Structure & Envelope · Exterior doors
Front doors and patio doors built for snow country
Your front door is the one opening used every day, in every kind of weather. Every option here is a complete door system (door, frame, sill, and weatherstripping) sealed into the wall the same careful way we set a window.
Every option is compared on the same five things:
Front doors
Pick the door that greets you
None of these is better than the others: they're different looks with different upkeep. Relative cost compares the door system installed.
Smooth fiberglass door, factory painted
A smooth fiberglass door painted at the factory in almost any color. It won't warp, crack, or rot, and it insulates far better than wood.
- Look / Style
- Smooth and painted; modern or craftsman
- Maintenance
- Low
- Lifespan
- 30+ years
- Relative Cost
- $$
- Best For
- Bold colors, modern homes, low upkeep
Why people pick it
- Nearly any color, finished at the factory
- Very little upkeep
- Strong and well insulated
Trade-offs
- Lacks the depth and texture of real wood
Woodgrain fiberglass door
Fiberglass with a real wood-grain texture, stained at the factory. From the walk it looks like fir or oak, and it lasts like fiberglass.
- Look / Style
- Stained wood grain; rustic or classic
- Maintenance
- Low
- Lifespan
- 30+ years
- Relative Cost
- $$$
- Best For
- A wood look on a sunny or exposed wall
Why people pick it
- The look of wood without the upkeep
- Won't warp in sun or cold
Trade-offs
- Costs more than smooth fiberglass
- Up close, not quite real wood
Solid wood door
A real wood door with true warmth and character. It does best under a deep porch roof, since sun and weather mean refinishing every few years.
- Look / Style
- Natural wood; cabin or craftsman
- Maintenance
- High
- Lifespan
- 20-30+ years with care
- Relative Cost
- $$$
- Best For
- Covered entries and cabin style
Why people pick it
- Real wood warmth and character
- Can be refinished and repaired
Trade-offs
- Needs refinishing every few years on exposed walls
- Can swell or move with the seasons
Aluminum-clad fir door
A Loewen door to match Loewen windows: solid fir inside, aluminum outside in the same colors, with the most glass and custom sizes.
- Look / Style
- Wood inside, metal outside; modern or timber
- Maintenance
- Low
- Lifespan
- 40+ years
- Relative Cost
- $$$$
- Best For
- Homes with Loewen windows; statement entries
Why people pick it
- Matches Best-line windows
- Wood inside, maintenance-free metal outside
- Large glass and custom sizes
Trade-offs
- Highest cost and longest lead time
Side by side
| Tag | Smooth fiberglass door, factory painted | Woodgrain fiberglass door | Solid wood door | Aluminum-clad fir door |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Look / Style | Smooth and painted; modern or craftsman | Stained wood grain; rustic or classic | Natural wood; cabin or craftsman | Wood inside, metal outside; modern or timber |
| Maintenance | Low | Low | High | Low |
| Lifespan | 30+ years | 30+ years | 20-30+ years with care | 40+ years |
| Relative Cost | $$ | $$$ | $$$ | $$$$ |
| Best For | Bold colors, modern homes, low upkeep | A wood look on a sunny or exposed wall | Covered entries and cabin style | Homes with Loewen windows; statement entries |
Patio & terrace doors
Glass doors to the deck
Glass doors to the deck come from the same line as your windows, so they match. Choose how they open.
Sliding glass door
One glass panel slides past a fixed one, so nothing swings into the room or onto the deck.
In every window line.
- Look / Style
- Wide glass, simple lines
- Maintenance
- Medium
- Lifespan
- 20-40 years (by window line)
- Relative Cost
- $
- Best For
- Decks and tight rooms
Why people pick it
- Saves floor and deck space
- Lots of glass for the price
Trade-offs
- Seals less tightly than a hinged door
- Tracks need cleaning and can ice up at the sill
Hinged terrace (French) door
One or two glass doors that swing like an entry door. They seal tighter than a slider and have a classic look.
In the fiberglass and clad-wood lines.
- Look / Style
- Classic French doors
- Maintenance
- Low
- Lifespan
- 30-40 years
- Relative Cost
- $$
- Best For
- Traditional homes; patios under a roof
Why people pick it
- Seals tighter than a slider
- A pair opens the full width
Trade-offs
- Needs clear floor space to swing
- An outswing door can be blocked by snow
Lift-slide door
Large glass panels lift onto rollers with a turn of the handle, glide open with one hand, then drop down to seal tight. The way to open a whole wall onto the deck.
In the clad-wood line.
- Look / Style
- A wall of glass; modern mountain
- Maintenance
- Low
- Lifespan
- 40+ years
- Relative Cost
- $$$$
- Best For
- Great rooms opening to a view deck
Why people pick it
- Huge openings that are easy to move
- Seals tight when closed
Trade-offs
- Highest cost and long lead time
- Very heavy: needs a big header and careful installation
Garage doors
Pick your garage door within an allowance
Your garage door is an allowance: a budget set aside in your estimate. You pick the style and color, and the local crew we work with orders and installs it.
Garage door allowance
An insulated steel garage door sized to your opening. You pick the model and color on Wayne-Dalton's online visualizer, and the local crew we work with orders and installs it.
Covers
- See the door on a photo of your house before you choose
- Wide range of styles and colors
- Installed and adjusted by a local crew
Relative cost: $$
- 1We set the allowanceYour estimate includes a budget for each garage door, based on your plans.
- 2You pickChoose the style and color on Wayne-Dalton's online visualizer, which shows the door on a photo of your house.
- 3We settle upSpend more and the difference is added; spend less and it's credited.
Set by your windows and envelope package
Glass, frame, and how they're set in the wall
Patio doors come from the same line as your windows, with glass matched to your envelope package. Every exterior door, front or patio, is set and sealed the same careful way we install a window.
Patio door frame and color match your window line
Glass matched to your envelope package
Any water that gets in is directed back out
Sloped pan under every door sill, sealed to the weather barrier
FAQ
Common questions
Is a fiberglass or wood front door better?
Fiberglass won't warp, crack, or rot, and it insulates far better than wood, which matters on a door facing winter storms. A wood door has unmatched warmth and character, but it needs refinishing every few years, especially on a sunny wall.
Can a fiberglass door look like wood?
Yes. Woodgrain fiberglass doors have a real grain texture and are stained at the factory. From the walk most people can't tell, and they hold up far better than wood.
Sliding or French patio door?
A slider saves space since nothing swings into the room. A hinged terrace (French) door seals tighter and has a classic look, but needs room to open. For a wide opening onto a deck, a lift-slide door moves big glass panels with very little effort.
Want to see these in person?
We'll look at door samples with you during pre-construction and price the options on your plans.