The doors on your home offer several things; they provide security, they protect you from the elements, and they create a warm and inviting place for people to enter your home. If the doors on your home are old and outdated, replacing them with new, modern doors may be just the thing your home needs.

Evaluating Your Doors

If you are considering changing the doors on your home, taking the time to look at what you have in place and evaluating what you are going to need is the first step. Measure the doors that are in place already to determine the size of the door and door opening. 

On most homes, the door will measure thirty-three to thirty-six inches wide and the length is not as critical because the doors are manufactured long so they can be cut to length during the installation process. Once you know what size door you need for your home, you can look for one that fits the style of the home.

Finding the Right Door

One of the first places you can go to look for a replacement door is your local home center. The home center will have doors in different styles for you to consider and they are typically pre-hung doors with the frame attached to the door when you buy it. 

The style of the door may not be radically different but the newer door will provide better protection from the weather and from intruders. Buy the best door you can afford so that you get the highest quality door you can for the money you are spending.

If you need a door that is a custom size, you are going to have to visit a door and window shop so that they can make or order what you need. Some home centers can order doors that are slightly smaller or larger than standard, but completely custom doors are not as easy to find. 

Choosing the Door Material

The door may be made from wood or metal and the material on the outside is often either a metal skin or a vinyl skin over the wooden surface of the door. The heavier the door, the more protection it can provide but it is also going to need more support to stay in place on the home. Many people choose metal doors because they are hollow and lightweight while being strong and durable.

Wood doors also offer strength and durability, but solid wood doors are heavier and harder to work with. Wooden doors can have stain, paint, or other wood treatments applied to them to achieve a specific look to the door and for some people that is the most important part.