Front Doors: Composite vs Wood

Deciding between composite and real wood doors? You're in the right place. Our team sells and installs doors made from all the most popular materials; natural wood, composites, and metals. Wood front doors are beautiful and offer many benefits but modern composite doors offer many benefits as well. One of the benefits of composite doors is that they can be made to look like wood but which is better? Read on to learn more about your options.

When a product looks quite similar on the outside, it can make it more difficult to choose between them. However, knowing how they break down when it comes to their durability, quality, and maintenance can help you make an informed decision.

Use the links below to skip ahead:

Composite Doors vs Wood Doors
What are the Pros and Cons of Composite Doors?
What are the Pros and Cons of Wood Doors?
How to Buy Front Doors

Composite Doors vs. Wood Doors

Composite doors are a newer option that has seen and will continue to see improvements in construction. On the other hand, wood doors have withstood the test of time. Despite regular wear and tear wood doors are easy to work with, have a distinct look, and they're strong.

Let's talk more about composite doors.

Composite doors are made from a combination of materials with the intention of building strong and long-lasting doors. Two types of composite doors used in homes are fiberglass doors and wood composite doors. Fiberglass is used in exterior doors and wood composite is used for interior doors. These doors have a core, frame, and skin. The skin is the exterior layer of the door. Composite doors that look like wood doors are often called faux wood doors, the exterior skin is usually made from a wood veneer.

The price of composite doors will vary depending on size, quality, customization, and brand recognition. For composite front doors we typically recommend ProVia fiberglass door options.

Now, onto real wood doors.

The feel of a real wood door is noticeable. Wood doors feel heavier than composite doors are and are highly customizable. From the choice of wood species to design and finish, wood doors can be made into exactly what you want.

Even though wood has many drawbacks as a building material, it still makes one of the best options resulting in the highest-quality doors you can find. Well-built and well-cared for wooden doors can last for 100 years or more while still looking beautiful.

Like composite doors, the price of wood doors will vary depending on size, quality, and customization.

What are the Pros and Cons of Composite Doors?

Rolls of wood veneer. Image: Adobe Stock Images

Each of these doors comes with positive and negative aspects. Consider some of these factors if you are interested in the affordability and appearance of a composite door.

Pros of Composite Doors

Composite doors are highly weather and pest resistant.
Quality composite doors are energy-efficient, improving comfort and reducing energy spend.
Minimal maintenance is needed for high-quality composite doors.

Cons of Composite Doors

The materials limit the customization options.
Maintenance can be a challenge since they are difficult to repaint and repair.

What are the Pros and Cons of Wood Doors

Close up of a wood door. Image: Adobe Stock Images

Consider these characteristics before investing in a wooden door.

Pros of Wood Doors

Wood doors are highly customizable: paintable, stainable, can be engraved, carved, etc.
Choose from a variety of wood species.
Wood doors are naturally energy-efficient.
Wear and tear like scratches and dents are more easily hidden in the wood texture.

Cons of Wood Doors

As a natural material, wood tends to expand and contract when it is constantly wet, hot or cold.
Wood doors are susceptible to moisture which can cause problems with mold and rot.
Wood doors are also susceptible to pests.
Building a custom wood door can get expensive quickly.
Wood doors do need to be stained or painted to protect the natural wood from water and pests.

How to Buy Front Doors

Beautiful single-family home with wood front doors.

Buying front doors is easy. The cheapest and quickest way to get a front door is to visit a big box store like Home Depot or a surplus store. At these stores you can purchase items from what is currently in stock or what's expected to be in stock later. For custom doors, made-to-order, and factory finished contact a speciality retailer. If you want to shop by brand you can find companies online and then find out where their products are sold.

Our company, Brennan Enterprises, sells made-to-order doors from companies like Andersen, ProVia, and Centor. We also work with a custom wood door company to meet our client's requests for custom wood doors. It's our job to help you find the right door for your home. Often our clients come to us with an idea of what they want or a picture of what they want their door to look like. From there we work together to decide if the door should be a custom-designed and manufactured wood door or if we'll go order a composite or steel door from one of our trusted vendors.

For help deciding on the right door or your home project contact an exterior door expert near you. If you're located in North Texas, that's us. Brennan Enterprises has served the Dallas-Fort Worth community for over 40 years. Contact us to talk to a pro and get an estimate for your door replacement project.

Brennan

Published: May 27, 2021

Updated: February 02, 2024

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