All About Fiberglass Doors – Part I: Anatomy of a Fiberglass Door

When fiberglass doors first entered the market a couple of decades ago, their main advantage over other types of doors was price. Fiberglass doors used to be cheaper, but they lacked visual appeal. They rated poorly in terms of insulation and didn’t seem to have many of the features homeowners were seeking in a door, which is why it wasn’t a very popular choice.

All that has changed. Fiberglass doors have undergone significant changes over the years, evolving into possibly the most energy-efficient, environment-friendly and aesthetically pleasing material currently available on the market. Modern doors made of fiberglass typically have the appearance of natural wood, such as mahogany and pine. In fact, other materials have few, if any, advantages over fiberglass. To understand how modern fiberglass doors are able to outmatch other materials in almost every aspect, let’s examine their anatomy.

Fiberglass doors are made of four main sections:

● Stiles
● Rails
● Skin
● Core

The stiles run from top to bottom on either side of the door. The rails make up the bottom and top support. Both stiles and rails are made out of composite material or wood, depending on the manufacturer.

The skin is made from high-quality fiberglass. The mold is designed to give the door the appearance of wood or other materials. For example, if a manufacturer wants to produce a door to mimic the look of mahogany, the mold will be designed with mahogany grain.

The skin design is what makes the door look more appealing, but the heart of the door is its core. The core usually contains tough insulating materials to make the door durable and capable of preventing heat from passing through. This allows homeowners to save a significant amount of energy; costs are reduced because less energy is needed to cool the home during the hot summer months and warm it in the winter.

Fiberglass doors are known not to warp, crack, rot, or split. They can withstand extreme temperatures and weather conditions. They are rust and corrosion free, so even if your home is right next to the ocean, your fiberglass doors are still bound to last you a lifetime.

There’s no doubt that modern fiberglass doors are perfect for every home in terms of durability, aesthetic value, and energy efficiency. However, is a fiberglass door right for you? In the next part of this blog series, we discuss the different factors homeowners should consider before making the decision to purchase a fiberglass door.