Energy Efficiency in Doors

The design of doors is a very important factor when it comes to improving the energy efficiency of the building. An energy efficient door is highly effective and drastically helps in reducing the costs involved in heating or cooling the building. Here are some ways in which your door could become energy efficient.

Weather-stripping can substantially reduce the energy loss caused due to air leakage. It is a thin strip used on the sides and bottom of the door. However a weather strip is not very beneficial in sliding doors. Metal V- strips and adhesive backed foam tape are the most commonly used weather strip material.

• During fixing of the door frame a good quality caulking silicone sealant should be used to close all the gaps between the wall and the frame.
• An insulated polyurethane foam core door is considered to be highly energy efficient. It is usually used as the infill material within steel doors.
• When glass is used in doors it could reduce the energy efficiency of the door as glass is a poor insulating material. A Double glazed glass panel filled with argon combined with a low emissivity glass can improve the energy efficiency of the door.

Sound Proof Doors

As we move towards urbanization the newly constructed apartments are becoming smaller and more costly with time. In such a scenario the sound proofing of doors becomes a very important so as to ensure some privacy. Some features that can help to soundproof the doors are-

• The honeycomb hollow core door made of composite material is a very good sound insulator. It is not a very strong security door but can be effectively used as an internal soundproof door.
• If glass is used on a door make sure that it is laminated glass or a Double glazed unit glass as they will help in sound control.
• Some uPVC doors have a double locking and sealing system which make the doors sound proof to a large extent.
• An effective sealing of joints and cracks near the door frame with good silicone sealants can further reduce the leakage of sound.
• A door gasket is a very good option that can create a continuous seal and reduce the penetration of sound across the door.