The Australian Government reckons somewhere between 40 and 40pc of a home’s heating energy is lost through the glass and frames of windows. And while windows are most notoriously guilty of this, the truth is the same goes for external doors too, so don’t be thinking that a custom door in Melbourne just has to look the part, it’s got to do the job of keeping out the weather, too.
Start With What Looks Right
When ordering custom doors Melbourne, your front door should be in line with the style of your house, and the street, come to that. A Victorian terrace will look spot on with a tall door, some good old-fashioned proportions and a bit of fine moulding. A Californian bungalow is going to do its best with a bit of heavier timber and a porch that’s a bit more generous. A post-war brick home will probably suit just fine with something a bit plain and flush. You’ll also want to check out the heritage rules in your area, the Victorian Government’s got a pretty useful tool online that lets you check whether your address is up against the Victorian Heritage Register and whether you’re going to have to get permission from the council for any changes you want to make. Get ahead of this stuff now, and you can avoid the hassle, and expense, of a major redesign down the line.
Melbourne Weather, One Minute It’s Fine, The Next It’s Chilly
Melbourne’s a bit of a tricky one when it comes to the weather, think of the hot northerly wind in the morning, followed by a cold southerly change by the afternoon. And with that wind comes the rain, which can seep in through any weak points around the door. Timber frames are often the ones that need a bit of weather stripping, because their gaps are just a bit bigger. And if you’re someone with sliding doors, you’ll be aware that over time, these can start to let in a bit of air. The Government’s advice says that this air leakage can actually make your heating and cooling systems work a heck of a lot harder, so getting those gaps plugged up is a pretty low-cost way to give your home a bit of a boost.
Glass And Heat, A Bit Of A Two-Way Street
Glass is great for letting in the natural light, but it also means that a bit of heat is going to be coming through. Two numbers are really useful when you’re trying to compare different glazing options, the U value and the solar heat gain coefficient. The U value tells you how easily heat is moving through the glass and the frame. The lower the U value, the less heat gets through. The solar heat gain coefficient tells you how much of the sun’s heat is coming in through the glass.
In a city like Melbourne, where the weather can swing from one extreme to the other, a bit of north-facing glass is a good idea in the winter, it lets in a bit of sunlight and keeps things a bit warmer. East and west-facing glass, though, is usually better off with a solar heat gain coefficient that’s a bit lower, because you don’t want a lot of unwanted heat coming in.
And when you’re out looking at windows and doors, you’ll notice that they’re all labelled with a bit of paperwork called the Window Energy Rating Scheme. This lets you compare different windows, doors and skylights on the same basis. Aluminium frames, incidentally, are pretty good at conducting heat, so doors with aluminium frames will generally do better if they’ve got a thermal break.
Light and Privacy versus Security
A glazed front door can be used to brighten up a dark hallway. However, clear glass will allow the people standing outside to look inside the house. Frosted glass, textured glass, and leadlight glass are some of the methods for blocking the view from outside whilst still letting in light. Laminated glass can give additional resistance to breaking, depending on the way that the product is rated. One should always check the actual rating of the product rather than the name of the glass. Door hardware should be equally good. Even a heavy door with a weak framework can be easily broken. Factors like the thickness of the door, hinge location, and reinforcement of the framework play their role in security.
Entrance Should Be Treated as One Single Unit
The front door is just one element of the whole entrance. Porch, threshold, letter box, house number, and lights are all elements of the entrance. Moreover, the colour should match the environment. Dark doors become older faster when exposed to sunlight during the afternoon hours. Lighter and warmer colours are more resistant. Timber doors require yearly check-ups. Worn areas appear around the perimeter where the material is exposed to weather elements. The entrance design should match the house style and the street environment. Proper proportions, good craftsmanship, and tight seals help in achieving this aim.
