Are Fiberglass Doors Better than Steel Doors?

You go for neighbourhood walks to gather ideas, save images on your phone and dream about purchasing a new front door for your home. You’re ready to update your entryway’s look but are now wondering what the most suitable material is to select.

With many options available, making the decision can feel overwhelming. Fiberglass and steel are two of the most popular entry door options on the market today, but is fiberglass the stronger choice? Here are some factors to consider when deciding if a fiberglass door is the best option for your home.

Is the Door Made to Last?

Fiberglass doors are more durable than steel doors. Fiberglass doors are long-lasting and very low maintenance. They are resistant to dents and rust and do not require much work to clean or maintain.

Steel doors are more prone to scratches and dings and can rust over time if not maintained.

Which Door Material Look More Custom?

Fiberglass doors look more custom than steel doors. When choosing a fiberglass door, you have two main choices – you can choose a smooth fiberglass finish or a woodgrain fiberglass finish. The smooth finish allows for a sleek clean look. Choosing a woodgrain texture gives you more of a wooden door look and definitely gives your home a more rich/custom look.  The ability to customize your Fiberglass doors gives you the option of having a traditional or modern style, plus everything in between!

Steel doors have more of a builders grade look. These doors only come in a smooth finish.

Which Material Holds a Lasting Finish?

Fiberglass doors have more selection for when your choosing colour. A woodgrain fiberglass door can be painted or stained. A smooth fiberglass door can only be painted. When painting or staining fiberglass doors the paint/stain soaks into the doors fibres allowing for a lasting finish.

Steel doors can only be painted. When painting a steel door, the paint tends to chip off a lot easier on steel compared to fiberglass because the paint doesn’t soak into any fibres on a steel door.

Cost of Steel vs Fiberglass Doors?

When it comes to cost, many people think steel is a lot cheaper than fiberglass. Fiberglass is the more costly option; however, steel doors aren’t much cheaper. When looking at the cost of the actual door the price difference from steel to fiberglass is around $100-$150 dollars.

The main price difference between steel and fiberglass doors is not in the door cost itself but in the cost of painting the door. A steel door comes factory painted white and does not have to be painted unless you want a different colour. So if you are okay with your steel door staying white you will save on the cost of painting.

A fiberglass door comes primed and most definitely needs to be painted by our Doorway team – therefore this is where your price increases in cost.

In summary, the cost difference depends on what colour you decide to have your door – if you don’t want a white steel door and would like it painted the cost difference will only be around $100-$150 dollars.

Have more questions?

If you would like to talk to an expert about constructing the entry door of your dreams, we would love to help. Contact the team at Doorway Inc. today!