Automatic Doors
This retrofit type incorporates some of the most advanced technologies to reduce your door’s reaction time and ensure that it allows people and material to move safely and efficiently conserve energy. While this is a retrofit that is generally more applicable to commercial buildings, this is a great addition for your condominium or apartment building since it involves multiple people moving through the area during multiple times in the day. Typically, this retrofit does not involve a large amount of time and can be completed in a matter of hours or a couple of days.
Automatic Doors. Image obtained from: Canada Door Systems. Click on image for reference.
Replace Wood or Steel Doors with Fiberglass
Most of our homes in the GTHA have wooden exterior doors. Wood, in addition to not being very energy efficient, is also not as durable as other materials and in an environment like Canada. It has to be upgraded every few years to ensure you are maintaining safety and home energy efficiency. In contrast, fiberglass is much more energy efficient even compared to aluminum (its thermal performance is nearly double). While fiberglass doors do cost more, you can make up the cost by not having to replace your doors as often and by saving on your bills! Please ensure you change the door frame as well.
Image obtained from Wix.
Glazed Doors
Similar to windows, doors can either be partially or fully glazed. These doors are glazed with a thermal barrier, which is also known as ‘thermal break’, between each panel of glass and ensures there is no thermal gradient created which can drive up energy loss. Between each layer of glass, there are inert gasses which stop heat from passing through. An inert gas is a non-reactive gas that reduces heat loss. These partially glazed or fully glazed doors can be made of PVC, aluminum or timber.
Image obtained from Wix.
1. The Automatic Door Co. (n.d.), Retrofit doors. Retrieved from https://www.theautomaticdoorco.com/resources/retrofit-doors/
2. Cascadia Windows and Doors (n.d.), Why Fiberglass? Retrieved from https://www.cascadiawindows.com/technology/why-fiberglass#environmental-benefits
3. Centre for Sustainable Energy (n.d), Energy Efficient Glazing. Retrieved from :https://www.cse.org.uk/advice/advice-and-support/energy-efficient-glazing-high-performance-external-doors