A residential entry door is defined as any type of door at home that is used as an access way into and out of the house. There are different types of entry doors that are used today. The most common ones are the front door and the garage door. But patio doors and access doors at the back of the house may also be considered as doors for entry purposes.

Here are a few bits of information that you need to know about your entry door at home.

• Precautions on Door Choice. There are numerous types of materials that can be used for your entry door. Choosing the right material for the type of weather in your area is one of the most important choices that you have to make. Another precaution when choosing a door is the price. There are various pricey choices in the market today which offer high security features. But you need to remember that all these features will be useless if the door will not be installed correctly.

• Considerations. The entrances of your home can definitely excite the visual senses of your neighbors. Unfortunately, there are some homeowners’ associations and neighborhood committees that only allow certain types of exterior doors that can be used in your homes. Even though you want to be unique by changing up the look of your exterior, you must still abide to the rules and regulations in your community.

• Special Features. There are also some nice features that you can add to your doors to have that personalized touch. You can even order your door and have the contractor make changes into the design before they deliver and install it to your place. Hazy glass panels can be added in the doors to allow light inside the house. You can also install a double door to make a bold statement.

Although there are new types of materials for entry doors available in the market today such as fiber glass and steel, wooden doors are still as popular as ever.

If you take a look at the prices of these door types, you will notice that wooden doors are among the most expensive ones. For this reason, you need to properly maintain your wooden doors for them to be able to serve their lifespan and even a few years more.

Maintaining a wooden door is not all that difficult. Here are some great ways on how you can keep your wooden doors at their best shape.

• Every now and then, tighten the screws of the hinges where the door is attached to the door frame of the house. If the door is screwed properly, it will be in its upright position and you will prevent the door from sagging which usually is the cause of scratches on the floor, on the door, or on the door frame surface. Do not forget to check the door knobs as well. Loose door knobs can be a reason for burglars to enter your premises.

• Check the edges of the wooden door to see if there are areas where it is sticking or binding. Use sandpaper and you need to follow a motion that goes with the direction of the length of the door and never across its width. Open and close the door several times to see if the area is not sticking anymore.

• To keep your wooden exterior doors from causing friction against the door jam and the door frame, a very simple thing that you can do is to use a bar of unscented soap and rub it against the top and sides of the door edges. The dry soap will act as a lubricant and protectant to the wood.

There are different types of materials used in the construction of a garage door. Although wood and metal have always been used, modern day manufacturers are recommending the use of fiber glass in entry doors for the house.
The main advantage of fiberglass is its lightweight feature yet strong endurance against extreme pressures. Although these doors are proven to be strong, there are instances when cracks show up on the surface. If these are not remedied immediately, you might find yourself paying a lot more money for the repair.
Repairing minor cracks on fiber glass garage doors is very easy. Here are the steps that you need to follow:

• Check the crack on the garage door and assess its extent. Deeper and longer cracks must be referred to professionals since they might need to reassess the durability of the whole section of the door. If the crack is just superficial, you can do the repair by yourself.
• Cleaning the cracked area with a soapy sponge should be the first step. The surface must be dry and free from any dust particles too.
• Using sandpaper, carefully sand and level out the crack especially the raised edges. You can also use a blade if burrs are large so you could sand them easily right after. This also applies to holes that you want to fill out and repair.
• Purchase fiber glass sheets from your local hardware and supply store. These sheets may be a little bit pricey so make sure that you just buy the amount that you need. Place the sheets over the cracks and holes and mark them. These details and markings will be necessary for you to know where to cut the sheet.
• To attach the sheet unto the garage door, a mixture of hardener and resin will be needed. Place this mixture to one side of the fiberglass sheet and place it over the area where it is needed. Make sure that the garage door opener is turned off so that the fixture will not accidentally open. Allow the resin to dry completely before sanding it out to get a level and smooth surface. Paint the area with a color that matches the panel or you can repaint the whole sheet instead.

There are a lot of homeowners today who really want to salvage anything that they can still use in order to save money. But when it comes to entry doors, it will be more economical for the family to simply purchase a new one rather than continuously using a damaged or dilapidated door.
It must be remembered that doors function as energy-saving tools in the house since they regulate temperatures and they also serve as security tools in keeping the burglars away.
There are a lot of affordable doors that you can find which are just within your budget. But how do you know if it is high time to replace your fixtures?
Here are some basic guidelines regarding door replacements. These will apply to any exterior door including those in the garage and front area.

• Poor Quality. If the doors that you have at home are already showing signs of deteriorating quality, you should start looking for new doors to replace them.
  • The quality is very important because it will help maintain the door’s function.
  • A door with poor quality would also need a lot of maintenance and repairs so you will end up paying for more instead of saving money.
  • Old Garage Door. A lot of people ask on how they can determine if their garage door is considered old.
    • For beginners you have to take note that if your residential garage doors have already been used for almost 15 years or more, they are already deemed old and you must change them with a new model as soon as possible. Garage doors these days have new useful features.
    • Old doors do not only pose security risks; they might also cause problem with regard to safety and health of the family members.
    • Severe Damages.Many people would think that repairs can save them money instead of getting a replacement.
      • There are certain cases where the repair can cost as much as a new door. So it will definitely be better to just get rid of the damaged one and install the new fixture in your home.