If you’re in the market for a new door and you’ve been researching your options, you’ve probably heard the term “thermally broken.” This term can be a bit confusing, as broken generally refers to something not working well. On the contrary, having a thermally broken door is beneficial. To help you make an informed decision about your future door, this article will cover what a thermally broken door is, what the benefits of a thermally broken door are, and who needs a thermally broken door.
What Is a Thermally Broken Door?
Reference: Double Wrought Iron Doors
To understand what a thermally broken door is and how it works, it’s necessary first to know what thermal bridging and thermal breaks are.
Thermal Bridging
Heat can transfer through different materials, and it can move through some materials far more easily than others. Thermal bridging happens when heat transfers through an object that’s more conducive to heat than all of the things around it. That object essentially becomes the path of least resistance for the heat.
What’s more is that heat always moves toward cold, so thermal bridges can cause you to lose heat in the winter and gain heat in the summer. In a home, this can happen through doors, windows, and even the studs in your walls. Walls and roofs are mostly insulated, and it’s difficult for heat to pass through the insulation. Instead, it will go through the aforementioned bridges, such as your door. To prevent your door from becoming a bridge, it needs a thermal break.
Thermal Breaks
A thermal break is just like the insulation in your walls: it prevents heat from traveling through. While they’re not impervious to heat, they’re much more difficult for heat to pass through than materials like wood or metal. Thermal breaks can be added to doors, making them thermally broken.
Thermally Broken Doors
So, a thermally broken door is one with a thermal break to prevent it from being a thermal bridge. The thermal break in an entry is generally a reinforced and insulated polyamide bar that’s fit into the inside and outside of the door frame. This thermal break is always added to your door before the installation in your home as well.
Although the heat may be able to travel through the door itself, the thermal break stops the heat from crossing the threshold of your house. This prevents the loss of heat in the winter and loss of cold in the summer.
Benefits of a Thermally Broken Door
Thermally broken doors provide plenty of benefits for you and your home. Here’s a quick look at just some of the ways thermally broken doors are beneficial:
1. Energy Efficiency
The main advantage of having a thermally broken door is that it’s much more energy-efficient than a regular door. Thermal breaks reduce heat flow in both directions, meaning there will be less heat entering or leaving your house when you don’t want it to. This is especially important for Texas residents, as it can get swelteringly hot in the summer! Investing in a thermally broken door means paying less in energy bills in the long run, as you won’t need to run the air conditioner as much during the hot months.
2. Reduction in Noise
Just like how heat passes through your door frame, sound passes through in a similar way. Keeping your house thermally broken will have the additional benefit of stopping sound from entering through your doorway. This is especially nice on street-facing doors to reduce traffic noise and keep your inner sanctuary feeling private. The noise reduction is also a great benefit for your interior doors. For those of us with large households, the noise reduction between rooms can be blissful compared to normal.
3. Extra Security
Wrought iron and steel doors on their own are already durable and secure, as they’re made of strong materials. Having them be thermally broken adds to their stability, making them the best option for your home’s security.
4. Flexibility
There is no limit to where you can install a door with thermal breaking. Any doorway in your home, whether interior or exterior, can benefit from thermal breaking, from your front entry to your bedroom doors. Thermally broken doors can be included in every shape, size, and style you could need or want, so they are an excellent fit for any location.
5. Reduced Condensation
Similar to windows, doorways with lower thermal performance can allow condensation to develop because of their increased heat loss. Installing a thermal break improves their thermal performance, which helps prevent condensation from forming on the edge of the door and frame. Keeping moisture away from your doors is beneficial no matter the material they’re made of. Still, it is especially helpful for wrought iron and steel doors. By preventing condensation from forming, thermal breaks are also helping lower the risk of rust developing on your door.
6. Improved Resale Value
When it comes time to sell your home, having a thermally broken door is a guaranteed way to add value to your home, especially in Texas. Thermally broken doors are attractive for buyers conscious of their energy savings, security, and reduced noise. Thermally broken wrought iron and steel doors are also stylish additions to your home that boost curb value when installed as your front door.
Who Can Benefit from a Thermally Broken Door?
The short answer is that almost everybody can benefit from a thermally broken door because of the wide variety of benefits it provides. However, it’s far more beneficial for some than it is for others.
Overall, those who really need thermally broken doors live in climates that get either very hot, very cold, or both. Heating and cooling are both expensive and energy-intensive. Even something seemingly minor as getting a thermally broken door can make a big difference in your energy bill and carbon footprint. For those of us in Texas, a thermally broken door can be a big help.
If you’re not worried about the climate, then getting a thermally broken door isn’t necessary. However, it does have other benefits that you may find makes it worth the upgrade.
Get a Thermally Broken Wrought Iron or Steel Door from Bighorn Iron Doors
Thermally broken doors are made better when they’re wrought iron or steel doors. When you combine the benefits of thermally broken doors with the benefits of wrought iron and steel, you’re getting a door that is clearly superior to other options. Wrought iron and steel doors are highly versatile on their own. They’re easily customizable, so they can come in various sizes, shapes, and styles. Mixed together, you have a stylish and energy-efficient door that’s secure, adds value to your home, and is an excellent option for any of your interior or exterior doors.
Bighorn Iron Doors creates high-quality wrought iron and steel thermally broken doors. We have a wide range of designs in stock that are lovely choices for homes of all kinds. We also offer custom-made doors if you have specific preferences, which can be easily ordered through our form online or by calling us at (833) 811-7199. Contact us to learn more about our products and what we can offer your home!
