Entry Door Installation: the Homeowners Guide for 2022

The entry door is the gateway to your home. When it comes to security, it’s your first defense, yet it should also feel welcoming and inviting.

There are lots of things to consider if you want it to last for a long time and look great over the long haul. With the right information, you can ensure your front door installation will be high-quality and durable. Lt’s dive into our entrance door installation guide for 2022.

Why is an Entry Door of a Home Important?

Most people don’t give their entry door a second thought. However, there are multiple reasons why your entry door is important for your home.

First of all, they give security by providing a barrier that’s very difficult to penetrate unless you have the right key.
Secondly, entry doors play a role in the energy efficiency of your home and can help reduce your energy bills.
Finally, they contribute to the overall aesthetic of the property and work to enhance the character of the home.

What is the Purpose of an Entry Door?

The entry door serves a dual purpose. Its first job is to provide an entryway into the home for you to enter and exit as you please, and to welcome guests over the threshold. Its second job is to keep unwanted guests out.

How Often Should you Replace an Entry Door?

The average lifespan of an entry door is about 30 years. Some ultra-tough materials can last many decades more than that. Elements such as wood frames, weather stripping, and gaskets tend to need replacing around every 8-10 years.

What are the Reasons for Replacing Your Entry Door?

Exterior door installations take place for a variety of reasons. The most common are:

The door has been damaged or is broken
It has become difficult to open and close
The design is outdated, and you want to modernize
You need to widen the entryway
The lock is faulty, or you want to upgrade the security
It’s just plain ugly, and you want to increase your curb appeal
Your existing door lets in cold air and is not energy efficient

Can a New Entry Door Increase the Value of the Home?

If you’re looking for ways to increase your curb appeal and increase the value of your home, a new exterior door installation is an excellent investment. In fact, according to Remodeling magazine, you can get a whopping 74.9% ROI on your new entry door.

Will a New Front Door Installation Improve Home Security?

Older entry doors may not have a sufficient locking system, or they could have vulnerabilities that come with age. For example, split wood or single-glazed glass panes make a door easy to break into.

New entry doors come with reinforced locks such as deadbolts and are made from ultra-tough, durable materials like steel. It is extremely difficult to make anything more than a dent in a new door, so most would-be intruders wouldn’t even bother to try.

What is the Energy Efficiency Benefits of an Entry Doors Installation?

With the exception of wooden doors, other types of doors can be insulated. This means they are effective at keeping the heat in or out of the home. Older doors tend to let in a draught and are inefficient at maintaining the desired temperature in the home.

When your home is properly insulated, your heating and cooling system doesn’t have to work as hard to regulate the temperature. A system that doesn’t work as hard uses less power, so the benefit to you is cheaper energy bills as well as a more comfortable home.

What Materials are Available for Exterior Doors?

Entry doors come in a dizzying array of styles, types, and materials, although some materials are definitely more popular than others. Each material has its pros and cons, so consider them carefully before making a decision:

Wood: This is a beautiful, traditional material and has excellent insulating properties. Solid wooden doors have a high price tag and can warp if not treated properly.
Fiberglass: This material is a chameleon and can mimic wood and other materials perfectly. They are generally more expensive than wood and are difficult to customize.
Steel: Incredibly strong and almost impossible to break. You must ensure a steel door includes a thermal break. Otherwise, it’ll make your home hotter.
Glass: All-glass doors let in huge amounts of light. Great for small spaces. A triple-glazed door will insulate well but can make the home hotter. They’re also easier to break than other door types.

What Is the Strongest Type of Front Door?

There’s a reason jail doors are made from steel. If you want maximum security from your entry door, then steel is the way to go. They’re almost impossible to break; even hitting the door repeatedly will just result in dents.

How Often do I Need to Replace the Glass?

Glass panes in an entry door are very attractive and do a great job of letting in additional light. Often, you will find that you only need to replace the glass in an order door to make it efficient again. You will know the glass needs replacing when:

Any part of the glass is broken
You can feel a draft coming in from around the sides
Condensation forms on the glass or in between the panes

What Are Some Different Styles of Entry Doors?

