Need Door Replacement In Denver? Read Our 2018 Door Energy Efficiency Guide First

Your Entry And Patio Doors Play A Huge Part In The Overall Energy Efficiency Of Your Home

Here’s What You Need To Know To Ensure The Best Efficiency From Your Denver Door Replacement Project.

As you probably noticed, Denver winters can get pretty cold. And if your entry door or patio doors are at least 10 years old, those cold temperatures are likely seeping through them and into your home.

Why? Doors that are a little “long in the tooth” have typically lost a good chunk of their energy-efficient properties. They may not fit as tightly as they once did. They may have warped, causing gaps that let in drafts. Or they may simply not have the state-of-the-art energy-efficient features that many of today’s replacement doors do. No matter what the issues are, they all result in the same thing: higher energy bills and an uncomfortable home.

So if you’re considering door replacement in Denver, it’s best to go into the buying process armed with the proper knowledge about door energy efficiency. To help you, we’ve created the 2018 Denver Homeowners Guide To Replacement Door Energy Efficiency.

In this guide, which you can read below, we explain…

• What makes a door energy efficient
• The ins-and-outs of R-value
• Energy factors to consider other than R-value
• Patio door energy efficiency

Let’s get started by looking at entry doors…

What Makes Entry Doors Energy Efficient?

Not all front doors have the same features. Some may contain glass, some may come with sidelites, and others may be made of a different material than your current (and probably wood) entry door. That said, the diagram below provides a good idea of the energy-efficient components of which an entry door consists.  

Image Credit: energystar.gov

Notable Components:

• Core Materials:Modern steel and fiberglass entry doors are filled with polyurethane, which is an insulating foam.  This helps prevent energy flow through the door, which aids in keeping the cold outdoor air from entering your home.
• Glass: While an entry door containing glass will be less energy efficient than a door without, the glass used in modern entry doors is made with state-of-the-art technology that minimizes energy transfer. Some of these components include low-e coating, multiple panes of glass, and special insulating gas between the glass panes.
• Weather Stripping & Proper Installation:Just a 1/8″ gap between the door and frame causes the same energy loss as drilling a 5½” hole through the middle of the door. This is why quality weather stripping and tight installation is so important to door replacement.

The Facts About Entry Door R-Value

If you have already begun researching door replacement in Denver, you have probably read about R-value. R-value measures heat-flow resistance through a material. The heat-flow resistance is determined by the insulating properties of the actual materials. The average R-value of steel and fiberglass entry doors is between R-5 and R-6 (not including any glass in the door). Certain fiberglass entry doors can have an R-value as high as R-15.

Different insulation materials have different R-values. For instance, polyurethane offers better R-value than polystyrene because of its composition and the fact that it expands once injected inside the core of the door.

But R-Value Is Only Part Of The Equation…

Energy can flow through an entry door in a number of ways. But only one is measured with R-value. Here are the different ways energy can move through your door…

1. Conduction:Conduction is what R-value measures. Conduction occurs when particles collide to create potential energy and kinetic energy. Conduction happens in the actual physical parts of the door, such as the slab, jamb, and sill.
2. Radiation:You can feel a bonfire from six feet away or the sun from 93-million miles away because of radiation. Low-wavelength, invisible infrared radiation can carry heat directly from warm objects to cooler objects while requiring NO contact between the heat source and the heated object.
3. Air Infiltration:This determines energy transfer in any potential gaps between the parts of a door (such as the frame and slab). If drafts seep under or around the door, the door has poor air infiltration. Weather stripping and tight installation will stop air infiltration. Ways to stop air infiltration are weather stripping and tight installation.
4. Convection: We’ve all heard the phrase “heat rises.” The scientific term for this is convection.Convection is the process of heat rising and cold air sinking. Convection occurs when an object gives up heat to a cooler surface. The heat then sinks downward, forcing cold air to move because of the density differences in the air.

What About Patio Door Energy Efficiency?

In terms of energy efficiency, a patio door is more similar to a window than an entry door. This is because patio doors are made mostly of glass. For a solid guideline to patio door energy efficiency, visit our Window Energy Efficiency page. All of the aspects of window energy efficiency also apply to patio doors.

Need More Info About Door Replacement In Denver?

If you need door replacement in Denver, Zen Windows has got you covered. Visit the Patio Doors and Entry Doors pages of this website for details about our superb selection. All of our replacement doors meet or exceed Energy Star standards for energy efficiency.

Thanks!

Kyle Derstler
Owner