Considerations when choosing a replacement door

We’ve all heard old expression, “you make a better door than a window.”  Fortunately, with Clera, your door can be both a door and a window!  We are experts at putting window features into doors.

However, we know that the variety of doors we offer can be a little overwhelming.  We have over 100 pages of options from which you can choose.  Here is a handy guide to figuring out which options are right for you.

Elements of a Door

There are several elements to our doors:

• Door material-

  This one’s pretty straightforward. It can be wood or metal, and is finished or painted.

• Window feature-

  Windows can be installed in doors or adjacent to them. The function of windows is to present a beautiful, welcoming front door to your visitors. Our windows are triple-plated with high-grade safety glass to be as safe and resistant to damage as possible.

• Caming-

  Caming was originally a way to prevent burglars from entering through door windows. However, over time it has become a beautiful decorative feature. All of our caming is hand-crafted by professional blacksmiths. It comes in a multitude of patterns, materials, and finishes.

What is my overall home decorating philosophy?

There are probably as many home decorating philosophies as there are homeowners. However, most decorating philosophies fall into three major categories: Old World/European, American Classic, and Contemporary.

Old World/European

Old World houses are all about authenticity.  Every element of the house is visible.  Brickwork and support beams can be exposed.  Wall colours and textures are all natural.  For an Old World/European look in your house, your best bet is a wooden door with a smaller window feature.  For decorative caming, go with wrought iron and patina polish.

American Classic

American Classic houses are all about order and peace.  They are full of stuff, but all the stuff has a point, a purpose, and a story.  An American Classic door can be any colour or material.  However, it should have big, welcoming windows and elegant brass-plated caming.

Contemporary

Contemporary houses are all about open space and freedom.  Contemporary houses are typically sparsely and tastefully furnished.  Interesting, unusual, and unexpected visual features abound.  For a contemporary house, you should have a metal door with large windows and zinc caming.

Well that’s all well and good if you fit one of these three design philosophies exactly, but many people fall somewhere in between these three groups.  That’s why we offer many more options!  Browse our 100 pages of flyers to see every option for door material, finish, colour, window size, and caming.  We are confident that we will be able to install the perfect door for any design philosophy.

Other Considerations

• Structural integrity.  Some houses would look great if their owners widened their doors or added adjacent windows, but often that’s just not possible.  The front wall is often load-bearing, and removing any part of it could compromise the integrity of your house.  Our sales representatives will be able to tell you whether or not it is possible.
• Ideal work schedule.  Our installation team works around your schedule, not vice versa.  Determine which hours of the day you want our people to work, and when you need the work done by, and our team will make it happen.

Take a look at our door product information page!