For almost seven years, the Hackel’s front entrance sat transparent with a mostly glass patio door front entrance which didn’t exactly fit in with the grandeur of the rest of the home.

“We really wanted to increase the curb appeal of the house and we thought we could do it through a front entry makeover,” says homeowner Christine Hackel. Curb appeal is often what you think of when you’re trying to sell your house, but it’s also about the first impression your home makes on your visitors.

If your front entryway does not give off the right impression, as in the Hackel’s case, you might want to consider a makeover. They liked the warmth and charm offered by a wood door which was a better fit for their cottage-style house. An oversize 8’ door was most appropriate for the 10’ ceiling height and the coastal location of their home meant humidity and high winds were concerns. With advice from both the contractor and door manufacturer indicating that a fiberglass door was a better solution, the Hackel’s chose to replace their outdated front door with a fiberglass door. First introduced in the eighties, fiberglass doors have been growing in popularity.

“The new door not only looks better, but it has practicality built into it,” says Hackel. According to Therma-Tru Corporation, a manufacturer of exterior door systems, the “practicality” is the fact that they offer the look and feel of a wood front door but without all the problems associated with wood such as splitting, cracking and warping. Fiberglass doors are also becoming a popular replacement for steel front doors, which tend to dent, rust and corrode over time.

The Hackel’s front door looks and even feels like a mahogany wood door. It looks more elegant than the previous door, offers more privacy and is a more practical choice for the humid climate of the South. Their new door will stay the same dimensions all the time, regardless of the humidity.

Another facet of the door’s “practicality” is potential savings on energy costs. Fiberglass doors offer as much as five times the insulation value of wood doors. You may not even be aware of the energy loss in your home that’s just heading out the door. “The door opening can be a major source of energy loss,” said Jim McElroy, General Manager, Product Marketing for Therma-Tru Doors. “There are some simple solutions consumers can take to reduce air infiltration. However, if the door slab and frame are low-quality materials and are warped or cracked, you’ll need to replace them with a high quality door system.”

Here are some signs that your door is not energy efficient:

• If you can see light coming in the door opening, that means the outside air is also getting in.
• If the interior of your door feels hot on hot days and cold on cold days, it’s probably not insulated properly.
• If your door feels tight on humid days, it’s probably swelling and that means it’s leaking air on drier days.

If your door doesn’t pass the above tests, it might be time to replace it. When remodeling your entryway, remember that you’re not just replacing the door. Just as important as the door itself—the components that go with it. Make sure your contractor uses high-quality locking systems, hinges, sill plates and weatherstripping as well.

And then, getting back to that whole curb appeal idea, when you are ready to sell our home, that beautiful entryway will help you sell your home faster and for a higher price. Many realtors say upgrading your entryway yields a higher return on investment than other remodeling projects.