When it comes to doors, most people view them as nothing more than utilitarian: a necessary way to secure your home or divide interior spaces. Yet doors can be so much more than that - particularly when you have the right hardware to enhance their looks.
Unless you’re building or renovating a home, you probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about doors. Nevertheless, doors are an important part of our daily lives, providing privacy and security and enhancing the look of our homes. A door can be a great investment, helping to keep you safe, improve the value of your property, and even increase energy efficiency. We’ve taken the time to compile a comprehensive collection of door-related statistics on this page.
Doors and Security
One of the primary purposes of exterior doors is to secure your home and the peoples and valuables inside of it. Nevertheless, we aren’t always great about remembering to lock our doors. According to one study, 70% of people have left their houses without remembering whether or not they locked the door. Another 60% of respondents reported that they have come home to find an unlocked door.
Locking your exterior doors is critical when it comes to security. Almost 30% of burglars enter homes through an unlocked door or window. Approximately 34% of burglars gain access through the front door.
Ironically, some people are almost TOO good at locking their doors. Approximately 2,000,000 people locked themselves out of their houses in the last year alone. If you are worried about locking yourself out, a smart lock may be a great choice for your home - whether it is tied to an app or simply requires entering a code.
Of course, locking your front door won’t stop the most intrepid of burglars - but it can help to slow down their efforts. This can often make a huge difference, as this extra bit of time may allow a neighbor to spot the burglar. If you have a home alarm system, slowing down a would-be burglar can give police the chance to respond.
In addition to locking your doors, you can take other measures to protect yourself. This may include replacing an older door with a modern solid core door made of wood, steel or fiberglass with a wood core. Other upgrades to doors may include replacing the door frame and reinforcing it with improved strike plates, door shields, and/or hinge guards.
You may also consider adding a deadbolt and even a door chain if you have concerns about break-ins in your area. Finally, replacing and/or rekeying your lock is a great way to add security. Older tumblers and lock mechanisms can wear down over time, becoming less secure. There may also be copies of your house keys floating around from previous owners, which can increase the risk of a burglary.
Doors and Energy Efficiency
A solid, well-built door can increase the energy efficiency of a house. Doors are one of the many points in a house where energy is lost - along with windows and fireplaces. According to one study, doors and windows account for 20 to 30% of all heat loss from a house.
Energy efficient doors can help reduce energy loss and air leakage. Per the United States Department of Energy, new exterior doors typically fit better and insulate better than older doors. They recommend buying exterior doors that have an ENERGY STAR label.
Specifically, you should look for the door’s solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) and U-factor. For warmer climates that mostly require air conditioning, find a door with a low SHGC. You should buy a door with a high SHGC in colder climates. Finally, the U-factor - which indicates how well the door keeps in heat - should be as low as possible.
Certain types of doors are more energy efficient than others. Doors that perform well include:
- Exterior doors with a steel skin and a polyurethane foam insulation core and weatherstripping
- Steel and fiberglass clad entry doors
- Glass doors with multiple layers of glass, low-emissivity coatings and/or low conductivity gasses between the glass panes
Single pane glass and patio doors, particularly sliding glass doors, allow for more energy loss than other types of doors. Regularly replacing weatherstripping can help to reduce leakage.
Doors and Design
The market for residential doors has increased significantly in recent years. Demand for entry doors grew by 8% between 2020 and 2021. Residential shipments of windows and doors increased by 2.5 million units from 2020 to 2021.
However, the market for entry door remodeling and replacement fell by 2%. Overall, the demand for doors grew by 2% - and is expected to keep growing through 2024. By 2030, the market for interior residential doors is expected to grow to $93.1 billion from $55.7 billion in 2020.
These numbers aren’t surprising given how doors are viewed as a relatively easy - and cost-effective way - to transform a home. Case studies show how a thoughtfully chosen mid-century modern door, for example, can update the look of a charming 1950s ranch house. At the same time, the use of multi-slide patio doors in homes in warmer climates can highlight transitional living spaces and strengthen the connection between the inside and outside areas.
There are many different types of exterior and interior doors available for residences, including panel, bypass (sliding), bifold and pocket doors. Panel and bypass doors are currently the most popular style of interior doors, and are expected to remain in the top spot in 2030, with panel doors taking an even larger share of the market. Barn doors are still a popular design choice, but many experts believe that they are going out of style due to overuse in the trendy modern farmhouse style.
Most people choose wood for interior doors - and this option is expected to remain popular. Other top picks for interior doors include glass and metal. Less desired materials for interior doors include fiberboard, fiberglass, and vinyl.
Doors and Technology
For hundreds of years, door technology hasn’t advanced much: a door was attached to a frame using hinges, and was secured by a locking mechanism. In 2022 and beyond, however, there are a lot more options when it comes to doors.
The global smart lock market size was valued at 2,366.51 million in 2020, and is expected to reach 14,972.3 million by 2030. This represents a growth rate of 20.1%. The size of the smart lock market is driven in large part by the adoption of other smart home devices, such as wifi enabled home security systems and lights. Homeowners want to be able to lock and unlock their doors remotely - which is often possible using an app-based smart lock.
These locks are part of the bigger “Internet of Things” (IoT) movement, which seeks to automate and modernize many aspects of daily living. Almost every type of electronic device can now be controlled by an app - from your lighting scheme to your toaster.
This doesn’t mean that a smart lock is more secure than a regular lock, however. In fact, 73% of cybersecurity professionals would not install a smart lock on their home. There is a risk that a hacker will be able to bypass your lock without much work. Alternatively, you could get locked out if the company that manufactured the lock gets hit with a ransomware attack or pushed a bad update.
This could be bad news for the 11% of American homes (more than 11 million households) that currently have smart locks on their homes. While these locks do have certain advantages (like not having to worry about getting locked out), they can also be vulnerable to hacking.
With a traditional lock, a burglar would have to use some type of force to gain entry to your home if the door is locked. With a smart lock, however, they could unlock the door remotely and simply walk into your house. Of course, this requires an individual with both tech skills, proximity to your home, and a desire to break into it.
This isn’t to say that keyless locks are a bad idea for all homeowners, however. There are many different options available for residential homes. Choosing a keyless or smart lock from a reputable company can increase your security and reduce the risk of locking yourself out of your own home.
In addition, these types of locks are often far more convenient than traditional locks. If your dog walker needs to get into your house to pick up your dog, for example, they can do so with a special code that you can later change - you can also let them in remotely with a smart lock. Similarly, you can ensure that your kids can get in and out of the house easily, without worrying about them losing their key.
Shop Quality Door Hardware From the Comfort of Your Home
No matter what type of door you have, updating its look or security can be as easy as installing new hardware. Our company offers a variety of exterior, interior and cabinet hardware, with styles and prices that are sure to fit your needs.
Access Residential Hardware is an independently-owned company that prides itself on providing personalized service to each of our customers. We will work with you to find hardware that works for your project, no matter how big or small it may be. We are committed to making sure that our clients are fully satisfied with their door hardware.
To learn more, fill out our online contact form or give us a call at 866.752.9002.