Are Fiberglass Doors Solid?
Did you know that the iconic castle that sits as the fantastic magical centerpiece of Disneyland is actually made out of fiberglass? That said, you may associate fiberglass with the theatrical quality of mimicking real materials, without actually sharing their characteristics of solidness, dependability, and durability. After all, that isn’t a real castle, right?
When it comes to housing materials, you may be reluctant to choose synthetic alternatives to wood, brick, and stone—especially if your budget permits the use of more costly, authentic materials.
Components made of fiberglass might strike you as a cheaper and unworthy option to grace the façade of your home, but you may be surprised to learn that a fiberglass door is actually a very solid investment—literally and figuratively.
A Solid Sandwich
Think of your fiberglass door as a sandwich—not one that you’d want to bite into, however. Basically, fiberglass skins are the bread, and the rigid insulating foam is the deli meat of your choice (perhaps you prefer tuna, or something vegetarian). If you want to get a little more microscopic about it, you can break the fiberglass door down into its different components.
The frame of the fiberglass door is what forms the shape of the door, and is made from vertical components (stiles) and horizontal components (rails). They’re usually formed from strong, moisture-proof, composite material, which will eliminate mold, mildew, termites, and wood rot. That’s already starting to sound pretty solid to me!
The core of the fiberglass door is usually made from polyurethane foam, which makes the door extremely well insulated and soundproof, much more so than traditional wood doors.
The skin of door—what we referred to as the sandwich bread in our earlier example—is made of high-impact, compression-molded fiberglass, which means the fiberglass skin can withstand great impact without breaking, and will not splinter, dent, warp, or rust.
This fiberglass material is also easy to clean, pain, and stain, allowing you to utilize a diverse range of effects in the stylistic interest of your home’s décor.
So basically, everything about a fiberglass door seems solid: structure, core, and exterior.
A Happy Medium Between Steel and Wood
Fiberglass doors offer the best optimization for looks, material, energy efficiency, and maintenance. While wood doors offer the quality appearance often found with real materials, they require more maintenance over the years.
Steel doors can be extremely strong and excellent insulators, but you might not feel the need for a steel door.
Fiberglass may be the happy medium between steel and wood for the front portal of your home, and in the following paragraphs, we’ll examine some of the solid advantages they offer.
Tough in Tough Weather
Fiberglass doors are more than weather-resistant; they’re practically weather proof, because the resultant product from the compression molding process has a totally uniform, sealed surface, free of the cracks, breaks, and seems that are inherent and unavoidable with natural products like wood.
Their resistance to inclement weather includes rain, mist, snow, and humidity – elements that can wreak havoc on wood doors.
Tough in All Conditions
Fiberglass doors offer advantages over wood doors beyond resistance to the weather. Fiberglass resists dents and scratches and does not fall prey to the rust and rot that can affect wood.
Moreover, they will not warp or bow due to elemental exposure, nor will they peel or chip. They’re impervious to insect damage, and are stronger and last longer than wood.
Variety of Styles
Fiberglass doors are available in a wide range of styles that can appeal to your sensibilities regarding the style of your home; classic, contemporary, Dutch, decorative, and craftsman are just a few of the categories in which fiberglass doors are available.
Even better, if you’re looking to re-colorize the façade of your home, or just touch up on old work, repainting is always an option.
Unlike steel doors, which often come with a smooth surface, fiberglass doors can be textured to very convincingly mimic authentic wood materials. Mahogany, fir, oak, and teak are just a few of the wood types that the fiberglass skin can mimic.
The fiberglass door can even be made with a worn or distressed texture, in order to look more natural. In fact, it’s possible that your fiberglass door will be indistinguishable from real wood.
According to the DOE (Department of Energy), fiberglass doors keep the home warmer in winter and cooler in summer than their all-natural wood-door cousins, especially because they’re filled with insulating material.
In fact, a windowless fiberglass door provides five times the insulation of a comparable solid wood door. That’s a solid fact to consider for homeowners interested in reducing their monthly utility bills.
Fiberglass doors provide excellently secure barriers to your home, when they’re properly installed. They don’t deteriorate over time unlike wood doors. Their high-impact skins are impervious to blows, kicks, and other attempted means of breaking into the home.
Moreover, composite door frames (which are most likely paired with your fiberglass door) have twice the holding power of regular wood door frames. Try breaking through that!
Is it Worth the Cost?
Good quality fiberglass doors aren’t going to be the cheapest option. However, over time, their energy efficiency, low maintenance, and security value may more than pay for their initial up-front cost. That actual price for your fiberglass door and its installment will vary depending on a number of factors.
If you live in an older home, fiberglass doors may be difficult to install because they’re usually manufactured attached to a door frame, so if your doorway isn’t a standard size, you may need to enlist the services of a specialist in order to install it.
Use a Reliable Installation Company
Regardless of your location and what type of home you live in, it’s best to get a professional company to install the fiberglass door, rather than attempting to do it yourself, or enlist the services of a general handyman.
A professional associated with a fiberglass door installment company will be familiar with the products and their intricacies. Additionally, the company may offer a better and longer warranty for the product they install themselves.
It’s best to use a reputable company with experience in the area of installing fiberglass doors who will charge you a packaged fee for a good quality product and warranty, because the seemingly “cheaper” options at the hardware store are hiding lots of non-included essentials like painting, staining, and hinges. Moreover, poor quality fiberglass doors run the risk of cracking or requiring more maintenance.
Yes, Fiberglass Entry Doors Are Solid
Fiberglass doors are quite solid, literally and figuratively. Their uniform, compression-molded skin is impervious to many types of damage that typically plague other types of door materials, and strong enough to resist natural elements and/or burglars.
Their interior polyurethane core creates an energy efficient insulator to prevent undesired fluctuations in temperature. They come in a wide variety of styles, shapes, and sizes, and require less maintenance than other materials. Overall, we have to say that fiberglass doors are indeed a solid choice!