Whats the best exterior fiberglass door ?

November 29, 2010 1:01 PM

What type of exterior door should I buy ?? I need a good exterior door to keep out the cold, I'm looking into Thermatru, but I need some advice.

Hi All,

My house is as drafty as a barn, I need to replace my exterior back door with a better one that will keep out the cold.

I've heard home depot/lowes are a ripoff (overpriced poor quality), I was looking at a local distributor that sells Thermatru fiberglass doors, they're very nice, but expensive.

Can anyone tell me their experience, what do you recommend for someone on a budget who needs a quality door that really does well at keeping out the cold?

Details: I can spend up to $1k but the cheaper the better. My current door is almost all glass, I would like to see out in the back, so I want a door that has some glass in it, but it doesn't have to be all glass.

Thanks!!!!!!!

posted by absolutshrk to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

When I had some renovations done on my ~100-yr-old house, my excellent and very fussy carpenter recommended ThermaTru doors, and I've been very happy with them (8 yrs). They do a great job keeping out the cold, and they look nice. Expert installation, with lots of attention to weatherstripping and to insulating any gaps around the door, is also important.
posted by Corvid at 1:39 PM on November 29, 2010

Your bigger concern is the weatherstripping. Are you handy with tools? Can you you post upclose images of the door edge and frame? What material are each?
posted by Dick Paris at 4:03 PM on November 29, 2010

A used thermatu from the local salvage yard may work too. I have 2 on my home. paid $20 each.
posted by patnok at 7:19 PM on November 29, 2010

If your main concern is keeping out the cold, you need to look at the Energy Star rating of the door. Get a door with a good rating (the insulation value is right there on the tag) and then don't be afraid to weatherstrip.
posted by ssg at 11:10 PM on November 29, 2010

Response by poster: Thanks guys! I'm going to have it professionally installed and have them do the weatherstripping, etc.
I decided not to do it myself because I want the door installed about 4" further inside so I can put up a screen door as well.

Patnok: thanks for the salvage yard tip, I'll check that out. I hate to spend $800 on a door if I don't have to.
posted by absolutshrk at 11:21 AM on December 1, 2010