JAMES DULLEY | Cutting your utility bills Wooden entry doors are beautiful, durable

Q. My wooden front door is warped, leaky and just plain ugly. I want to replace it with an efficient one with decorative glass, but I am worried it will warp too. Are there any durable, long-lasting wooden doors?
A. There are many wooden entry doors that can last a lifetime.
The key is starting out with a high-quality wooden door and then maintaining it properly throughout its life. The best wooden entry doors don't require much care, but regular inspections to repair any nicks or scratches are wise.
Although wooden doors do not have the high insulation level of steel or fiberglass doors with foam cores, their beauty and elegance cannot be matched. With so much decorative glass in many front doors today, the insulation value of the door material is not as important for efficiency.
Growing and shrinking: All wooden doors, even high-quality ones sealed at the factory, grow and shrink throughout the year as the temperature and humidity change. They are designed with features such as floating panels so that the manufacturers can offer warranties (some for a lifetime) against warping, spliting or peeling.
Be prepared to pay more for a high-quality wooden door than for most insulated steel doors. The most attractive and efficient ones are often made by craftsmen with handcrafted mortise and tenon joints. Variations in grain and how it accepts stain makes each wooden door unique.
For most homes, the airtightness of a new wooden door improves efficiency and comfort (less outdoor noise, drafts, dust, etc.). If you want the greatest energy savings, several manufacturers offer styles with foam insulation cores.
Decorative glass: You have many new, efficient options for the decorative glass. In addition to standard rectangular and oval windows, there are other unique shapes available. Beveled, etched and leaded are most commonly used, but other attractive styles are wrought iron, granite-look and glue chip.
Super-efficient triple-pane glass is a good choice for all climates. The decorative pane of glass is usually sandwiched in between two other clear panes. This type of glass is also difficult to break through. For even more security, select a door with optional multipoint latches along its length.
For new construction or remodeling, wood doors with matching ornate transoms and sidelights are becoming very popular. The additional glass in these allows more natural light indoors and reduces the need to switch on lamps.
For a truly unique-looking door, you can have personalized patterns hand-carved into the wood. Wooden doors with decorative, deeply embossed copper, pewter or brass skins look distinctive and are low-maintenance.
Q. We just installed a fireplace, and I think a ceiling fan in that room would help. How can I install one, without extra wiring, in place of the light fixture so I can operate the fan and light separately?
A. Adding a ceiling fan will help circulate the heated air throughout the room during the winter. Switch the rotation so that the air flow is upward and operate it on low or medium speed to minimize drafts.
The best way to have independent control of the fan speed and the light with one wire is to install a ceiling fan with a remote control. The remote receiver in the fan takes care of controlling either the speed or the light.
XWrite for Update Bulletin No. 659 which gives a buyer's guide of 14 high-quality wood entry door manufacturers listing construction types, styles, glass options, features and finishing instructions. Please send $3 and a business-size SASE to James Dulley, The Vindicator, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244. For an instant download, visit James Dulley online at www.dulley.com.