As winter approaches and heating bills go up, you’re likely to wonder how you can save energy while keeping your home warm and comfortable. The first thing to do is check windows and doors for drafts. Typically, a draft can be addressed with a temporary fix until it can be properly repaired, in other cases a new door might be warranted. A new door is especially appropriate if the house needs an updated cosmetic appeal or if an older door doesn’t meet modern energy efficiency standards.
Structure and Cosmetics of the Front Door
There are two aspects of the front door to consider, how it functions structurally and how it appeals to your sense of style. The importance of either consideration varies according to the preferences of the homeowner. Structurally, the door can be solid wood, or it can be a metal or vinyl shell filled with appropriate insulation. It needs to be installed properly to prevent drafts around the edges, and in some cases may need reinforcement for additional security.
From a cosmetic perspective, there are many choices available. Choosing a great looking door requires deciding which style best suits your personal sense of style along with determining what matches the rest of the house. Colors obviously need to look right, whether the door matches the other trim on the house or compliments it as a focal point of the facade. Whether it has windows or intricate contours is just as important of a choice, and how well it suits any screen or storm door used with it.
Why You Should Use Energy Saving Doors
Old doors can have a big impact on your overall heating bills when the weather gets cold. If your door isn’t energy efficient, it could be letting in cold air even when it is closed tightly. A thin, single paned glass door can let in cold drafts, while a hollow wooden door can be a problem in cold weather areas. Invest in energy efficient doors to keep the cost of keeping your home warm down.
People often turn their heat way down when they’re gone to save on heating costs, but if you turn your heat down too low it will take too much energy to warm your home back up again. It’s more practical to put money into keeping the heat within your home, rather than constantly changing the temperature inside. Investing in new doors will help trap heat inside. If your doors are really old, they may be beyond repair. Energy efficient doors may be worth the investment. You’ll end up saving money on heating costs, and your home will be much more comfortable.
Repairing a Drafty Front Door
There are several ways about how to fix drafty doors. New weather stripping will usually fix a draft coming in around the edges of the door. For a draft coming in from the bottom of the door, an aftermarket item can be helpful which is similar to the idea of placing a rolled up towel along the bottom of the door, except it’s an item specifically designed for such a purpose. As such, it insulates better and looks nicer, and can be a simple fabric cover piece of insulation or can be decorative to match your other design choices. Otherwise, a new threshold might be in order, or a full door replacement might be the only way to fix a drafty front door.
Look for Ways to Keep Doors Protected
If you feel cold air is slipping into your home through the doors, you can protect your door from the harsh weather. Just like windows, you can use heavy drapes to keep the coldest air out of your home. When the sun is out during the day, open up the heavy drapes to let the warm sun heat up your home.
Improve Airflow Throughout Your Home
To maintain a more even temperature throughout your home, keep the airflow even. Block off rooms in which you may not need as much heat. Use ceiling fans on low to keep air moving from room to room. The temperature will be easier to maintain if the air flows freely throughout the rooms you want to heat in your home.
Door Replacement Options
When replacing a door, energy efficient exterior doors are going to be the best way to stop a drafty door. They aren’t exactly “winter doors” because they are just as efficient in the summer with keeping cool air inside. The real issue is they’re well-made to modern standards, including providing energy efficiency for the home.
Takeaway Points Concerning Drafts Around Doors
- An efficient front door is essential to saving on energy bills through the winter.
- There are ways to eliminate a draft on an existing door, but a new door might be a better option.
- There are several aspects of a door worthy of consideration before making a purchase.
- Energy efficient doors are going to be worth the expense by saving money on heating and cooling bills.
Contact Us Today
If your power bill seems to be higher than expected this winter, give us a call at RWC Windows, Doors, and More. We’ll be happy to have a representative stop by at your convenience to evaluate whether doors, windows, or other issues might be making your home less than as efficient as it should be, and discuss a plan to correct the problem.
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