The front door to your home makes a design statement and sets the mood for visitors. Choose a front door that adds beauty to the style of your home. Make sure you are realistic about the practical and safety requirements you need from your front door. Make sure your door fits the space well, whether it is a single door, a double door or a door with light panels on one or both sides.
Your door should enhance the look of your home. If there is a strong theme or style to the house you will want your door to fit in with the overall design. For example, an artistically styled home will look even better with a door design that echoes a creative theme in colour or decoration. Other examples might be using unfinished-looking wood for a rustic styled home or a studded door for a medieval effect. You can even create some of your own effects by having a custom designed door and leaded glass lites, as in the door pictured above. In this instance, the client wanted a door that would go with her recently renovated Craftsman-style home.
The colour of your front door can match the rest of the house trim, make a statement about the material from which it is made, such as metal or raw wood, or it be can be a contrasting colour. If you decide to paint your door red for the traditional Feng Shui, to promote fame and reputation, do so only if your front door faces the south, otherwise the principle is lost.
Choosing your door for the right zone
Energy Star scores doors for efficiency and indicates what climate zone they're suited for. In Canada, there are four climate zones - A, B, C, and D - which are based on an average annual temperature indicator called a heating degree-day (HDD). Zone A is the mildest and zone D is the coldest. Toronto is in Energy Star Climate Zone B. (Find your zone using the Natural Resources Canada website).
Savings
Exterior doors can be built of wood, vinyl, fiberglass, aluminum or steel, with various functions and varying esthetic appeal. Those made with a steel skin and a foam core are more energy efficient than a wooden door. If you live in an average older home with original windows and doors, your household energy consumption could be reduced by 7% every year by replacing all those windows and doors with Energy Star-qualified models. If you live in a newer home, your household energy consumption could by reduced by 12% by choosing to install Energy Star-qualified doors and windows, rather than those that don't meet Energy Star's high standards.