Choosing and Installing Exterior Doors: What Homeowners Should Know
By Paul Rigan, Installation Manager, MANS Lumber & Home
If you’re looking to make a meaningful improvement to your home’s curb appeal, few upgrades deliver as much impact (and affordability) as a new exterior door. Whether you’re replacing an old, drafty entry or simply tired of the outdated style of your current front door, the right design, product and installation can transform your home’s appearance and performance, practically overnight!
How to Know When It’s Time to Replace a Door
Most door replacements come down to two reasons: upgrading the look or addressing a failing door. Older doors often show their age through drafts, visible daylight around the frame, fogged or single-pane glass, or signs of rot or rust. You might even notice water infiltration during heavy rain. These are indicators that it’s time for a change—not just for aesthetics, but for comfort and efficiency, too.
That said, many homeowners today replace doors primarily to modernize their home’s appearance. It’s a highly visible change and, compared to other exterior upgrades, one of the more cost-effective ways to boost your home’s value and charm.
Understanding Door Materials
At MANS Lumber & Home, we guide customers through three main categories of exterior doors, each with distinct advantages:
Steel Doors – Often used in new builds as a builder-grade option, steel doors are functional and affordable. However, they can dent, rust, and lack the warmth of other materials.Fiberglass Doors – This is our most popular choice, and for good reason. Fiberglass doors resist rot and rust, provide excellent insulation, and come in smooth or wood-grain textures that can be painted or stained. They deliver strong performance with minimal maintenance.Wood Doors – The timeless, authentic option. Wood offers rich color and texture, making it ideal for historic or high-end applications. It does require regular upkeep and carries a higher price tag, but for homeowners who love the character of natural wood, nothing else compares. In some older communities, wood doors are mandated by ordinance, making the timeless classic a welcome option for those who have no other choice.
Entry systems speak volumes about your style and home functionality. We can get manufactured pre-hung exterior doors or we can pre-hang them for you right here at our facility. There are so many choices in exterior doors and a big difference between materials and styles— not to mention all the different glass options.
Ultimately, material selection is both practical and emotional. Some homeowners value the durability of fiberglass, while others can’t imagine anything but the warmth of wood. Our role is to help narrow those choices based on your home’s architecture, maintenance preferences, and personal taste.
(Want to explore options? Visit Therma-Tru and Simpson Door Company to see some of the high-quality brands we carry, among many.)
The Importance of Professional Installation
Of course, a beautiful door is only as good as its installation. Proper fit and sealing are critical for energy efficiency and long-term performance. We’ve seen far too many cases where low-bid installers skipped key steps like setting the sill in a bed of caulk or using the right insulating foam. Even the best product can fail if not installed to manufacturer standards.
At MANS, our carefully vetted and approved installers are experienced professionals who stay up to date with current materials and techniques. We follow every manufacturer’s recommendation, using the right sealants, fasteners, and foams to ensure a weather-tight fit. More importantly, we stand behind every project. If something doesn’t look or feel right, we’ll make it right. That’s part of our 125-year commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
Seasonality and Timing
It’s starting to get cold out there, and another winter in Michigan awaits. The turn of the calendar and weather combined prompts many homeowners to consider replacing their doors, either because they can feel the cold getting in or because they want to make sure their energy efficiency gains are in place before the deep freeze kicks in.
That said, we install exterior doors year-round. Modern sealants and insulating foams are designed to perform even in cold temperatures, so scheduling is mostly a matter of homeowner comfort. If extreme weather is in the forecast—whether rain, heat, or deep freeze—we simply reschedule for optimal conditions.
If you’re considering an exterior door replacement, we invite you to call or visit your nearest MANS Lumber & Home showroom https://manslumber.com/products/doors/ .
Paul Rigan is Installation Manager at MANS Lumber & Home Have a question for him about exterior doors and installation? He can be reached at 734-217-3266.
