Material Matters for Metal Exterior Doors

Metal exterior doors offer the most bang for the buck when it comes to choosing a door for your home or business. But there are certain material matters that should be considered for metal exterior doors.

Size

Obviously metal exterior doors can't be cut down to size by even the handiest of homeowners, so it's important to choose the correct size for your doorway. Standard doorways measure 36 inches in most modern homes and businesses, older homes may have some 30 inch exterior doorways. Make sure to measure the opening carefully - not only the height and the width, but the depth.

Finishes

Metal exterior doors are offered in virtually every color under the sun. They can be painted or stained to mimic wood as well. Steel exterior doors offer the most options for finishes, with some doors offering a 'baked on' finish to keep the look longer lasting. Aluminum metal doors, on the other hand, offer a more limited range of finishing options, but can offer more rust and corrosion resistance in the trade-off.

Cost

Metal exterior doors typically cost less than their wood and fiberglass counterparts. Metal exterior doors can be purchased for as little as $130 for a standard hollow-core steel door to a luxury home pre-hung door system with glass inserts, upgrades and sidelights. These metal door systems can run into the thousands, but often the cost of a metal exterior door can be recouped in the value added to the home.

Metal exterior doors are going to give a business or residence the most value for the money spent. Considering the advantages of metal doors, it's going to be money well spent.