Installing a new front door can be a real boon when you want to refresh your home’s exterior, especially if you’re considering selling the home the door leads into. After all, one of the first things a prospective buyer sees is the entrance. If it’s attractive and inviting, a great front door can instantly invoke a more positive attitude towards the rest of the home. And, perhaps just as good is the fact that this is a relatively easy, budget-conscious improvement that can add a real “wow” factor to a home for sale in a single afternoon.
Understanding Front Door Types
When it comes to front doors there are several different installation types available for a homeowner to choose from. Each of them comes along with their own set of pros and cons as well as their fans and haters. Here’s a brief look at the most commonly used so that you can decide which is best for your needs and budget.
Pre-fit Front Doors
A pre-fit door comes with the hinge pockets pre-cut and aligned with the existing jamb (assuming the same size door is being replaced). This is a door type designed to remove the need to replace the door jamb when changing out a front door. This does mean that the door jamb needs to still be in excellent condition. You can repaint or re-stain the jamb if needed but if it needs any more than that this may be the wrong door type to opt for. It can be repainted or re-stained if necessary, but any more than that shouldn’t be needed.
Custom-made Front Doors
After use of use doors can settle, sometimes a little—requiring minor tweaking—and sometimes a lot—requiring replacement of the entire entry system. This is where a custom made front door may be the best choice. Replacing a door and its jamb and all of the surrounding hardware is a real challenge for even experienced DIY fans, so it’s a job perhaps best left to the pros. In addition, a custom made door is also almost always a unique installation, something that could help your home stand out from the crowd.
Pre-hung Front Doors
A pre-hung door unit is a rather new construction innovation and has rapidly has become the do-it-yourselfer’s favourite way to replace an entire entry system. Basically, the new door is manufactured pre-hung in new jambs, with weatherstripping systems and hardware included as well. Pre-hung units are available in standard door sizes at big box home stores (like Lowes) but they can be custom re-built to fit almost any size entry for just a few dollars more.
Although they actually sound perfect, the only possible downside of a pre-hung door is that it’s not going to be all that unique, as it’s a mass produced, bulk sold item. You can make up for that however by choosing different hardware or painting the door a different colour.
New Front Door Before and After Inspirations
Not sure that a new front door would really make that much of a difference? Check out some of the before and after examples below and you might just change your mind.