Upgrading your home’s insulation is one of the easiest ways to save money on heating and cooling. Many people will focus on insulating the walls, the attic, and replacing single-pane windows while totally ignoring their doors.
Doors are an opening to the outside and their quality and age will definitely have an impact on your home’s comfort. Improving existing doors or installing totally new units could be a way to save on your heating and cooling bills.
Do New Entry Doors Make Your Home Easier to Heat?
Yes, as long as you buy the right door. Go for Energy Star certified entry doors as they are designed with energy savings in mind. Making energy efficient doors is easy since manufacturers have a wide range of materials at their disposal. They can use metal, wood, and even multiple layered builds with dedicated insulation for better results.
What to Look for in an Energy-Efficient Entry Door
Other than just looking for the Energy Star or similar certification mark, there are other signs you can look for to identify energy-efficient doors. These include:
- Multiple glass panels: If the door has any glass parts, they must be double or triple-paned for the best insulation.
- Composite core materials: Entry doors sometimes use other materials like wood and metal for more strength. Energy-efficient designs will have fiberglass or polyurethane foam cores surrounded by strong steel or wood.
- Well-fitting weather stripping: Most of the heat or air-conditioned air escapes between a door and its frame. A tight-fitting door with high quality weather stripping makes a solid seal when closed hence reducing unwanted air exchange between the inside and the outside.
Will I Save a Significant Amount After Replacing the Door?
Most homeowners want to see a fast return on investment after replacing the entry door. If you want to cut your heating bill by half, you should also consider other home improvement projects since replacing the door alone won’t cut.
The improvements you get from the replacement depend on:
- What door you had before: The improvement will be marginal if you already had an energy-efficient door. You will see better figures if you are moving from solid wood, solid steel, or a glass entry door to an Energy Star rated door.
- What door you are upgrading to: When upgrading, ensure that you go to the most energy-efficient door you can afford. Look for a door with weather stripping built-in and lean towards designs with less glass as they are better insulated.
Knowing what to expect after installing your new doors will help you calibrate your expectations accordingly. This, coupled with other insulation projects, will help you find even more savings on your heating bills.
Over 50 percent of your utility bills are on heating and cooling your home. Finding passive ways to make your home easier to heat and cool will help you save a lot of money in the long run. If you haven’t replaced your windows and skylights, these would be a great accompanying project to ensure that you put a reasonable dent in your heating and cooling energy bill. We’d like to help. Contact us today for a free in-home estimate. Months from now you’ll be enjoying a more energy-efficient home with new entry doors and you’ll be glad we had this talk.
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