The Pros And Cons Of Steel vs Fiberglass

Many Indiana homeowners think that deciding to replace their entry door is their final decision, but they’d be wrong. Once you’ve decided to create a new entry for your home, your first look at your choices will undoubtedly be a bit overwhelming.

You have to pick the door type, the glass inserts, whether you want sidelights, whether you want one of those sidelights to be hinged, whether you want a transom (after you google “transom”), and pick the hardware for your new door.

While our consultants at Clemens Home Solutions can help navigate the nearly endless combinations of options available to you, there’s one basic decision we can help you with here – steel or fiberglass.

Entry Door Materials

There are three main types of entry door materials: wood, fiberglass, and steel. While wood is unbeatable for texture and beauty, wood doors demand a ton of maintenance and a barrel full of cash but still can’t match the durability of either steel or fiberglass doors.

But someone who wants a wood door really wants a wood door. It’s a purely aesthetic decision with no concern for future expenses, so there’s no sense in going over the pros and cons of wood doors here.

So we will stick to steel vs fiberglass doors and what the differences are between the two.

But, let’s first go over the similarities between fiberglass and steel doors. They both share certain qualities, such as:

• Foam Interiors – all of our doors are foam-filled for superior insulative qualities. Depending on the amount and type of glass you choose for your door, our doors can equal or surpass the heat loss protection of a solid wall.
• Local Manufacturer – every door we sell is made by the same manufacturer, right here in Indiana. Using a local manufacturer ensures that our doors are of the highest quality and that any problems are resolved quickly. It also means that many aspects of the finish that are handled by machines for most national manufacturers are instead done by hand for a more authentic look.
• Options Galore – we have access to a nearly endless supply of glass and hardware options to create a truly unique look for your new entry door.
• Durability – all of our entry doors come with a Lifetime and Beyond warranty. With us, your next entry door is your last entry door for as long as you live in your home.
• The Clemens Guarantee – we can’t sell lifetime doors without offering equal coverage on our installation work. If your door ever has a problem caused by a mistake we made, we will fix it at zero cost to you. Period. And if we can’t fix it, we’ll refund every penny you paid for the project.

Now that we know what they can do let’s talk about the differences between steel and fiberglass entry doors.

Steel

Steel is synonymous with strength and resilience in our culture, and for good reason. Steel is a tough, durable material that lasts virtually forever when maintained properly, and our steel entry doors are no different.

Pros

• Virtually Indestructible
• Take Paint Easily
• Easily Repaired
• No Warping

Cons

• Dents Easily
• Can Rust if Not Maintained

As you can see, steel is a great door material with few downsides. The biggest issues are the denting and that it can rust if you allow scratches through the paint to go unrepaired.

Fiberglass

Fiberglass is a more recently developed door material than steel but is rapidly taking over as the preferred entry door material due to its reliability and ability to accommodate almost any home style.

Pros

• Will Not Rust
• Impervious To Weather
• Needs Near-Zero Maintenance
• No Warping, Peeling, or Chipping

Cons

• Not as Secure as Steel
• If Damaged, Are Difficult to Repair

Fiberglass is a fine door material that can be shaped to mimic just about any other material. While not as steadfast as a steel door, breaking through a fiberglass door still isn’t easy to do.

The biggest problem with fiberglass is that cracks and punctures can happen if you apply enough force and are difficult to repair.

Practical Considerations For Steel And Fiberglass Doors

For most homeowners, desires must give way to practicalities, and nothing is so practical as working within your budget. Both steel and fiberglass entry doors are less expensive than the high-end wood doors they often emulate.

Between the two, fiberglass doors require a larger investment than steel doors, though the race is closer with our doors. Our steel doors are of exceptional quality and come close to our fiberglass doors in cost.

Whichever way you decide to go, both steel and fiberglass are a fantastic choice for your home.

If your entry door is exposed completely to the elements, fiberglass may be the better choice for your home. If security is your number one concern, then you simply can’t beat steel doors for keeping out uninvited guests.

Your decision will most likely come down to an aesthetic detail that one door type is better at providing than the other.

If you want a new entry door for your East Central Indiana home, contact us at Clemens Home Solutions for a free estimate. Our consultants know all there is to know about our doors and can help you find the perfect new entry door for your home.