What You Need To Know Before Purchasing Craftsman Style Front Doors

If you're considering a new front door, you may be drawn to the American Craftsman style. They're picturesque and popular, and it's easy to see why. According to Homestead Interior Doors, the origin of the style is actually British, and goes back to the 1860s. The movement emphasized originality and hand craftsmanship, along with using natural and sustainable materials, namely, wood. Today, we recognize it as a distinct architectural style, with an almost timeless beauty. It's not surprising that many people still prefer this design.

But how do you know if it's the right choice for your house, and what should you know before choosing this type of entry door? Do you have to have a Craftsman-style home, or is it something you can mix and match aesthetically? If you're searching for answers to questions like these, keep reading! We're talking about what you need to know before purchasing Craftsman style front doors.

By now, you may be asking, what exactly constitutes the Craftsman style? According to Marvin, it can be traced back to the Arts and Crafts movement in the 19th century. Proponents wanted to move away from the Victorian era with its ornate style and artificial elements, in products being mass-produced in factories with dangerous work conditions. Instead, the leaders suggested moving away from the industrial boom, and instead opted for handcrafted, original, and meaningfully created designs. This began with furniture and quickly blossomed into architecture as well.

The Craftsman style is still very popular today, and houses typically have certain features. The style represents simple form, with handcrafted details and workmanship. Homes often have exposed rafters and emphasize using natural wood and stone, along with earth tones. Typically they have sprawling covered porches and overhangs, often accented with pillars. Sometimes these homes are called cottages or bungalows, and their charming style is unmistakable.

According to Pella Windows & Doors, a Craftsman-style front door has several distinctive characteristics. Most Arts and Crafts homes have partially paned doors, usually with a small window decorating the upper portion. This can either be stained glass, leaded, or clear. They can also be one large pane, or three, six, or nine panes separated by trim. The glass panes are thicker than usual and can't be easily broken. There's often a thick piece of ornate trim, or "ledge," outlining the glass panes, separating them from the door and house.

Sometimes the door will have glass panes above the frame and sometimes to the sides of it, which are called sidelights. According to The Front Door Company, Craftsman doors are also usually made from wood or have a wood-like appearance, creating a traditional aesthetic. Oak, mahogany, and cherry are popular wood choices, but the doors can also be painted a rich color to match the masculine architecture of the house.

Sidelights are a beautiful addition to the Craftsman-style front entry door. Marvin defines them as thin, vertical windows on either side of the entry door. They aren't functional windows that open and close like the ones in your living room, but are there just for added light and artistic flair. You can choose to have one on one side of the door or create symmetry by flanking the door with two. You can select ½, ¾, or full-size sidelights, and there is an endless variety of styles to choose from.

There are many benefits of adding sidelights for homeowners, via ODL. They provide a visual captivation; an impressive detail that instantly improves curb appeal. Sidelights bring more natural sunlight into your house and help make the entryway and front door appear bigger. From the outside, a sidelight that matches the door gives the illusion of a large entryway, making the property seem more expensive. From the inside, it makes a cramped foyer appear bigger thanks to the windows that open you up to the outside. Craftsman-style doors with sidelights are stunning, and a sure way to increase home value.

When it comes to the material for your Craftsman-style front door, the two main types are wood and fiberglass, although steel is also available (via Today's Entry Doors). Steel is not typically recommended for multiple reasons, including being more prone to dents and not providing the same aesthetic value as the other available materials. However, they're less expensive and stand up in extreme weather, per Angi.

The beauty of wood is undeniable, but the fact is wooden doors don't last as long as the other options. Inexpensive pine doors will need to be replaced after 20 years, while more costly mahogany might need to be swapped out after 60. Still, the traditional Craftsman-style doors are usually made from wood.

However, fiberglass is quickly becoming a popular alternative. They're more energy-efficient, have lower maintenance than wood, and often come with a lifetime warranty. But they're also more expensive. Still, they don't carry some of the drawbacks of wood, such as being prone to rot, warping, dents, or scratches. But there are still downsides, such as not being as easy to install and not being as attractive as the real deal.

There are many Craftsman-style entry doors, per Arts & Crafts Homes. The configurations of the windows and designs alone could keep you busy for days. Some choices for glass are single beveled panes, and plain or beveled lights separated by muntins (strips of wood or metal that hold glass panes), and in varying numbers and configurations. There's leaded, art, or stained glass, or combinations of each! Adding transom windows above and/or sidelight windows on either side is another option.

And don't forget all the different things you could do with that ornate ledge we talked about, technically called a dentil shelf. You can choose wood, fiberglass, or steel ledges, or pick ones with different detailing. Putting in a Craftsman-style entry door can give your home a whole new look, and isn't as costly as many other remodeling projects. There are so many different designs and features to customize; you can really get creative!

As we previously alluded to, you don't need to have a Craftsman-style house to have a Craftsman-style front door. However, for the project to fit the house, there are certain so-called prerequisites. If your home is in a bungalow, prairie, or cottage style, these front doors will complement this type of design. Typically, homes that pay strong attention to hand-crafted architectural details are ideal for the Craftsman entry door. But that's not the only thing to keep in mind.

The scale of your house also plays a role in choosing this style. If your home has high ceilings out to the front porch area, it may support a large entryway and front door with transom and sidelights. Even if it's low-slung, if the porch is wide, it will likely support a wider entry door and look great. Of course, you'll want to match the overall design with the rest of the home. You wouldn't put a Craftsman door on a small farmhouse. Craftsman front doors make a definitive statement, so choose them when you want your artsy home to stand out from the rest.

By now, you might be wondering what the cost of putting in this kind of entry door is. But as you can imagine, this can vary widely. To give you an idea of premade Craftsman style front doors, Doors4Home has many that range between $1,000 and $3,000. This seems fairly typical, as Home Depot also has many in this same price range. However, keep in mind these are basic prefabricated designs.

On Pella, fiberglass Craftsman doors are listed as starting at $1,965.61 for a basic design (without windows). For steel doors in this style, Lowe's has three designs with windows that average a cost of $371. None of these costs include installation or any "extras." According to Angi, sidelights alone average between $500 to $2,500, should you choose this add-on. Installing an entry door like this can be expensive, and there are a ton of features to consider. But it's definitely a project that completely transforms the look of your home.

According to HomeServe, replacing the front door to your house is a sound investment that can give you about a 75% return on investment. This is quite significant and goes to show how much this impacts your home value. Curb appeal is a huge factor for buyers, as it's their first impression of the house. And let's face it, when people drive up to a home, one of the main things they focus on is the entryway. If your front door is in the Craftsman style, it will surely attract plenty of potential buyers. They're charming and inviting, which is what you want. Choosing a front door that makes a big impact is important.

Craftsman-style entry doors are extremely popular and are a relatively simple renovation project compared to many others. Though they can get expensive, with such a high ROI estimate, they practically pay for themselves.