Tuesday, October 21, 2014

In our last segment, I reviewed whether homeowners should consider replacing or making their front door more energy efficient. In this segment, we'll continue our conversation with Brad Johnson, a VP with door and hardware maker Therma-Tru Corp.

Johnson says if it becomes apparent that a door needs to be replaced, homeowners should consider one made of fiberglass. He says a solid fiberglass door is up to four times more energy efficient than a solid wood door, plus the homeowner gets the benefits that fiberglass has to offer, including resistance to rot, rust, dings and weather.

Another factor to consider is what's on the inside of the door. For instance, Therma-Tru uses dense polyurethane foam used in their fiberglass door cores to help their doors achieve high thermal performance values.

According to Johnson, homeowners choosing to add decorative glass to their fiberglass doors doesn't mean they have to sacrifice energy-efficiency. Triple-pane construction on decorative and privacy glass doorlites and sidelites creates both a strong thermal and acoustical barrier.

In cold weather, Low-E glass helps reduce the loss of heat by reflecting the heat back inside the home. In warm weather, Low-E glass reflects the sun's rays off of the glass, helping keep the interior of the home cool.

As we mentioned in the last segment, multi-point locking systems that engage a series of locks at several places on the frame, combined with an adjustable security strike plate like those available from Therma-Tru, can provide the highest level of security and energy efficiency in a new front door.

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