to update and upgrade your front door. Instead of spending a lot replacing your siding, railing, or other house exterior parts, replacing your front door is an inexpensive and efficient way of updating your house almost immediately both from the outside and the inside. This means it could not only upgrade your house’s facade, but it could also enhance your entrance hall’s look.
You might be thinking — the front door is such a small part of the whole exterior, how can it possibly change my home’s look? While it is indeed a small part of the exterior, replacing your front door can give off a whole new impression to your guests. The front door can make or break the exterior’s overall look and can bring out the best of it if you choose the right front door.
But how exactly should you choose a front door? Here are some things to consider.
1. Decide on a budget.
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While the process of replacing the front door is of course way cheaper than remodeling the entire facade or entrance hall, it could still get expensive depending on the material and finish of the door.
2. Choose a door style.
There are basically three different categories to choose from.
1. Glass doors - Glass doors come with different numbers of glass panels in them. You can go for the simpler option with just one or two panels, or choose more elaborately designed glass doors. Glass doors are perfect for houses with dark entrance halls as they let in more sunlight. It’s also great for when you want your house to have a more contemporary look. So if your house already has a contemporary style, to begin with, the clean lines of a glass door will complement the overall house style. On the other hand, if you have more of a transitional or traditional house style with a lot of detailing here and there, installing a glass door can balance them out.
- Pros
- Lets in more sunlight
- Gives off a contemporary look
- Cons
- Not great privacy-wise especially if your house is facing the main street
- Might need some maintenance e.g. cleaning off fingerprints
- Cannot withstand harsh climates very well
2. Dutch doors - Dutch doors are charming old-fashioned yet chic front doors that usually remind you of lovely country houses and freshly baked pies during a perfectly warm summer. Although this door style has been around for hundreds of years already, it still remains appealing, especially for transitional, farmhouse, and beach-style houses.
- Pros
- Lets in air, or both air and light if the top door is glass-paneled
- Great for families with kids and pets
- Cons
- Requires special hardware
3. Solid core doors - Solid core doors are traditional doors that are made entirely of wood or wood composite on both the inside and outside. This type of door has numerous variations and can be customized in almost any way you can think of. They can have two panels, four panels, or have recessed panels, to name a few designs. Solid core doors are heavy and durable front doors that exude quality and will most likely be in your house forever.
- Pros
- Private and secure
- Sound and weather resistant
- Cons
- Can be a little bit expensive
3. Choose a color.
Just as important as the door style is the door color. There are a million shades to choose from so people usually get confused as to which color best fits their door and the house as a whole. Decide whether you’d like your door color to blend in with the rest of the house or if you prefer to use your front door as a pop of color. If your house exterior is painted white, would you like a cream-colored front door to match the rest of the house or something that is bright like blue or green for a more refreshing look? You should also consider whether you would like to paint both sides with the same color, or if the inner part has to be a different color in order to match the house’s interior.
4. Choose your hardware.
Unlike your front door’s color, hardware is something that you cannot change very easily so you might want to be quite certain in choosing them. You can always do the paint job every year if you would like to, but you might need to hire a professional if you need to replace your hardware. You would have to consider both the interior and exterior of your house so the hardware matches both sides.
Changing your front door is one of the simplest yet important renovations you can do to your home. We hope these tips have helped you get started in choosing the right front door for you.
