Renovation Solutions: Why upgrading your front door will help you save money on your energy bill

Editor's note: A version of this column has previously run on deseretnews.com and the authors' blog, renovationdesigngroup.com.

Energy-efficient updates are a good idea any time of the year. There is, however, a more measurable and meaningful reason to go green during the colder months. You can ease the pain of the winter heating bill by making a few simple changes to your outside doors. These simple changes can enhance the energy efficiency of your entire house, keeping you warmer and saving you money all winter long.

Doors and windows are basically large holes cut in the thermal envelope of your house. Even under the best of conditions, the R-value (the measure of the thermal resistance of a material or assembly) of doors and windows is significantly less than that of the wall in which they sit. Without the proper unit or correct installation, air and heat may be leaking out, driving up your energy bill.

There are three common types of exterior door materials: wood, fiberglass and steel. Of these, wood is the most beautiful, but it is also the least energy efficient. Insulated doors have a core of foam insulation, which increases thermal resistance. Any glass within the door frame should also be insulated, meaning two panes of glass at a minimum. This is especially important if the doors are mostly glass, such as patio (sliding) or French doors.

Energy.gov explains the energy efficiency of the different doors by the R-values:

"The R-values of most steel and fiberglass-clad entry doors range from R-5 to R-6 (not including the effects of a window). For example: A 1 inch (3.81 cm) thick insulated door without a window offers more than five times the insulating value of a solid wood door of the same size.

"Glass or 'patio' doors, especially sliding glass doors, lose heat much faster than other types of doors because glass is a very poor insulator. Most modern glass doors with metal frames have a thermal break, which is a plastic insulator between the inner and outer parts of the frame that interrupts the transfer of cold to the interior of the assembly."

"Models with several layers of glass, low-emissivity coatings, and/or low-conductivity gases between the glass panes are a good investment, especially in extreme climates," according to energy.gov.

Over the long run, the additional cost of the unit is paid back many times over in energy savings.

Once you have selected an energy-efficient door unit, care must be taken to install it correctly. Proper weatherstripping is critical to keeping air from leaking. Updating the weatherstripping on an existing front door is a useful exercise, even if you are not replacing the door.

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Renovation Solutions: Why upgrading your front door will help you save money on your energy bill