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.

According to the statistics, burglaries that happen in the homes account for over 20 percent of property crimes. These housebreaks can even happen in gated communities.
In some cases, burglars intrude the house even if the homeowners are present. This statistical data is alarming and this should prompt homeowners to increase the security of their houses.
Homeowners should learn more ways on how they can prevent these robbers from choosing their homes to do unlawful acts.

• The first lines of defense of your house against burglars are your exterior doors. If these are poor quality fixtures, they would instantly be the instant access of the intruders into your homes.

You must replace old and dilapidated doors with modern units which are available in the market today. New doors, once installed, offer more security protection against burglary compared to the old doors.
Always see to it that all doors and other point of entries are locked.

• Many burglars also gain access into the house through the garage doors.

Newer models of garage doors are specifically made to increase the security of the house.
Keyless entry system can be installed through the garage door opener. This way, you will not have to leave a duplicate key under one of the plant pots outside your garage.
Modern garage doors have remote controls that refresh the codes every time the units are locked so even if burglars use a device that copies the codes through radio frequency, the fixture cannot be opened. This is because internal code has automatically been changed. This good feature has to be look into by homeowners.

• Adding lights in the walkways and pathways that lead to your front door and the garage can even be advantageous. A porch light that illuminates the front area of the house can increase visibility and burglars may skip your home when looking for a new victim.
• If you have enough budgets it is recommended to install motion detector cameras in all entry points of the house. This surely strengthens security in your home.

Although there are many interior designers that can help you in properly positioning the components of your doors in relevance to the house structure, you can definitely save money by designing your own entrance façade.
You do not have to be an expert to be able to do this. You just have to be keen on the design and the functionality of your exterior doors. The entrance door does not only include the door itself, the components around it including the panels, the frames and the lighting are also counted in when designing this part of the home.
Here are some tips to elevate your home design and curb appeal through your door:

• The placement of the door must be properly planned. This does not only allow function to be the priority but also the overall exterior look of the house. It is always better to have the door at the center part of the house. If you have a small welcoming area, then the entrance door should lead the visitor there. Add the door to the part where the hallway leads.
• To elevate the door design, you may add windows on both sides of the door or glass panels that are of the same height as the door itself. If you have space, a double door will always look great in houses. The windows will add illumination to the interior part of the door hallway and they also add elegance to the house exterior.
• Beams and panels may also be added to frame the door to the middle. This will be perfect when you wish to create balance in the exterior design of the entry doors. If you are planning to add panels and beams, you must make this decision prior to the construction phase because these structures require a little more architecture and engineering compared to other design ideas.
• You may also add a peephole to add security to the home. A doorbell may be added for convenience as well. Some homeowners purchase motion and light detectors which are activated at night so that they can be alarmed if there are people outside the house.
• Do not forget to choose a door design that will fit the theme of the home exterior.