Hi Marlo -- Any foam core door would rate well, assuming it is well weatherstripped as well. The options among fiberglass-faced doors are huge, so I am a little surprised you can't find anything you like. They are stable, durable, and easy to maintain.
Steel doors are also made with foam cores. To my eye, they look less attractive than fiberglass, but among the more expensive versions are some that look pretty good. I have also made wood "sandwich" doors that have a foam board core overlayed with plywood or hardboard faces built up with applied "stiles" and "rails". Painted, they look like the customary solid wood doors (albeit fairly simple ones). I wouldn't advise using them except in protected locations (i.e., where they won't see much water). They are not as stable as the steel or fiberglass doors. Like solid wood doors, they warp with changes in humidity and temperature. You can minimize that with proper finishes, but you can't eliminate it. The downside of these doors is that they can be pretty thick. Of course, that gives them a substantial "feel" or heft, not a bad thing. Another option, less effective, would be to pair an ordinary wood door with a very efficient storm door. You can get those with foam cores as well. Keep in mind, though, that the glass area will degrade the thermal performance of the door. That's true for the primary doors as well, of course, but we tend to want a lot of glass or screened area in our storm doors. I guess a little soul searching is in order. What is attractive to you? Is it the artfulness of the door construction, an assemblage that pleases the eye? Is it the nature of the materials from which it is constructed? Are there some materials you especially like? If you can home in on what you most want, you can then narrow your search to the most energy-efficient choices within that realm. For excellent efficiency, your choices will be limited to foam-cored versions, of which there are many. Anything not available on the market can be custom fabricated if you want it badly enough. Good luck! Joel Gagnon At 03:41 PM 6/26/07 -0400, you wrote: >does anyone have advice about purchasing several exterior doors for our >home? i am a bit overwhelmed by choices and unimpressed by the appearance >of the fiberglass doors. i would like something attractive that has a very >good efficiency rating. is this possible? > >-marlo > > >_______________________________________________ >RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: >[email protected] >http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins >free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org _______________________________________________ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
