Front doors are important to the first impression your home makes, and they’re the first place many homeowners turn to when upgrading or changing the look of their home. Whether you’ve just purchased a new home with a front door that you don’t love or have decided it’s time to change the look of your entryway, it’s important to know and consider all of your options, especially when it comes to selecting the right door glass.
The right front door glass selection will last a long time, improve your home’s energy efficiency, and add value to your house—as well as improve the curb appeal. Oftentimes, the door itself is still in great condition with the glass being the main issue. In situations like this, you may opt to replace the front door glass.
Reasons to replace front door glass
There are a variety of reasons why one might need to replace the glass in their front door. Understanding some of the common situations can help you identify which replacement options may be best suited for you when it comes to replacing your front door glass. Let’s take a look at a few of the most common.
1. Your exterior door glass has suffered damage
The easiest way to determine whether you need to replace front door glass is if the glass has suffered physical damage. This might be cracks, breaks, or chips around the edges. In this case, it’s important to inspect both the exterior and interior sides of the glass section. While it’s not always necessary to replace your front door glass if the damage is not that extensive, it’s possible the damage can worsen and result in a less effective entryway in terms of efficiency, security, and appearance. In this case, replacing the glass can save you money on your energy bill and improve front door security.
2. You want to upgrade your entryway for a new look
Sometimes, it’s not the quality of the front door glass that’s the issue, but the appearance—whether it’s the glass or the door itself. If you’re bored or dissatisfied with the appearance of your front door—or want additional privacy—and don’t want to spend money on an entire door, you might consider simply replacing the front door glass insert(s). This can completely revamp the look of your entryway, whether for a budget-friendly home makeover, accentuating your home’s architectural style, improving your curb appeal before putting your home on the market, or, in the case of translucent glass, boosting your home’s privacy. Replacing your front door glass inserts with a new style is a simple recipe for a brand new entryway.
3. Your front door glass is drafty
Your front door isn’t just important for first impressions—it’s one of the most important elements separating you and your family from the outside world, including from harsh weather. If your front door is allowing drafts into your home, it’s possible the glass is the problem, meaning it might be time to replace your front door glass. Drafts can significantly affect your energy bill, especially in those cold winter months, making it crucial to ensure your front door glass isn’t allowing drafts into your home. This will also apply to sound, meaning an upgrade to better fitting glass can provide additional soundproofing.
To test whether or not this is an issue, you might use the “flame test” to check for drafts. Using a candle or a lighter, carefully move the flame around any areas of your front door that might be compromised, allowing drafts. If the flame is moving suddenly or flickering, this can be indicative of a draft problem and means it might be time to replace your front door glass. You may consider upgrading to low-emissivity (Low-E) glass, which is specifically designed with energy efficiency in mind.
4. Your front door glass has trapped moisture
The majority of front door glass is either double-paned or triple-paned, and there’s a risk of moisture becoming trapped between the glass panes. This is important to watch for when you have front door glass, as this moisture can make its way into other aspects of your front door and compromise the entire door, rather than just the glass. To prevent moisture damage from escalating, it’s important to address this right away and replace the front door glass to prevent any further property damage.
Options for replacing front door glass
If you’re looking to replace your front door glass to upgrade your home or fix an issue, Plastpro’s Doorlite Series offers a variety of options, from sophisticated and elegant to sleek and simple. For those looking for a clean, contemporary design to match a modern home exterior, Plastpro’s new Solution Doorlite Series is a great choice for homeowners looking for low-profile, flat frame, or patterned glass that offers a modern look without compromising safety or reliability. Discover more design options with our guide for choosing front door glass inserts.
It should be noted that if you are using one of Plastpro’s glass inserts in a pre-existing door, you’ll need to ensure that your existing lite frame is replaceable and you are using the proper frame and correct size(s). As always, we recommend consulting with your contractor and local professionals to ensure selecting the right product for your specific situation.
Check out Plastpro’s Where to Buy page to find the closest distributor for doorlites, direct glazed glass doors, and fiberglass doors. For more information on our fiberglass door offerings, visit our website.
