Quality, security, key factors when choosing doors

Energy efficiency, style and security are three major factors influencing window and door selection in the Springfield area. According to Ron Middleton, owner of Middleton Homes, that's because windows and doors are the weakest part of the outer shell of a home. "People are largely concerned about quality. The quality of windows has increased in recent years. We're using better insulated glass than we ever have."

Deanna Starr, retail sales representative and office manager for Pella Windows, said that Pella offers many different options, including argon-filled, low-E-coated insulated glass, which reduces fading and saves on heating and cooling bills. "Pella's Designer Series aluminum-clad windows have three panes of glass with a single removable panel on the inside," she said. Blinds or muntin bars can be inserted between the insulated glass and the removable pane. "Muntins give the window a look of divided light, of having individual panes within the window," Starr said .

Wood windows with an aluminum-clad exterior provide the added benefit of security, Starr added. "With strong casements and hardware, these windows can be locked securely from the inside."

With the rising cost of heating and cooling a home, energy efficiency is becoming a deciding factor in window selection, said Bob Mays, inside sales representative at Springfield Mill and Lumber. "People are taking a lot harder look at what kind of windows they put in."

In the past, vinyl windows have been used a lot for new construction, he said, but recently use of those has decreased. "More people are using maintenance-free, aluminum-clad wood windows for better energy efficiency, although a lower-end house will often be equipped with vinyl windows to keep down costs," he said. "Wood windows cost about twice as much as vinyl."

Different parts of the country prefer different kinds of windows, Mays said. "In the Springfield area, people like maintenance-free windows, usually choosing a colored aluminum-clad exterior that they won't have to paint."

Window companies have made use of technology to produce better quality windows, Mays said. "The major window companies are continually working to improve their current product while keeping the cost down," he said, adding that most companies usually offer both a higher-end and a lower-end product line.

Aside from improved quality, companies are offering more shapes and sizes, Middleton added. "Four or five years ago, you bought the window sizes they had," he said. "Now, the sky is the limit. Anything you can design can be produced."

Doors can be customized to meet individual demand, too.

Mike Barker, inside sales representative for White River Hardwoods, said that people are choosing more unique styles.

According to Mays, wooden external doors are mostly used in upper-scale homes where looks are more important than cost and energy efficiency. "We've seen a great decline in the use of wood doors since the advent of steel and fiberglass doors."

Although steel and fiberglass doors can be stained, neither will have the same look as a wood door, he said.

However, the thermal efficiency and R-factor are usually triple that of wood doors. In addition, "Steel doors cost less, come with a better warranty than wood doors, and require less maintenance," Mays added.

Although White River deals primarily with wood doors, Barker said, "We can order many styles, including fiberglass and steel doors."

Regardless of what material is used, people are trying to get away from the tradi-tional six-panel design, he said. "Standard designs aren't selling as much. People want to add dimension."

Rather than flat panels and small moldings, they want larger moldings that create dimension, he said.

French Country doors are very popular right now, according to Barker. These doors have a rough-looking texture and come in varying shapes. Instead of the standard six-panel door, these might have two, four, or five panels. Arch or gothic panels might be used as the top panel of the door.

The French Country style can be used for interior doors as well. "People are using taller interior doors, seven to eight feet in height," said Barker. "There is also more of an interest in dimensional moldings for interior doors." Moldings can be applied to a flat door to create a panel design, he said.

People in Springfield like to use interior doors that can be painted, said Mays. "Of course, it depends on the style of house and on the individual, but while people generally don't want to do any outside maintenance, they do like to be able to change the interior." Because of this, he said, fabricated or wood doors are the most widely used. "Upper-scale homes will usually have paneled wood interior doors."

Patio doors, too, are available in ever-increasing styles and dimensions. All of the window companies also offer patio doors and offer most of the same features and benefits as windows, said Mays.

According to Barker, taller and wider patio doors are becoming more popular. "More people are interested in seven- or eight-foot heights and eight-, nine-, or even 12-foot widths," he said.

Current designs in patio doors are similar to those of windows. Different grill cuts are being used in the doors to create separation of light, Barker said.

As with other doors and windows, patio doors can be custom-made in any size, shape or design.