Why Cheap Front Doors Aren’t a Smart Choice

If the word “cheap” is used to describe your front door, then you may want to seriously consider a major upgrade.  Front doors aren’t an aspect of your home that you should skimp out on.

Although you may initially question the costs behind investing in this initial threshold into your home, you’ll soon discover all of the flaws that come with not doing so.

Cheap Front Doors Welcome in a Barrage of Problems

Thinking about saving some money upfront by purchasing a low-cost front door to your home?  You may want to reconsider because it will cost you. Here are the top 5 reasons why a cheap front door is not worth the investment. 

1. A Cheap Front Door Isn’t Energy Efficient

Front doors are critical to your home’s energy efficiency as windows.  Any part of your home that can open itself up to the outside to allow air to escape and pass-through is vulnerable. It’s the duty of the manufacturer to create a product that will seal to the best of its ability.

Well, cheap front doors aren’t really made to be energy efficient.  They’re made to be cost-effective, throwing all other necessities aside in the process.

You’ll notice soon enough that a cheap front door isn’t helping your monthly energy bills.  Even with weather stripping and installing a good door seal, a poorly constructed front door will never be as energy efficient as a high-quality one.

2. A Host of Security Problems

Right off the bat, a cheap front door has one prevailing, immediate issue that comes to mind: security.  Rather, it’s a lack of security.  “Cheap” and “door” are part of an equation that excites intruders because it means it won’t take much to bust it down to get inside.

If you didn’t pay much for your front door, then it likely means that the material isn’t made of high-quality, durable steel or fiberglass.

A breakable, weaker material that’s easy for manufacturers to churn out on a cheap price directly translates to virtually no security for this entryway for your house.  For the best security for your front door, you’ll want to entertain steel as the material of choice, as it’s stronger than both wood and fiberglass.

3. Repairs, Repairs, Repairs

You get what you pay for—that’s the infamous saying, and with a cheap front door, it sure rings true.  For the majority of things that are manufactured like appliances, technological gadgets, clothing, and tools, if you buy cheap, you’ll end up paying the price later—literally.

Manufacturers who are able to sell their items and products at such shockingly low costs have without a doubt cut corners in the manufacturing process.

For you, this means your cheap front door is going to have a steady need of repairs over the course of its lifetime.  With its parts not manufactured to high-quality standards, things like hinges, screws, weather stripping materials, doorknobs, and other materials are likely to see disrepair faster than that of a more expensive, but better-manufactured door.

Ultimately, you can pay more for a premium front door and skip the costly repairs, or save money on a cheap front door’s initial costs, but spend time, efforts, and cash on fixing it later.  Which sounds better?

4. Degrading Looks

A cheap front door may seem like a good idea with its low price tempting you at the store, and you can’t argue that it sure looks as good as any other door…right?

Wrong!  You can expect those looks to fade quickly.  A cheap front door isn’t built to retain its looks; it’s built with cheap materials and it’s designed to sell fast.

You can bet that the manufacturer did the bare minimum to weatherproof the front door or used materials that can’t withstand against the outside elements.

5. Can’t Stand Up Against Weather

A reliable, high-quality front door is crafted to hold its own against nasty weather like rain, snow, and extreme temperatures.  Moisture resistance can help protect the doorframe and its jambs against problems like wood rot.

A cheaply made front door won’t be built in such capacity, so you can expect wear and tear to show signs early on. So, that new, low-cost front door you’ve just purchased probably won’t look the same in a few months, especially if you live in an area prone to extreme temperature shifts and harsh weather, causing cracks, warping, and paint chips.

You’re Wasting Your Money

In the long run, you’ll end up saving money by purchasing a more expensive, higher-quality door for the front of your home.

If you’re on a tight budget, consider cutting back on other home improvement projects, but as you know by now, if you buy a cheaply manufactured front door, you’ll pay for it in repairs, in its degrading looks, in your energy bills, and in the worst-case scenario, a possible security breach.

At Feldco, our front doors are specifically made for the midwest. Everything from measurement to hardware, the door is customized to fit your entryway. Speak to a product specialist and get a free quote online today.