A: So, at the Window Source of San Antonio, we offer a variety of entry doors—anywhere from fiberglass to steel. We do highly recommend that you replace your door with a fiberglass door. It is polyurethane foam-filled. We do put a composite jamb, so it prevents any rotting on the jambs and a composite seal so, it doesn’t leak. So, we do replace with fiberglass.

Your front door is a defining feature of your home’s exterior. It’s the first thing people see when they come to your home. More importantly, it’s your first line of defense from the elements that make Texas weather infamous. Blistering heat, violent thunderstorms, and yes, even the occasional snowstorm. You really never know what you’re getting with Texas weather.

If you’ve been shopping for exterior doors in San Antonio, you’ve probably realized there’s a major decision to be made right off the bat.

Do you buy wood, steel, or fiberglass?

Well, there’s really no definitive answer to that question as it is quite subjective. What you really need to do is learn the differences between materials and their characteristics. After all, buying exterior doors in San Antonio is as personal as buying clothes.

Fiberglass, Wood, Or Steel Exterior Doors In San Antonio?

When it comes to choosing the right exterior doors in San Antonio for your home, you have to understand what each material brings to the table. Also, keep in mind the location of the entry door as the style for a front door is typically different than a back door.

If you’re one of those #TLDR (too long didn’t read) people, here are the quick answers. If you want longevity, fiberglass. If you want traditional aesthetics, wood. If you want a budget-friendly option, go steel.

Ok, so for those of you sticking around for the complete rundown, keep reading.

Fiberglass Exterior Doors

Fiberglass offers the best compromise between traditional aesthetics, durability, and insulative qualities. Fiberglass exterior doors in San Antonio are a hot ticket. They’re made from two sides of molded fiberglass with a thick polyurethane core wedged in between and sealed in.

This process leaves you with the most energy-efficient and durable entry door option in existence. The benefits they offer are:

Low Maintenance — Fiberglass is a composite material, so it doesn’t fade easily, nor crack or chip. Its color is baked in so maintenance is absolutely minimal. Of all three door materials, fiberglass is the lowest in maintenance by a long shot.
Durability — While being low maintenance, fiberglass exterior doors are also very durable as previously mentioned. In most comparisons, all things being equal, a fiberglass door will maintain its appearance much longer than wood or metal.
Energy Efficiency — Fiberglass doors were designed to be very energy efficient as well. Whereas you can order a metal or wood door and pay for extra insulation—fiberglass makes it standard.
Customizability — Since they are a composite material, there are tons of options, styles, and finishes available. There’s even finishes that mimic real wood grain, and the results are quite convincing.
Cost — In general, there is a larger upfront cost for fiberglass exterior doors compared with wood and metal. However the increased energy efficiency, low maintenance, and longevity balance it all out. All in all, fiberglass is still the better value.

Wood Exterior Doors

A wood exterior door does offer an admittedly beautiful, classic touch to any home. However, the drawbacks of wood doors negate that feature. Unfortunately, wood doors are very high maintenance and very susceptible to warping cracking and need to be painted often. even though wood is naturally energy efficient in the long run it’s just not very cost-effective. That being said, there are a few positives that wood doors bring to the table.

Character & Style — wood is without a doubt the go-to material if you’re trying to achieve historical authenticity in an older home. Additionally, if you’re trying to create something architecturally unique, wood gives you that from-scratch capability. Wood is undoubtedly the go-to material if you’re trying to achieve a high-end, architecturally unique entryway.
Easy Repairs— Although wood is susceptible to damage and it’s not as durable as fiberglass, at least it is easy to repair. A little bit of sanding and maybe repainting or restaining is all it takes to repair minor wear.
Energy Efficiency — Even the wood is not as energy efficient as fiberglass it is nice that it comes naturally energy efficient.

So, although wood does have its pros that it brings to the table it’s cons tend to take away from that. For one, a wood door cost quite a bit more than let’s say a budget-friendly metal door.

of course, we’ve also covered the maintenance costs that come with a wood door everything from staining and refinishing to painting and other upkeep.

Additionally, with the Texas thunderstorms that we’re known for, wood also has a tendency to take on moisture and warp, rot, or split— that’s going to be an expensive repair.

Steel Exterior Doors

Steel exterior doors in San Antonio are a great budget-friendly option for any home that just wants a simple and durable front or back door. They’re also very popular as garage and side doors and offer many advantages for any San Antonio homeowner:

Low Cost — Of All the exterior door materials available steel requires a very low upfront investment. You can find many varieties with installed doors all considerably less of an investment than wood or fiberglass. This all comes down to the fact that steel doors are far less expensive to manufacture.
Low Maintenance — Steel exterior doors also don’t require very much maintenance, unlike wood. They won’t rot or warp and they have great impact resistance as well.

But, As with anything in life everything has pros and cons and with steel doors, style is where they do lack. Unlike fiberglass and wood, steel doors are very flat with very little detail or customization available. Additionally, while they are very durable, steel doors can also dent easily when hit with the right object. Also, over time, if you don’t take good care of them and clean them, they do tend to rust.

One Last thing worth mentioning is that steel doors are not very energy efficient, so make sure you choose one with a foam core or it can get quite drafty.

Shop The Best Exterior Doors In San Antonio

No matter what your budget is or what style you’re home follows, we have the exterior doors to fit your lifestyle with world-class customer service. Contact us today and get a quote for the best entry doors in San Antonio!