There’s a door style for every type of home, taste in décor, and to suit every need. Popular entry door styles include:

Glass paneled doors which offer more privacy than full glass doors
Doors with glass panels and wrought iron overlay
Speakeasy style featuring a small opening within the door typically covered by a metal grate
Solid paneled wooden door in contemporary or traditional style
Decorative carved wooden doors
Double doors for a wider entryway and grander curb appeal

How Much Should an Entry Door Installation Cost?

A new entry door installation sets the average person back around $1,000. Depending on the type and quality of materials, this could be as low as $500 and as much as $1,5o0 or more.

What Factors Go Into the Cost?

As we always advise, you must determine your budget before choosing your door. Don’t forget to include the following in your budget, as these will all contribute toward the final cost:

Door
Labor
Jamb and stop
Slab
Supplies
Frame construction

How Much Does it Cost to Install a Door and Frame?

Installing a door frame costs an average of $300 or more. Therefore, if you need a new frame, make sure you add that to the cost of the entry door installation.

Do Installation Costs Differ by Material?

Since the cost of the new door is included in the installation costs, then you can expect the cost to change depending on the material. If you go for an expensive material such as wood or fiberglass, then you’re looking at the upper end of the scale for installation costs. Choosing a cheaper material will, of course, be lower.

How Do I Know if I Should Repair my Door or Buy a New One?

Repairing an existing door is always more straightforward and significantly cheaper than replacing it entirely. If you only have minor problems with your door, always try and see if a repair will get it working again. Here’s when you should look at repairing your door:

If a glass panel needs replacing
You have minor scuffs and scrapes, but the integrity of the door is sound
If the hinges need adjusting so that they can open and close properly
If replacing just the threshold will ensure the door works properly
The weather stripping or caulking needs replacing

If anything compromises the safety or security of the door, then you definitely shouldn’t attempt a repair. Replacement is the only solution in these cases.

Can an Entry Door be Replaced Without a New Frame?

If the frame is solid and sound, you can absolutely replace the door while keeping the existing frame. There is one caveat, though. The existing frame must be able to accommodate a standard size.

If your door is very old, it may not be of a standard size. Therefore, you would need to adjust the width of the doorway and replace the frame before installing the new door. Similarly, if you’re looking to widen the existing doorway or you’re having a custom-sized door created, then you’ll need a new frame to go with it.

How to Know if I Need a Prehung Door?

A prehung door is designed to make everyone’s life easier. They consist of the door itself already attached by hinges to a three-sided frame. It simply gets popped into place, secured, and you’re ready to go.

These are a great idea if you need to replace the frame as well as the door and are often more economical than buying the frame and door separately.

Can I Install a Front Door by Myself?

If you know your way around a toolbox, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to have the front door installed yourself. Bear in mind that you should only DIY your door if you are installing a prehung door. These are straightforward and shouldn’t take you too much time to complete.

Never attempt a self-installation if you need to widen the doorway or you need to make structural changes to accommodate the new entryway. In these cases, get a professional exterior door installer on board.

How Long Does it Take to Fit a New Door?

The good news is that an entry door installation is a quick job and can be completed in less than a day. Typically, you can expect a qualified professional to take around 5 to 6 hours. Prehung doors can take even less time – in some cases, only a couple of hours is required.

For more complex projects such as widening the entryway, it could take several days, but this is rare.

What Should You do After the Door is Installed?

It’s really important to inspect the new door after it has been installed. Test the opening and closing mechanism and ensure it doesn’t catch or stick at any point. Check around the edges of the door and frame and make sure that everything is intact. When the door is closed, examine how well it has sealed.

Finally, give the locks a thorough testing. They should lock and unlock smoothly without jarring or sticking. The key must be easy to insert and remove.

How to Find a Qualified Contractor to Install a New Entry Door

There are likely plenty of entry door installers in your local area. A good place to start is by searching online for “entry door installers near me.” This will bring up a list of contractors that you can look through. Always check reviews and examples of their past work and have a chat with them to see if they’re right for you.

If your entry door installation is part of a larger remodeling project, then your renovation contractor will more than likely be able to recommend a good professional for the job.

The bottom line is that when it comes to your entry door, you cannot compromise on security. Keeping your home safe is your number one priority, and a beautiful but strong entry door will allow you to achieve that without compromising on style.