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Articles & Advice > All Doors Articles > Add Instant Curb Appeal With a Custom Door

Add Instant Curb Appeal With a Custom Door

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Few aspects of your home make a greater first impression than your front door, and few front doors look better than a door made custom to fit all your needs and specifications. Custom doors are available in an almost limitless number of styles and materials, and are a perfect, and easy, solution if you're looking to improve the curb appeal of your home.

Custom Door 101
Not only are there a wide range of styles and materials to choose from, but there's a wide range of custom door manufacturers to choose from as well. If you're on a budget, but still want a custom look, you can order a custom door from a major door supplier by choosing from a pre-determined series of door styles, window glass, door materials, and security levels. The resulting door will be one-of-a-kind, but it won't break the bank.

Of course, if money isn't an issue, you might want to seek out a higher end manufacturer of custom doors. These specialty suppliers aren't beholden to pre-determined, factory set limitations. They will literally build any style of door you choose, made from any material you can imagine. If you're looking for a door that has no equal, there isn't any question that this is the route you want to go.

Custom Doors and Materials
If you're choosing a custom door from a large door manufacturer such as Pella Doors, your choices when it comes to materials are going to be somewhat limited. Steel and fiberglass are the most common exterior door materials available, though there are exceptions. To make up for it, you can usually choose from a wide range of colors and veneers, so your door won't look like all the rest on the block. Be it a storybook, red front door, or one with a faux mahogany veneer, these aesthetic additions to traditional steel and fiberglass doors can transform an average door into something with serious curb appeal. If you're going with a high-end manufacturer of custom doors, then the sky is the limit. We've even heard of a door made from recycled pickle barrels. Sure it's a bit unusual, but it's also an excellent example of how "custom" your custom doors can be.

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Custom Doors and Options
Besides materials, you'll have a lot of other decisions to make when it comes to customizing your new door. You can install a door with a beveled glass front, stained glass windows, or custom sidelights. Even the door style itself will say a lot about you and your home. Choose an arched door for that old world look, or a barn style door for a more rustic appearance. Again, your imagination and the limitations of your budget are your only obstacles. Whatever you choose when it comes to options, customizing your door with these finishing touches is sure to increase the curb appeal of your home.

Customizing the Right Door for You
If you are considering custom doors for your home, start looking around to get ideas for when you put in your order. Look at doors in your neighborhood to see if any specific designs or features stand out and catch your eye, visit architectural warehouses and salvage yards to get design inspirations from older doors, and pick up a few architectural and home magazines to see if anything jumps out at you. If you're still stumped after all that research, consult a professional. Custom door makers can offer you valuable advice on which options and which styles will best fit your home and improve the curb appeal of your residence.

Matt Goering, formerly a carpenter and house painter, is a freelance writer for the home improvement industry who has published over 600 articles.

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