How to Save Money When Buying glass swing door

New exterior doors often fit and insulate better than older types. If you have older doors in your home, replacing them might be a good investment, resulting in lower heating and cooling costs.

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If you're building a new home, you should consider buying the most energy-efficient doors possible.

When selecting doors for energy efficiency, it's important to first consider their energy performance ratings in relation to the local climate and your home's design. This will help narrow your selection. Look for the ENERGY STAR label to help identify energy efficient products for your climate.

The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) label helps you compare energy performance ratings of doors. The label shows the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) and U-factor for the door. Learn more about the NFRC label.

Look for a low SHGC in a climate that mainly requires cooling and a high SHGC in a climate that requires heating. The range is from 0 to 1. SHGC measures how well a product keeps out solar heat.

Look for a low U-factor. The lower the U-factor, the better the door keeps in heat.

One common type of exterior door has a steel skin with a polyurethane foam insulation core. It usually includes a magnetic strip (similar to a refrigerator door magnetic seal) as weatherstripping. If installed correctly and not bent, this type of door needs no further weatherstripping.

The R-values of most steel and fiberglass-clad entry doors range from R-5 to R-6, excluding a window. For example, a 1-1/2 inch (3.81 cm) thick door without a window offers more than five times the insulating value of a solid wood door of the same size.

Single-pane glass or "patio" doors, especially sliding glass doors, lose much more heat than other types of doors because glass is a very poor insulator. Models with several layers of glass, low-emissivity coatings, and/or low-conductivity gases between the glass panes are a good investment. Most modern glass doors with metal frames have a thermal break, which is a plastic insulator between inner and outer parts of the frame. When buying or replacing patio doors, swinging doors generally offer a tighter seal than sliding types. Look at NFRC labels to find air leakage ratings. A door with one fixed panel will have less air leakage than a door with two operating panels.

It's impossible to stop all the air leakage around the weatherstripping on a sliding glass door and still be able to use the door. In addition, after years of use the weatherstripping wears down, so air leakage increases as the door ages. If the manufacturer has made it possible to do so, you can replace worn weatherstripping on sliding glass doors.

When you buy a door, it will probably be pre-hung. Pre-hung doors usually come with wood or steel frames. You will need to remove an existing doorframe from the rough opening before you install a pre-hung door. The doorframe must be as square as possible, so that the door seals tightly to the jamb and swings properly.

Before adding the interior trim, apply expanding foam caulking to seal the new doorframe to the rough opening and threshold. This will help prevent air from getting around the door seals and into the house. Apply carefully, especially if the frame is wood, to avoid having the foam force the frame out of square.

New, pre-hung exterior doors should have weatherstripping already installed. Check the weatherstripping on your exterior doors annually to see if it needs replacement.

Adding a storm door can be a good investment if your existing door is old but still in good condition. However, adding a storm door to a newer, insulated door is not generally worth the expense, because you won't save much more energy.

If you plan to purchase a storm door, consider features that improve the energy efficiency. 

Storm door frames are usually made of aluminum, steel, fiberglass, or wood (painted or not). Wooden storm doors require more maintenance than the other types. Metal-framed storm doors might have foam insulation inside their frames for added strength.

High-quality storm doors use low-emissivity (low-e) glass or glazing to increase energy efficiency. Other features may include screens with self-storing pockets, full-length screens with removable glass panels, and screens and glass that slide past each other. All of these features add convenience and cost.

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A glass storm door could trap heat against an entry door and cause damage if the exterior door gets more than a few hours of direct sun each day. Low-e glass will reduce the heat gained. Check the door manufacturer's recommendations if this is a concern.

Storm doors for patio doors are hard to find, but they are available. Adding one to a new, multi-glazed low-e door is seldom economic. Insulating attachments such as cellular shades, when closed for the night in winter or on sunny days in summer, are also a good idea.

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Trying to decide if you should choose a sliding door or a swinging door for your patio? At All-Weather Window, Doors & Siding, we know it can be confusing. We want you to end up with the patio door that best fits your needs. So we looked at both types to see which features and benefits would matter. Read on to help make the right choice.

One quick point before we get started is to remember that a door is going to last a long time, so make sure you don’t make the mistake of buying a cheap door to save money. Cheap doors will not last, will not provide good insulation, and may not provide the security you need. Do your research before choosing just any brand of patio door.

Swinging Patio Doors Vs. Sliding Patio Doors

When it comes to exterior doors, you basically have two choices: 

Hinged Doors – one or two solid panels joined to the wall by hinges. If there are two panels, they meet in the middle. Hinged double doors are usually referred to as French doors. These doors will either open inward or outward.

Sliding Doors – a door consisting of two glass panels that slide on a single track. These doors do not open inward or outward. Some slide from a track at the top of the frame  and some roll along a track at the bottom of the frame.

5 Considerations When Choosing Patio Doors

One of the easiest ways to decide which type of exterior door is right for you is to look at how the door will be used in the space you are installing it. Consider these five things when weighing sliding doors against hinged doors:

Style Considerations

Sliding glass doors used to be simple, basic, and more affordable, but manufacturers today make high-end, high-quality sliding doors that look beautiful anywhere. They can create a more contemporary look whereas hinged doors impart a more traditional vibe. So aesthetics may help you decide which type fits your home and style. 

Space Considerations

Both doors are easy to open, but sliding doors don’t require space on either side for the door to swing open. If you need space on either side of the door for semi-permanent furniture, large planters, barbecue pits, etc. sliding doors may give you more floor space to work with. On the other hand, sliding doors usually have one side that is stationary only allowing one side to open vs. double doors that allow both sides to swing open. If you need a larger opening for moving big items (like furniture) in or out of the room, double swinging doors may provide a wider opening.

Light Considerations

Sliding doors are nearly all glass and therefore typically allow more light into the room. Depending on the direction your door faces and the amount of light that is desirable, sliding or swinging doors may make a difference. Window treatments may be required with either type. Many manufacturers of both types offer internal blinds that can be operated from outside the door. Besides convenience, this feature offers a great way to protect the blinds from getting damaged by children or pets.

Maintenance Considerations

Sliding door tracks may need to be vacuumed or cleaned occasionally to keep dirt from accumulating and interfering with the gliding motion.

Energy Considerations

Don’t forget to look at the energy efficiency of the doors you’re considering. Most quality doors provide good insulation, but make sure you compare.

Go to a Showroom

If you really want to know how your door will look and perform, our best advice is to visit a showroom where you can see and touch the doors. It will give you a much better idea of how the door is made and how it operates. Additionally, you’ll learn a lot about different types of doors and door manufacturers from people who have an incredible amount of knowledge about the industry. At All-Weather, we carry a wide selection of entry doors by Andersen, Wincore, and ThermaTru. All-Weather is an experienced Andersen door installer, and we are Kansas City’s only Therma Tru entry door design center! We can help decide which style is best for you and your budget. 

Beware the Big Box Store

And before you buy your door from a big box store, make sure you know the questions to ask beforehand. At All-Weather, we include many things in our price that they don’t. Here are 11 things you’ll get at All-Weather that you won’t get at the big box stores. From wood to fiberglass to steel to glass doors, we have a wide selection of quality doors to choose from. We even offer custom iron doors. We can also install your door with the Jamb Brace for added security. 

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