This exterior doors construction guide will help you understand the construction of various exterior doors that should help you in buying and installation of an exterior door.

The exterior front entry door is the most important door in any home. It gives “first impression” to visitors and it is said “first impression is the last impression”. Choose your exterior door wisely and make this first good impression. A good looking from door with matching door hardware can leave good impression.

A wisely chosen front door can even improve/increase the value of your home. Give little attention to exterior doors and it will add to the overall appearance of your home. You can always update/replace the front door to increase appearance and value.

When I say “exterior door” it doesn’t necessarily means just the front door or entry door. Glass sliders, French doors, Patio doors and garage-access doors also fall ion "exterior doors." category.

You must have seen steel doors, plastic doors or fiberglass doors that look as if they are made from wood even they are not made from wood. These doors made from non-wood materials (steel, fiberglass, plastic etc) are in fact cheaper/ economical and strong and last lasting. They stimulate wood and add great appearance to the home. They even need less maintenance than wood doors.

All exterior and interior wood doors are made u of either softwoods or elegant hardwoods which is more durable than softwood.

Wood/wooden exterior door have been used for years now. They are always the first choice. But there has been shortage of wood for housing purposes due to large scale deforestation. Shortage in supply of wood has increased the cost. Hence people are looking for other cheaper yet satisfying alternative to wood.

Fiberglass-composite doors are made from a core of rigid insulation clad with a fiber-reinforced polymer.

Fiberglass doors are often embossed with artificial wood grain to give the look and appearance of wood.

Fiberglass doors are very common because of their appealing appearance, durability and cheaper price.

Steel exterior doors are made out of heavy-gauge galvanized steel over a core of rigid foam.

Steel doors are strong but do not imitate wood as good as fiberglass.

Steel doors have a polymer or vinyl coating. To give the appearance and look of wood, wood-grain are embossed.

Standard Size of Exterior Doors:

The standard size of most exterior door is 6 feet, 8 inches in height and 3 feet, 4 inches in width.

However, width of exterior door varies; it can be as narrow as 12-inches for cupboard doors and upto 8-foot or more in case of sliders.

Construction of flush doors is flat. Flush doors with flat surface have framing beneath a veneer surface. Flush doors may have blocks of hardwood, particleboard or any hollow-core material like corrugated cardboard.

Exterior flush doors often have a core of solid foam (A colloidal dispersion of a gas in a solid, such as polystyrene foam.). The face veneers are usually applied in two or more "cross-band" layers. Diagram of the right explains then construction of a flush door.

Panel doors are made from a framework of stiles and rails that hold wood panels.

Some panel doors use decorative glass tiles in place of wood panels. These pieces of glass are very decorative and are available in shapes and sizes. They can also be custom cut.

Panel doors are referred to by the number of panels in it. For e.g. a door with ten panels will be called ten-panel door and so on.

Diagram on the right explains the construction of a typical panel door.

When it comes to choosing the right exterior for your home, you need to make a wise decision. You choice will depend of the climate and whether in the place you live in, your own taste and lifestyle and budget.

A wood door will cost more than a glass door and will provide better insulation. A steel door will provide better insulation than glass and offers more security than both wood and glass.