Very few people are faced with purchasing doors and windows on a regular basis. Aside from the many shapes, sizes, colors, and designs available, certain performance features can be overwhelming. People are often asking, “what is a thermally broken door?” and “Is it right for my home?” Below, we will take a closer look at what exactly a thermally broken door is and why it is important.
What Is a Thermally Broken Door?
This is a common term that is used for both doors and windows. A thermal break is very important in doors and windows that include some sort of metal element, such as iron. A thermally broken door includes some non-thermally conductive material to help separate the divide between the internal materials and the external materials of the house.
Why Is a Thermal Break Important?
If you are unfamiliar with doors and windows, or if this is your first time purchasing doors and windows, a thermal break may not seem to be important. After all, we all just want to select a door that looks great. On doors that include metal, like iron doors, a thermal break is extremely important. Doors that use iron and other metals must be separated from the part of the door that reaches the inside of the home. Because metals have a very low thermal mass, they do not hold and retain temperature very well. This means that iron doors are not able to retain heat inside your home, and are also unable to keep the inside of your home cool. With iron doors in particular, it is important to have a thermal break to help better insulate the inside of the home.
How Does It Impact My Home?
Failure to have a thermally broken door can mean a number of negative things for the home. First, without a thermal break, any temperature the exterior iron door experiences will be transferred to the inside of your home. If the iron door is cold in winter, chances are the inside of your home will also be cold. If the iron door is hot in the summer, the interior of your home will be equally hot. Not only can this impact your utility bills throughout the year, forcing your heating and cooling unit to work harder than necessary, but it can also impact the integrity of the door itself.
Without a thermal break, the door is prone to freezing and frosting. This can cause damage to the glass and other materials inside the door. Further, a door without a thermal break can heat up, trapping moisture within the structure of the door. This can quickly lead to mold and mildew developing within the door. Although an iron door is particularly strong, mold and mildew can quickly degrade other working components within the door itself. This can impact the longevity of the door and structure of the door frame in your home. If you want to differentiate climates between the exterior and interior of your home, it is imperative to purchase a thermally broken door.
