How to Choose Between Fiberglass and Natural Wood Doors
Homeowners all over the world have so many options when it comes to figuring out the best thing for their house. Whenever there is a need for a renovation project, it can get too overwhelming and challenging to pick the right course of action. However, that is not always a bad thing. It is actually a good thing to have more than one option to ultimately choose because not everyone has the same preferences. In addition to this, not every home needs the same thing nor can the same solution fit every home. All of these factors come together when a family suddenly needs to do a project and refresh the state of something related to their home.
An Aspect Often Ignored
Now, apart from regular maintenance and problem solving that happen almost every year, there is often a need to entirely replace a whole section of the home. It may be due to the old age and wear and tear, but it can also be esthetic in nature. Wanting your house to look cleaner, nicer, or simply different is natural. If you have the means to do it and everyone agrees, why not go with it? A thing that not many people immediately think of when home renovation is concerned is the doors. Doors are used every day numerous times. They serve many functions, all of them crucial for comfortable and optimal living, and yet they are usually completely overlooked.
If you want new doors, or if you are just now building your home and require them for the first time ever, there is a big choice to make. Do you go with fiberglass or natural wood? More importantly, why would you go either way and what makes one better or worse than the other? Fiberglass costs almost half the amount of the same wooden door, but is this really the only factor? In case this sounds like your kind of trouble right now, you came to the right place. In this article we talk about choosing between fiberglass and natural wood doors and how you should do it. By the end of this read you will have all the right information to make the best choice for your home and never look back. Therefore, read on to learn more and be sure to check out PuertasEuroBlock for more about high quality door solutions.
The Durability Factor
One of the most important things when the doors are concerned, particularly the front door, is their durability. You do not want to constantly have to replace or repair something so crucial to comfort and safety of the entire home. The choice you make initially should cover you for decades to come. So how do you choose based on the durability of these two materials? Well, you may be more or less surprised by the answer. In terms of durability, fiberglass is the clear winner and it is not even close. The material is more resistant to the elements and to the wear and tear that inevitably happens. Sun exposure, weathering, warping, and rotting are barely problems with fiberglass, while wooden doors can get damaged and ruined beyond repair with each of these issues. If you have a porch that is covered and in no direct danger of sun exposure and rain, you can choose a nice wooden front door.
Security and Strength
Closely related to durability are both the security and the strength of your doors. The beauty factor and how well it goes with the rest of the home is important, but the front doors serve more purposes than those that are inside. They keep you safe, plain and simple. As you may expect, wood is not nearly as strong as fiberglass, which makes it less secure. To make matters worse for the beloved natural material, fiberglass is also lighter while being stronger. Now, this is mostly related to the entire door, and rarely anyone attempts to break down the entire thing when trying to get in. It is the locking system that does most of the work in terms of security anyway. So if this is your number one issue, do not think that wooden doors cannot protect you. There are some sturdy wooden doors out there with multiple panels that cannot be taken down. Combining them with a multipoint locking system will give you equal security of a fiberglass door with multiple locks.
Maintenance
Here is another thing at which fiberglass sweeps the floor with natural wood. Fiberglass is among the lowest maintenance materials out there. Basically, they are entirely maintenance-free. Apart from an occasional wiped down, there is nothing else to it. With wood however, there is so much work to be done if you want it to last you longer and remain beautiful. A natural wooden door will require a fresh coat of paint every few years, as well as a re-staining. Again, if it is sheltered or if you can make it sheltered, it is a whole other story. If not, be ready to take care of the wood like you would with any other furniture or item. Wood care products will be needed and you will have to pay attention to humidity, liquids, stains, and large items going through the frame. Many a door has been chipped with heavy items.
Esthetics and Appearance
Fiberglass enthusiasts will argue that it can look as beautiful and esthetic as wood, but that is not always true. It cannot be true because nothing can beat the appeal of real wood turned into a functional piece of useful equipment. Elegant and classic, wooden doors will never go out of style. They are practically the only solution if you want to keep things rustic and traditional, or if you have a home surrounded with trees and other greenery. For most, it is out of the question to use fiberglass in the countryside or farms and ranches. Also, wooden doors are more customizable and you can have them made specifically to your wishes and needs, both in terms of design and measurements. Fiberglass does not lack too far behind as it still has many appearances. It can look very modern and futuristic, but also closely resemble real wood and traditional doors. For the former you will want smooth fiberglass and for the latter you will require woodgrain fiberglass. If you want all of the benefits of fiberglass but want the beauty of wood, go with the woodgrain surface. If you want authenticity and do not mind the extra maintenance, pick wood and do not look back.
