Causes of Condensation Inside Exterior Iron Doors

You are the proud owners of a beautiful custom home with stunningly impressive exterior iron doors, yet when the weather gets freezing cold outside and the thermostat is set to 70º inside, you discover condensation on the inside of that stunningly beautiful wrought iron door.  What happened?

The most likely reason is that you have a regular, foam core, iron door. The best solution is to replace it with a Polar Shield™ wrought iron door with full thermal break from Donatello Doors. The difference between these two types of doors is huge - U 2.1 for regular iron door and U 0.21 for Polar Shield™ - that's 1000% better insulation!

However, if that is not possible then consider reducing the humidity in your home. Humidity is caused by the accumulation of moisture that evaporates into the air through the daily activity of showers, bathing, washing dishes, boiling and cooking food on the stove, drying clothes and even simply by breathing.  A typical family of 4 will produce approximately 4 pints of water, per person, each day. This is over 100 pints of water a week per person. That is a lot of water and it all goes into the air in your home.

Humidity accumulation in our homes was not such a problem before our houses became airtight. Humid air would be replaced by fresh, non-humid air slipping in through poorly fitted windows, through vents, attics, doors left open etc. Unless you live in a very humid climate, in which case the fresh air outside is just as saturated with water as the air inside.

Today, most homes are hermetically sealed to save on energy costs. As a result, this trapped, humid air when it comes in contact with a cold surface will condensate on windows, walls and particularly, your wrought iron door.  Wrought iron will conduct the temperature outside to the inside surfaces of the door. So, when it’s cold outside, your wrought iron door will be cold to touch inside as well – no matter how warm you keep your house. In fact, by increasing the heat, the water vapor in the air, when it contacts the cold iron, will precipitate out forming condensation and even frost, depending on how cold the temperature is outside.

The University of Minnesota - Agriculture Extension Service made an extensive study of humidity and has provided some useful guidelines. For our purposes, we have simplified this information into a table that should be followed to keep condensation on your wrought iron door to a minimum:

Using a standard indoor air temperature of 70° F (21° C):

Outside Temperature          Max Inside     Humidity

   +20° F                            (-7° C)    25% to 30%

   +10° F                          (-12° C)    20% to 25%

        0°F                          (-18° C)    15% to 20%

    -10° F                          (-23° C)    10% to 15%

If you have humidity levels that are higher than this, you should take steps to reduce it. You will need to purchase a de –humidifier. It should have a gauge to set the humidity level. Unfortunately, many of these gauges are notoriously inaccurate and will not tell you what the humidity is near your door – which may be different than in other areas of your home. A humidity meter can be bought for around $10 and can be wall mounted or placed on any surface within 6 feet or so of your exterior iron door (they are about the size of a small alarm clock).

Air leakage around your door in cold weather is another cause of condensation. If cold air is leaking into past the seals, it will dramatically cool the surface of the door, lowering the dew point and increasing condensation. The greater the temperature difference between inside and outside, the greater the likelihood of condensation forming on your exterior iron door. 


For more information, visit Donatello Doors online at www.donatellodoors.com

Which is best - Wood, Fiberglass or Wrought Iron Doors?

Choosing the perfect double door design for your entry door can be difficult because there are so many choices. You need to narrow down your choices to find out which features are the most important to you.

There are basically three main choices of materials used in exterior entry doors, and these are wood, fiberglass composite and wrought iron doors. You can add integral dual pane glass to a wooden door, although only in wrought iron doors can you have independently opening glass windows in your door.

1.Wooden doors are extremely popular for their natural warmth and beauty, but they do require far more maintenance than either steel or fiberglass. Depending on its construction and the weather it’s exposed to, a wooden door can warp, swell and even crack over time. Today's engineered, wood core doors with laminated construction and vapor barrier, does minimize this kind of damage. Still, expect to repaint or varnish your front door every few years – depending on conditions.

A 36 x 80-inch single wood door can cost $275 or up to $3,500, depending on the type of wood, construction, thickness, finish and glazing. A good quality hardwood, double door design may cost upwards of $6,000. Ecologically, if you’re looking for a renewable resource, wood can be a good choice. However, your design options are fewer than with fiberglass or wrought iron doors. 

         

2. Fiberglass composite is a very popular choice that gives the look of wood without the upkeep. These doors wrap tough, compression-molded fiberglass around an energy-efficient polyurethane foam core. They are quite strong, can be painted or stained to look like wood, they won't rust and resist shrinking and swelling – a problem with most wood doors. However, they don’t wear as well as wrought iron doors and there are many cheaper variations that are not as reliable as the quality I am citing. This quality of fiberglass door costs about the same as solid wood or wrought iron doors, so they are not necessarily a money saving alternative.

3. Wrought Iron doors vary from a solid block of steel to a delicate double door design with a great amount of glass and ornate hammered steel. Wrought iron doors are fireproof and if thermally broken provide the same amount of insulation as wood or fiberglass. Wrought iron doors can be very economical compared to wood or fiberglass and generally require no maintenance other than a light cleaning of the windows as needed. If properly made, they should not rust, chip or dent. Wrought Iron doors usually incorporate glass and create a more open and artistic element to your double door design.

A high quality wrought iron door from a reliable manufacturer can cost between $4,500- $10,000 depending on what features you choose; including low E glass, Polar Shield™ thermal break technology, hurricane certification or added sidelights and transom. Prices will vary greatly between manufacturers. One company may charge less than another, but they use a lower grade steel and don’t have as good a warranty. When you’re trying to compare for value, these factors are considerable. If you live in a colder region, you must have a thermal break to prevent your wrought iron door from leaking all your heat out into the cold. Generally, wrought iron doors have a long lead time, so be careful to plan well enough in advance that you don’t get caught buying what’s available rather than what you want, just because it’s in stock and can ship soon.

Prices can be all over the place with all of these doors and so it pays to shop online and read about the construction, warranties and values of a company before you make a purchase. Any non-standard size it likely to cost significantly more. There are always some disreputable firms who will sell you a discounted door but then when it arrives with problems, you discover their customer service line is always busy or their warranty excludes virtually everything. You are less likely to encounter such scams by dealing with a reputable supplier. Check out their Better Business Rating.  The BBB keeps record of complaints made against companies. Your supplier should have an ‘A’ rating.

Once you have an idea of what kind of entry door you want, remember to add shipping, tax and installation fees plus hardware is generally not included and can run another $700. Also remember that the one time cost of the perfect entry door may be one of the most important decisions you make in terms of how valuable your home is perceived to be. Even a modest home can be perceived as more valuable with an impressive entryway. Don’t let short term cost considerations deprive you of getting what you want.  Invest in quality materials that will please you for decades for the real bargain. 

For more information, visit Donatello Doors online. www.donatellodoors.com