Q: Dear Jim: I am considering replacing my warped, leaky wood front door with an insulated steel door for lower utility bills and greater security for my family. I have seen attractive steel doors that resemble natural wood. Are steel doors a good choice for homes? - Ned B.

A: Dear Ned: For overall performance, efficiency, security, and reasonable cost, insulated steel front doors are difficult to beat. When you consider the total perimeter length on a front door, the airtight weather-stripping on steel doors can significantly reduce air infiltration and chilly drafts. Most doors are pre-hung, so it is not difficult to install one yourself and save even more.

Even though steel is a good conductor of heat and these doors have a steel skin, the thick insulated core gives steel doors a much higher R-value than solid wood doors. The most efficient steel doors have a thermal break between the indoor and outdoor steel skins. The thermal break is made of a nonconducting material, often a plastic-type material, to block the direct heat path through the skins.

The new steel doors are made with modern manufacturing processes to produce crisper edge and panel details that rival painted real wood doors. With optional decorative glass and sidelights, it is difficult to distinguish a steel door from a wood door until you actually touch it.

The "natural-wood" steel doors you are referring to have a stainable coating over the steel skins. The thick coating is applied at the factory and then authentic wood graining is rolled into the surface so you can feel the grain just like on real wood.

Each door manufacturer offers its own staining kits, often in oak and walnut, so you or the installation contractor can produce the natural wood look you desire. Once it is stained, it is finished somewhat similar to a real wood door.

The windows you select for your steel front door have a tremendous impact on its appearance, energy efficiency and security. The most decorative-looking glass is beveled, etched or leaded. For the best energy efficiency and security against break-ins, choose smaller windows, such as ornate ovals.

Selecting the proper type of glass for the windows is also important. Triple-pane decorative glass is probably the all-around best. The decorative pane, made of glass or crystal clear plastic, is often sandwiched between two smooth outside panes. This creates two insulating air gaps and makes cleaning easier.

For the optimum security, order special super-tough, high-security glass panels that are clear or decorative. These use a break-resistant plastic material that is almost twice as tough as tempered glass. In addition to its high security benefits, it blocks more outdoor noise than glass and stops nearly all the sun's fading ultraviolet rays from passing through.

Although most steel doors look similar on display in the store, there are significant quality differences among them. The thickness of the steel skin is an indication of quality. Just a slightly thicker steel skin provides significantly better stability, dent resistance and security against break-ins. The steel skin is measured in the "gauge" of the steel used. A lower gauge number indicates a thicker steel material. Heavy gauge steel from 22 to 24 is considerable good quality.

The hardware (hinges, latches, etc.) used on the door also indicates overall quality. An insulated steel door, especially one with a lot of decorative glass panels, can get quite heavy and place a load on the bearings. Ball-bearing hinges will provide the smoothest operation. High-security, triple-point locking mechanisms have two additional latches that all operate from the standard single handle. Heavy-duty wood lock blocks inside the door in the latch area are most secure.

All steel doors have a core. Foamed-in-place polyurethane insulation has the highest R-value. Another efficient option is a piece of polystyrene insulation fitted between the steel skins. Magnetic weather-stripping, similar to refrigerator gaskets, provides the most airtight seal. It also has an extremely long life as compared to standard compression-type weather-stripping. Adjustable thresholds with a multi-fin sweep seal are common on most of the doors.

Write for (instantly download -www.dulley.com) Utility Bills Update No. 409 - buyer's guide of 12 insulated steel front door manufacturers. Please include $3.00 and a business-size SASE. James Dulley, Illinois Country Living, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244.

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