I will be making the purchase of a new front entry door, preferably steel, and I would like to add some sunlight into my otherwise dark living room. I am looking at doors with the various glass inserts, (clear, or stained glass, etc.), and would like NOT to lose energy by going this route. Can I get some advice on what doors are recommended?
Have you considered side or top windows/lights? I have an arch over my front door and it provides a lot of light. Recently bought a fan double honeycomb to fit inside the frame. Now I get the light and the heat is a lot less. This window faces west in Arizona desert. Only owned the home for 2 months so this could be interesting. Adds on the web pages for the double cellular shades indicate a R-4.
You'd have to look at individual doors from each manufacturer. Not all steel doors are the same; nor are all fiberglass or all wood doors.
Fiberglass and wood have more inherent insulation than steel, but any of them can be improved with foam cores. You will likely lose a small amount of energy from a window; the bigger the window, the bigger the loss. I suspect that any properly-installed double- or triple-pane window will have little overall impact on the house energy budget. It may allow in more radiant energy during the day than would be compensated for by a solid door.
Our front door, sidelights, and transom have triple-paned stained glass -- the stained glass panel is sandwiched between 2 solid, tempered glass layers. The door is cored fiberglass, the sidelight, transom, and door framing is wood.
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