How to Understand the Energy Efficiency of Doors

Are you looking for insight into saving costs and energy that goes into keeping your house functional?

Well, you’ve knocked on the right door as we’ve arranged a series of answers to all the basic questions that arise most commonly while choosing energy-efficient doors.

For centuries, doors might have had the role of providing various functions such as accessibility, security, privacy, style, etc. Nonetheless, gone are the days when they used to be mere fashion statements in the modern world. As technological advancements require, one must adhere to the environmental trends of the market where need be.

More importantly, having insulated doors is only going to improve your living experience as it adds to the comfort of your home. Also, having cut costs on the energy bills isn’t that bad either. After all, your home should have a relaxing ambiance, and if anything promises to deliver that experience, no one should hesitate to opt in.

So, the quicker you decide to switch to energy-efficient doors the better it is going to turn out for you in the long run.

What is Door Energy-Efficiency?

Let us delve into the realm of insulated doors to help you put the most suitable front door on your home without having to compromise on your home’s aesthetic design.

What Creates The Need For This?

The exterior structural layer of your house acts as the clothes for your home. Therefore, just like you’d wear the outfits that suit your climate, the house needs to have proper materials used in order to create a cozy internal environment.

Looking at the importance of having energy-efficient doors, one might presume that why this idea has not come up sooner than it has, and the simple answer to it would be that the solutions have always been there, but the focus might have tilted on other facts. Such as, your house might have insulated walls, but the windows and doors are not going to let the insulation stay intact if they are not made with the required materials.

For this purpose, companies have innovated their door manufacturing designs into providing options for varying conditions that keep homes insulated as a whole.

How Is It An Upgrade From Traditional Design?

Now that we've understood the purpose of energy-efficient doors let's get into the process that goes into generating the finest quality of insulation through front doors.

Doors Pledge Insulation via ENERGY STAR Rating

The industry of door manufacturers, through practice, has developed a rating to be earned in order to be considered truly energy efficient. The flag bearer of all top insulated doors is the ENERGY STAR rating. This rating is the ultimate claim and guarantee for insulated doors.
To earn the ENERGY STAR rating, doors need to have certain levels of insulation which ensures their energy efficiency. There are two variables kept in check specifically for doors before being certified for the ENERGY STAR rating.
However, before we get into geeky stuff, we must consider the characteristics of different types of materials used for doors and how they’re supposed to respond to insulation.
Wooden Doors

• Although they’re the most traditional material used for doors, their insulation is meant to be the least effective.
• Since they are used mostly as exterior doors or front doors of the house, their maintenance cost is significantly higher than exchangeable options.
• Wooden doors are susceptible to absorbing moisture and warp, which serves to their inefficiency in energy conservation.
• Adding weather stripping (and a storm door, concerning the climate) can improve its insulation but at the same time defeats its purpose of being energy-efficient and a cost-cutting alternative.

Vinyl Doors

• They are also used as exterior doors but mostly as a cheaper alternative to other materials in the market.
• However, their insulation is better than some (wood, steel, and aluminum) of the options.
• Vinyl doors are not as durable and can be affected by direct sunlight.

Steel/Aluminum Doors

• These doors use insulation foams inserted within them to ensure as little passage of heat or cold as possible.
• Since metal does not warp quite easily and does not allow moisture in infiltrate, they are better in insulation than wooden doors.
• When used as exterior doors, they add a factor of security and soundproofing due to their strength.

Fiberglass Doors

• Their durability makes them the most energy-efficient option of the top four materials that we’ve discussed till now.
• No threat of warp makes their maintenance cost nearly zero.
• The sandwich method of adding foam to its core gives it excellent insulation without the worry of moisture absorption.
• They can be molded into a unique design without compromising the aesthetics of your house, and you even have the option to add wooden veneers to them to have a traditional look.

Solid-Wood Doors

• These are commonly preferred for interior doors as the most durable option to have indoors.
• Although they offer a unique set of designs, they are prone to warp even indoors in some conditions.

MDF (Medium Density Fiber) Doors

• They are typically used indoors as they are quite light.
• They allow homeowners with a budget to arrange interior doors that do not look as cheap.

Hollow Core Doors

• As suggested by their name, even indoors, they do not offer insulation or even soundproofing.
• Hollow core doors are meant to be handled carefully since their durability is also an issue, and their damages can cause maintenance costs to be higher as well.

U-Factor & R-Value

Now that we have a clear understanding of how each material is going to react to its climate let's come back to the ENERGY STAR rating and recognize the variables which decide the rating of each material.

U-Factor: It depicts the vulnerability of a door to transfer heat through it. Wooden doors have the highest U-factor, whereas fiberglass is the lowest among the discussed materials. A lower U-factor represents better insulation.

R-Value: This is the resistance shown by each material towards heat, and the higher R-value is considered to have better insulation.

When Should I Consider Door Replacement?

There are some simple indications to determine if your doors need replacement, and you can do this inspection initially to decide if the professional need to be contacted or not:

• Visual Examination.

• Light Leaking.

• Air Passage.

• Cold Door.

• Pest Infestation.

• Dollar Bill Test.

What are the Benefits of Choosing Energy-Efficient Doors?

Energy-efficient homes are a thing of the present, and your homes are only going to get smarter than before. Become an early adopter to have an improved living experience and appreciate the following benefits of insulated doors.

• Improved Costs of Energy Bills: You spend less on energy for maintaining appropriate temperature indoors.
• Protection From Molds: Your house becomes secure from numerous forms of insects and pests from the prevention of external moisture infiltration.
• Taking A Green Initiative: Invest in creating a home with a lesser carbon footprint to encourage a greener planet to live on.

Earn Tax Incentive: ENERGY STAR rating insulated doors are eligible for receiving a tax credit.