This painted fibreglass door is smart, modern and inexpensive.


be made from depends on your budget, and your concern about maintenance and aesthetic impact. Fibreglass


Fibreglass doors are inexpensive.


They are tough, maintenance-free and can be made to mimic wood. They are usually filled with a polyurethane foam insulation and often set in a framework of wooden stiles and rails – the verti- cal frames (stiles) that define the edges of the door and the horizontal panels (rails) within it. The rails and stiles are what give the door its three-dimension- al quality. Lock sets are often installed in the wooden stile (outer frame) of a fiberglass door. Wooden strips are often used on the


edges to complete the wood imitation effect. On the downside,


these doors


can crack upon high impact (that hard kick at the door). Steel and aluminum


Steel doors are also inexpensive. They


are stronger than wood or fibreglass and very long-lasting and maintenance–free, especially the premium varieties which have baked-on vinyl coatings. The doors can be painted, and often


Nothing outshines real wood. Wooden doors should be set away from the full blast of the weather.


26 • Home and Gardener Living


come with wooden trim to make them look authentic. They can be coated with a wooden laminate (look for at least 1/6th inch thickness to ensure a quality veneer). They are filled with high-densi- ty foam insulation to make them energy efficient.


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