Doors

Exterior Door Buying Guide

Posted on by Home Surplus Blog
18
Jul

If your home is in the market for new exterior doors, you already know you want them to be stylish, affordable and above all, secure. Still, navigating what may seem like endless options for front, side and patio doors is not only time consuming, but it can also be daunting and confusing. What materials are best? Where should you even begin? To help you get started, we’ve addressed these questions and more with this 5-step guide to buying exterior doors at Home Surplus.

#1 – Understand the Terminology

The best place to start when shopping for new exterior doors is by understanding what you’re getting into. During the process of purchasing your doors, you’ll most likely hear the following terminology:

  • Inswing – when a door opens inward
  • Jamb – the distance between the two vertical portions of a door frame, from which the door is hung
  • Outswing – when a door opens outward
  • Prehung – includes both the door and door frame
  • Rough Opening – the distance of the hole in the wall that the prehung door fits into
  • Sidelights – narrow, vertical windows on the side(s) of the door
  • Slab – doors that do not include a door frame
  • Transom – the window above the door that’s embedded into the door frame

#2 – Measure Your Entryway

Before you head to Home Surplus for your new exterior doors, you’ll need to measure your existing door and door frame. After all, your new doors need to fit your exact specifications in order to secure your home from the weather, vermin and potential intruders. To accomplish this, follow these steps:

  1. Open the door.
  2. Measure the height of the door vertically, from the floor to the top of the door jamb. Do not include the frame.
  3. Measure the doorway width in three areas – near the top, in the middle and near the bottom – and use the shortest distance should the measurements differ.
  4. Measure the door jamb width from edge to edge.
  5. Download our Door Measuring Guide from homesurplus.com

#3 – Pick the Most Ideal Material

Next, determine which material is most suitable for your home. This can depend on a number of factors, including typical weather conditions, the type of neighborhood you live in, longevity, maintenance needs, cost, and more. At Home Surplus, we offer six different materials in our selection of exterior doors, including:

If you’re not sure which material is right for your home, don’t worry. Our experienced staff at either of our Home Surplus locations in Camden or Monmouth counties will point you in the right direction.

#4 – Select Your Door Style

After you’ve chosen your material, you’ll need to select which style you’d like your exterior doors to be. Whether you want windows or no windows, we offer dozens of looks to show off your personal taste and complement your home. With so many options, there are several considerations to make, such as:

  • Various styles of glass, such as full glass, 3-quarter window, craftsmen, full oval, bullet and more
  • An array of colors including espresso, mahogany, black and bronze wrought iron, and primed white
  • A selection of pre-hung models, with some including sidelites, transoms, and enclosed mini-blinds

#5 – Start Your Project at Home Surplus

Whether you’re planning on handling the installment yourself or hiring a contractor to complete the job, start your project off on the right foot by purchasing your doors, hardware and other accessories at Home Surplus. Our helpful staff will send you home with the perfect combination of products that adhere to your style preferences and securely fit your exact specifications. To learn more, contact Home Surplus today.