What Features To Look For When Buying An Impact Door

Are you looking to protect your home from strong storms by purchasing impact doors for your home? You'll definitely want to know the following factors to consider when you narrow down your choice. 

The Glass

It is possible to have an impact door that has glass in it. The key is that the door has impact-resistant glass within it. This is the same type of glass that you are going to find in hurricane windows, which have been tested to withstand hard impacts from debris flying in the air due to high winds.

It's important to know that impact-resistant glass doesn't mean that the glass cannot break. Impact-resistant glass is designed to prevent the glass from shattering and letting wind in your home. Oftentimes it is the strong wind that can cause the most damage if it can get inside your home. 

The Door Frame And Hardware

You need something better than the standard door frame if you want it to be right for an impact door. An impact door should be able to create a watertight seal when the door is closed so that water cannot get into the home or within the door frame. This helps prevent moisture damage, mold growth, and other damage typically associated with water intrusion. 

A good way to tell if you have a quality door frame is to look at the weather seals around the door. It should be a heavy-duty weather seal made out of durable material since simple foam is not going to cut it in this situation. 

Be aware that the hardware used to secure your door to your home is just as important as the door itself. Thankfully, there is a certification system for door hardware to let you know if it is high quality. 

The U-Factor

In addition to protecting your home from storms, impact doors need to have great insulation so that your home is energy efficient. This can be done by comparing the U-factor between different impact doors. A lower U-factor is going to result in better insulation, which is something that impacts you all year long. A good impact door will have a polyurethane foam that fills the cavity of the door so that the outside air does not transfer temperatures to inside your home. 

Reach out to an impact door retailer to learn more about what type of door is right for your home. 


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