It might seem a bit far-fetched at first, but if you’re searching for a home improvement project to increase your home’s value, then you really can’t go wrong with replacing your home’s entry door. Historically speaking, replacing the entry door to a home has proven one of the home improvement projects with the highest return on investment – generally hovering at or around the 98% mark even during bad years.
As per the data in Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value reports, between 2014 and 2015, replacing your home’s entry door was one of only five home improvement projects, out of 35, that increased in their ratio of cost vs. value. Nationwide value returns appreciated by 5.4% over last year, just slightly behind roof replacement at 5.9%, and mid-range garage door replacement at 5.6%.
The actual return on investment on a fiberglass entry door replacement project, for instance, is currently at 72% nationwide. In the East South Central states of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee, that return for a replacement fiberglass entry door is also currently at 72%. This means that the average USD cost for replacing your entry door with a new fiberglass door can be almost fully recovered on resale of the home. It’s also one of the three least expensive home improvement projects, so it can give you the most bang for your buck.
Choosing to replace your home’s entry door with a new fiberglass door (or one made from a proprietary composite material from a top-ranking company) is a smart choice, and not just for midrange home improvement projects, either. For more upscale home improvement plans, you should consider putting in a fiberglass grand entrance or opt for a handsome handcrafted door made of solid wood. Grand entrance doors such as these will have a higher recovery percentage of 76.4%.
Moreover, the returns don’t actually stop there. Old exterior doors can sap the energy right out of your home. A new entry door has great curb appeal and, if you select the right material (as well as the right installers), it can bring you a huge energy upgrade. You can transform the look and feel of your home without breaking the bank.
Nothing lasts forever, certainly not the portal that serves to shut your home away from the rest of the world. However, unless you carefully monitor the different parts of your house for even the smallest signs of wear, you may not be aware that your old entry door is no longer providing you the same amount of protection as it used to.
Security is certainly an issue with older doors; as newer building technologies have been incorporated into the construction of newer doors, their ability to keep undesirables out has been enhanced. The newest fiberglass doors and patented composite doors carried by some of the top-performing companies in the industry are likely to surpass your old door in terms of sheer material strength and the ability to resist forced entry.
Durability is similarly enhanced on newer doors. The latest fiberglass and composite doors not only outlast older door models, regardless of the material used, they also require much less in the way of maintenance. Modern fiberglass and composite doors are able to mimic the look and feel of wooden doors, without the constant need to re-stain and refinish the doors to maintain their ability to resist the elements. All that, and at a fraction of the cost, too.
For more upscale home projects, nothing can beat the elegance of real wood, of course. While wood doors may require a bit more care and maintenance, the value that handcrafted solid wood entry doors can bring to more discerning customers cannot be beat, especially for those looking to build a grand entrance for their home. Go for a custom-fit handcrafted wood door from a reliable company that has a reputation to uphold, and you’ll have a great lifetime investment.
Energy efficiency and ability to provide insulation are also features in which newer, modern doors surpass older doors. Most, if not all, modern fiberglass and composite doors come with built-in polyurethane foam insulation and weather stripping designed to increase the door’s ability to create a barrier between you and the weather. Top-tier companies also offer thermally modified custom-crafted wood doors, with an eye to better energy efficiency and savings. By lowering your home’s heating and cooling costs, the door not only pays for itself, but helps reduce your overall expenditures as well.
Obviously, then, if your door is in the process of failing, these are the areas where failure is most likely to occur. A drafty door, for example, is indicative that the door’s ability to keep out the elements is deteriorating. It may be due to failure or cracks in the seals around the door, or it may be due to cracks in the door itself. Squeaky hinges may indicate that the hinges are worn, making it easier to force your door open, and if the door scrapes along the floor then it may mean that, additionally, the door itself has warped and can no longer provide the same degree of protection it did before.
Your home’s entry door plays a large part in providing you with the sense of safety and security you associate with your home. Your door serves to keep out not only the elements and the harsher effects of both the climate and inclement weather, it also serves to keep out undesirables who may be after your valuables, or who may mean you and your loved ones harm.
It seals you into your home, where, presumably, it is pleasant and comfortable, the temperature just right, away from the stress and other things that beleaguer you when you leave the comfort of your residence. Naturally, with such an important part to play in your daily life, it hardly behooves you to pick just any old company to help you when you need a replacement door. A proper door deserves a proper company to help you choose and install it.
So what makes a particular door replacement company the right one?
Experience, if not the biggest consideration, is certainly one of the most important ones. Without the years of experience that separate the best companies from those that are merely aiming to be the best, you cannot guarantee that you will get the right replacement door for your house. At best, a mediocre company will get you mediocre results; at worst, you’ll have thrown good money away, with nothing to show for it but disappointment and an ugly, badly installed door.
The best companies will have a range of products for you to choose from, and at multiple price points, too. A company with limited work experience will also likely have limited stock from which to choose a product. This not only reflects their smaller pool of contacts, it also indicates the limits of their ability; this is what they can deliver on and no more. If a company is incapable of offering you a good selection of products, chances are you’re better off looking for another.
The best companies also provide good service. Intractability all too often goes hand in hand with incompetence; the more a project is outside their comfort zone, the more likely they will be to make the situation as difficult as they can, in order to try to passive-aggressively dissuade you from something outside their capabilities.
By going with an experienced company, you will know, with conviction, whether or not what you want can be done, and what it will take to do it.
