The thing about wooden doors is that they are mostly chosen for an aesthetic value rather than a functional one. As we all know, wooden doors have a certain look to them that many homeowners greatly value. Of course, sometimes this aesthetic appeal is worth the exchange of functionality, but that’s a point of contention for everyone to decide for themselves.
For instance, as far as energy efficiency is concerned, wooden doors aren’t very effective at all. Steel and fiberglass doors are much more efficient in that sense, though this isn’t something that greatly affects most homes. But wooden doors also have the least amount of weather resistance as well. They are very susceptible to the elements, but only if they are not properly treated. After that they are much more capable of withstanding the elements, making the factor mostly irrelevant for making a decision.
That said, the level of maintenance a wooden door requires is dependent on how well it is built and how well you initially take care of it. How well you stain or paint it in the early process is an integral part of reducing the amount of maintenance your door needs later down the line. The same can be said of its durability, which is greater if you take care of the door early on. Steel and fiberglass doors don’t suffer from the same drawbacks.
That said, wooden doors may not have all the same advantages that steel or fiberglass do, but they do offer some advantages that can’t exactly be measured. For instance, wooden doors offer a particular look that no other door does, and you may value that more than any true functional purpose. Another advantage is the fact that wooden doors can be painted or stained to nearly any color or design you want, and scratches can be easily repaired on wooden doors, unlike fiberglass and steel.
In the end, whether or not wooden doors are the right choice for your home is up to your discretion. There are pros and cons to all types of doors: all you have to do is tally up the advantages and disadvantages and see how much they are each worth to you, and then make your decision as to what you value the most. Whatever you want the most out of doors in your home, you can always find something to match your tastes, whether that is something you can get out of wood or steel, or anything else you can make a door out of.
At Fortis & Hooke we don’t just install new wooden doors, we also restore original wooden doors. Please visit our wooden door restoration page for more information. Or, alternatively, contact us for a free, no-obligational quote.