Having glass in your entry door can bring lots of natural light into your entryway, and make it seem more welcoming. However, this same natural light can also heat up your entryway, making it too warm and causing your air conditioner to work overtime and your energy bills to go up.
The danger of having glass in or near your door is that potential thieves can break the pane and reach through to let themselves in without having to pick or break a lock.
Providing ventilation in good weather. Increasing visibility and light. Preventing bugs from entering your home. Protecting your entry door from the elements.
While glass is fragile, there are many techniques to make them more secure and safe to use. You can make glass front doors safer by adding deadbolts on the interior, setting up alarm systems, using glass breakage sensors, and adding security film into the glass to fortify it so that it is difficult to shatter.
Glass inserts within an entry door are also popular because they enhance the door's appearance, but large panes of glass can reduce energy efficiency. Choose glass door inserts made of dual-pane or triple-pane glass, which insulates much better than single-pane glass.
Fiberglass. Fiberglass exterior doors are among the strongest on the market. They're also some of the most energy-efficient. Fiberglass is a poor conductor of heat, making it energy-efficient on its own, but when insulation is added, it's hard to beat.
A steel door is your best bet if security and durability are top priorities. Steel units are stronger than wood or fiberglass doors, and they won't crack or warp. Any dents or dings on these doors can be pulled and puttied with an auto-body repair kit.
However, traditional screen doors are still widely available on the market in a variety of styles. Some feature screens that cover nearly the entire door, but most feature a screened window that can be opened and closed as desired.
In any case, the screen door incorporates screen mesh to block birds, flying insects or airborne debris such as seeds or leaves from entering, and pets and small children from exiting interior spaces, while allowing for air, light, and views.
If you have a newer, energy-efficient, well-sealed front door, and your main concern is reducing energy loss, you may not need a storm door. Additionally, if your front entry is well-protected by a large overhang or covered porch, you might not need a storm door.
Building codes and federal safety regulations will require that the glass in your front door, and for that matter all doors, uses a safety glazing product, such as tempered or laminated glass.
Steel doors provide the most security, in addition to avoiding issues such as expansion, warping, and durability. Steel doors, with proper mechanisms, can't be kicked in and will keep out anyone you don't want coming inside.
Because of a quick-cooling manufacturing process, the glass is highly durable and resilient to impact, making it less likely to shatter upon breakage. As a result, the glass is the perfect choice for regions that experience heavy wind loads or thermal stress.
Riot Glass laminated security glass is 100x stiffer and 5x stronger than traditional interlayer safety glass and is proven to delay forced entry by at least 4 minutes or completely deny entry. This type of glass won't stop bullets, but it can withstand multiple ballistic impacts and help with bomb blast mitigation.
Knowing when most burglaries occur is powerful information. The most common times for break-ins occur between 10 am and 3 pm. Rather than being guarded by night, most burglars choose the daytime to attempt a break-in, targeting homes when they believe no one will be present.
If you're interested in unbreakable glass that truly lives up to its name, polycarbonate panels are the type you want. Polycarbonate panels are significantly more difficult to break than both standard glass windows and laminated glass mentioned above.
While impact windows aren't indestructible, they are very hard to break. To get through, a burglar would create a ruckus and likely be caught. Breaking through impact windows typically proves to be considerable work and energy, forcing burglars to move on.
Out of 11,916 projects analyzed by HomeAdvisor, the average cost of replacing a door was between $477 and $1,389, for an overall average of $916. The lowest price reported by a homeowner was $100, while the highest price reported was $4,200.
Which direction is good for house entrance? The main door/entrance should always be in the north, north-east, east, or west, as these directions are considered auspicious. Avoid having the main door in the south, south-west, north-west (north side), or south-east (east side) directions.
Vinyl door provides good thermal insulation which blocks external heat or cold air to enter the house. Also, it retains the temperature inside the house. These low maintenance doors are also available in vinyl-cladded wooden options.
The most effective way to prevent it is to install a front door with double or triple glazing, which is much more energy efficient than single glazed glass. If you have an old door and aren't able to get it re-glazed, then an easy and cost effective solution is to tape a few layers of plastic wrap to the glass.