Monday, October 26, 2009

Wood Exterior Doors becoming popular again

Wood exterior doors were the norm in residential construction until steel doors came onto the scene in force in the seventies. For the next 3 decades, steel and fiberglass doors became the mainstay of homes in the $100,000 to $400,000 price range. Wood doors were viewed as high maintenance with a high price and were relegated to mostly high end homes. While steel doors were thought of as maintenance free and the last door a homeowner would ever have to buy for their home. Of course this view has not worked out as advertised. Weatherstripping and sweeps wear out or fall apart, paint peels and warpage still occurs. If you get 5 years out of a steel or fiberglass door without any problems you have done very well.

The tide is beginning to turn. Wood exterior doors are becoming more popular again in homes of most any price range. The public's realization that steel and fiberglass doors don't last forever, has helped spur the resurgence of wood. Since Mother Nature makes every tree unique, an exterior door made with wood is truly one of a kind. The natural beauty and warmth of wood can be imitated but never equaled by man made materials.