The front door is the gateway to your home – it is one of the first thing guests and visitors see before entering your home, and it is one item that you will be using more than once everyday, so it stands to reason that most homeowners don’t mind spending that little bit extra to ensure that their front door is something special. Charl Jacobz from Swartland Wooden Windows and Doors offers some insight into the latest front door trends.
New innovations and technology
Front doors are made from a number of different materials, including metal and fibreglass. However, the most popular material is arguably wood, and wooden door manufacturers have met the challenge of moving into the future by introducing front doors made of specially treated wood to enhance their performance, durability and energy efficiency.
Charl says that kiln-dried timber for example, allows the moisture content of the wood to be controlled more easily than if the timber is air-dried, thereby increasing the lifespan of the wood in question: “Kiln-dried timber helps to maintain the properties of the timber within various climatic conditions. The ideal moisture content for the South African climate for example is 8%, and as such, Swartland kiln-dries all its wood in its own kilns to guarantee that all its timber boasts an 8% moisture content retention.”
Treatments for wooden doors has also evolved – today, you can choose between solvent- and water-based finishes, such as Maxicare for example – both of which promise to increase the durability of the wood. These finishes make the wood UV- and water-resistant and they include anti-fungal properties to aid in the prevention of dry rot and fungal attack. Charl notes that Swartland’s front doors can even be bought pre-treated for optimum convenience and longevity.
Let the light shine through
New door trends seem to be including more and more glass in the entryway – front doors with oversized glass inserts, surrounding panels, decorative stained glass inserts, sidelights and transoms are increasingly popular due to their classic styling and the extra light they let into the home. The improved strength and insulation qualities of glass has greatly added to this new trend says Charl: “The insulation problems so often associated with the inclusion of glass in and around your front door in the past, has now been solved with the introduction of specialized coated glass and double glazing.”
He says that the type of glass used has also evolved and now a days both clear and sand-blasted glass has become increasingly popular: “Although clear glass remains a popular choice, obscured glass has become ever more trendy as it transmits light without compromising privacy. For classical or period styles of architecture, leaded and bevelled glass is also gaining in popularity, as is the inclusion of intricately patterned stained glass inserts and panels.”
Considering Mother Nature
As with all building materials, more and more consumers are concerned with how environmentally friendly their front door is. Charl explains: “Modern homeowners have never been more conscious about the environment and as such, they are interested in buying sustainable and energy-efficient products for their homes. To keep up with this trend, modern front doors need to be well insulated and made from sustainable materials. In this regard, wood is a very green choice of material – it is sustainable, boasts excellent insulation qualities, is durable and long lasting and at the end of its lifespan, it is also biodegradable.”
He says that Swartland’s commitment to the environment is deeply engrained in the company’s ethos, and as such, it considers the impact on the environment from the conception of its products, through to sourcing its raw materials, the production methods, as well as the lifespan and maintenance of its wooden doors and windows once they have been installed.
Bigger is better
Large format front doors have become progressively more popular, with many architects and designers including front doors with extra height and width in their designs for a more dramatic aesthetic and to create an impressive focal point for the home in question. Says Charl: “The oversized and fully assembled pre-hung pivot doors for example, are amongst the most popular entrance doors that Swartland produces. These doors are fixed to the frame and include features that comprise and easy-to-adjust steel top pivot point and brass bottom pivot point with a bearing action for seamless opening-and-closing functionality.” He says that including side panels and transoms around the front door frame is a popular way of visually increasing the apparent size of a standard front door – for a more dramatic visual impact.
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