Leading Brands of Fiberglass Entry Doors

Anyone who calls on you would be sure to stand by the front door and admire the view, but is it a view to be admired? Exterior doors, the first noticeable outdoor part of the house, are prone to premature wear caused by persistent use and shifting atmospheric conditions. With the arrival of fiberglass entry doors at the market some three decades ago came a solution to this problem. They do not warp, crack or rot like wood doors, nor do they dent or rust like steel doors. No longer is it necessary to brick a door up or keep replacing one because fiberglass is enduring. Door manufacturers increasingly latch onto the use of fiberglass, realizing its attractive benefits. Buyers at the receiving end of this development get to enjoy comparison shopping with the promise of competitive features and prices.

One group of leading brands that should matter comprises veteran door makers. Big names backed by a long history and loyal customers have much at stake. Companies like Masonite, some 80 years old, and Milgard, some 50 years old, have been around long before fiberglass entry doors. When they diversified to these newer items, logic dictates that they brought their quality platform along. Barrington fiberglass doors, the premium line by Masonite, are great examples of bridging the old and new as they retain the timeless appeal of authentic wood.

MASONITE EXTERIOR DOORS

The Barrington brand sports an oak or mahogany wood grain texture emulating handcrafted hardwood doors straight out of a picture-perfect porch. As a throwback to older wood doors, raised moulding integrated into the door facing is standard. Features like customized decorative glass and rot-resistant bottom rails are sure signs of modernity. Milgard, which specializes in the manufacture of windows and patio doors, upgraded its age-old business sense by expanding into vertically integrated production. This means that almost all materials its products utilizes have been made internally, down to frame manufacturing and its own glass tempering plant, thus tightening quality control and minimizing frustrating repairs and maintenance.

Another group of popular brands that should be considered would be aggressive newer players. Entering a long-established industry, they are ready to get in bed with builders and remodelers who have been trusting older names. A trend being seen is the extending of piecemeal door items into entire door systems. Therma-Tru is a young pioneer, having made the first fiberglass entry doors over 25 years ago, that leads in the manufacture of both steel and fiberglass exterior door systems. Feather River offers an award-winning fiberglass door entry system. Innovative features from both sides have focused on more secure locking systems, tighter security against forced entry, air and moisture filtration, rot and insect damage resistance, and corrosion resistance. Another trend is exclusive distribution, with Benchmark by Therma-Tru being available exclusively at Lowe's stores, and Feather River, at Home Depot stores.

Yet another trend would be easy installation to ensure you keep your door frame and siding intact, although with all the help you can get from professionals. The Benchmark brand's pre-hung entry doors are made for do-it-yourself installation but can be installed by Lowe's, for example. SureFit offers full-service installation along with sales support.

Fiberglass entry doors are not disposable items and must be viewed as an investment purchase. What leading door brands offer ultimately is a standard by which you can gauge your strategy for balancing product features and prices. Your top criterion should be durability amidst the expected weathering to which exterior doors are exposed. Look at the use of composite material, like fiberglass combined with wood, to fulfill your architectural and design ideas. Energy efficiency may be considered as well, with fiberglass providing better insulation than wood.

Leading Brands of Fiberglass Entry Doors

Ward Eichelberger reviews many of Fiberglass Entry Doors. Please visit his site at http://www.fiberglass-entry-doors.com for latest news.

MASONITE EXTERIOR DOORS