Antique Cape
There is nothing quite like a traditional wood entry door, especially one festooned with a balsam wreath for the holidays. Wooden doors are lovely. We’ve installed and built a lot of them for our clients here on the coast of Maine. There are pros and cons to everything though. We tell our clients that whether we build a custom door in our shop or purchase a factory made door and install it, there are things they should know before making their decision.
Wood is an organic material, one that swells and contracts with a change in moisture and temperature. You can minimize that problem by coating every exposed surface, including the top and bottom but you cannot completely stop the movement of wood. Wood will contract in the winter when the air is very dry and freezing cold. Artic air will shoot through any resulting void like a bullet. There are no manufacturers, to our knowledge, that will provide the same warranty for a solid wood door as for a composite or a steel door.
One solution is to build an entryway around your door. A glassed in entryway would allow the door to be visible while protecting the door and providing shelter for people, pets, and plants. Every exterior door should be ideally protected by some type of roof or entry way. An enclosed entry provides a thermal block thereby increasing the energy efficiency of your home.
Daggett Builders, Inc can provide you with a solarium entryway or custom skylights.