It is time to change the way you make an entrance. You can do this by installing energy-efficient doors instead of your creaky old energy-consuming ones that have lost their appeal. So if you are thinking of bringing this wise change, you are heading in the right direction. Let’s find out why homeowners are now more inclined towards insulated front doors that are so energy efficient. 

Why choose energy-efficient doors?

Sure, a new door would look nice and aesthetic — but we don’t stop here when it comes to energy-efficient door replacements. Here are a few things that will add to the benefits of fitting an energy-saving door. 

• Reduced electric bill charges; higher efficiency
• Equipped for insulating indoors in all weather conditions
• Comfort consistent throughout your household
• Sunlight that filters enough to light up the rooms without the scorching heat
• Furniture will no longer be fading
• Most importantly: reducing your carbon footprint

Obviously, front doors are not directly “environment-friendly,” but we talk about how if a door is designed a certain way, it can help reduce the energy used to heat or cool a home (i.e., air conditioners and heaters). 

During extreme temperatures, the interior of your house would be difficult to insulate or cool down, due to poor insulation or improper installation of windows/doors. Here, doors that are specifically energy-efficient help out. 

What are doors made of and how energy-efficient are they?

The majority of entry doors are manufactured and offered for sale in a pre-hung form that comprises the door slab (the door by itself minus the frame), the frame (which includes the sill), hinges, and hardware. Only when the complete device is replaced can the energy efficiency be increased.

Doors are categorised by the material of the door slab, not the framing material, when purchasing a complete door/frame system and material type. Unlike wood doors, which are normally solid wood without any inner insulation, metal and fibreglass doors are really made of metal or fibreglass skins encasing a sturdy frame with a fine layer of insulation.

Fibreglass doors are typically regarded as the most resilient and energy-efficient doors currently offered in the domestic door market when combined with a polyurethane insulation base, which is up to six times kinder to the environment than solid wood. 

Other energy-efficiency considerations

If we consider surface area-wise, the biggest in a door-fitting process is our door slab itself. This gives it a great deal of importance since most insulation and air contact are of this part. However, when we are scavenging the market for an energy-efficient solution to our door problem, the frame, frame insulation, weatherstripping and glass (if any) are just as essential. 

It must be taken into account that if all of the aforementioned components do not have the same insulation characteristics, the door’s overall U-factor and R-value takes a toll. So keep a keen eye for the collective properties of your door that you are using as a replacement. 

Glass and glazing

As a homeowner looking to make their house as energy-efficient as possible, you should heavily rely on glass in a door, which does reduce its energy efficiency, but many factors can help embellish its insulation value. 

• Higher low-E (low emissivity) glass will reflect heat from the interior and outside back to the source.
• Glass thickness can influence the overall effectiveness of windows (thicker is better).
• Multiple glass panes (glazing; 2 or 3) with an additional insulating layer that reflects or takes in heat and allows an ingress for low-conductive gases.

Cora Insulation and Slab Framing

Usually, a firm polyurethane foam insulation at the heart is stuffed in metal and fibreglass doors to reinforce, insulate, and assist control the temperature within the house.

A door slab can be made stronger with the use of metal, composite, and wood framing. On the other hand, each of these frame materials transfers or absorbs heat from the interior or exterior of the house. Although they might by themselves have either an advantageous or detrimental effect on energy efficiency, their combined door rating should have the most impression on your choice of purchasing.

Some manufacturers provide non-solid hardwood doors that feature a polyurethane foam core. This kind of entryway may have superior insulating qualities than wooden doors.

National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) vs Energy Star®

Despite most window and entrance door manufacturers using Energy Star® evaluating labels on their doors (instead of NFRC), it may come to your knowledge that some manufacturers use either label or even both labels, depending on where the product is made and whether or not it will be sold in the United States of America. Both methods of product evaluation base their ratings on the same things like the U-factor and R-value, etcetera. 

National Fenestration Rating Council evaluates windows, doors, and skylights in the US. When a product satisfies or exceeds government standards, Energy Star® issues a certification seal. The NFRC is dedicated to improving the constant development of doors, windows, and skylights, helping to increase the comfort and energy efficiency of buildings.

If we consider Canada, it's a different issue since NRC, or Natural Resource Canada, licenced independent testers test and assess all the same things. The relevant Energy Star® observations (Energy Performance Ratings) are then displayed below Natural Resources Canada on the website of the Canadian Government. It is all pretty simple and laid out right in front of you. 

Comparing products that have been Energy Star® accredited will, mostly, let you evaluate ratings for doors distributed all over the world. A prestigious assessment may as well be, but this way, it will be way easier for you to compare your doors!

Conclusion

You have decided to buy a cost-cutting door instalment. Good, that’s the first step to a greener future. Now all you need to look out for are the other components that improve the energy efficiency of your home and the better rating system (Energy Star®) that allows fair evolution of your chosen door. Thus begins your journey by heeding to a healthier ecosystem, and lower electricity bills all year round.