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Smooth-Star: Despite the popularity of steel doors, builders have never been happy with the problems inherent in this material - most notably, rusting and denting, along with necessitate. Therma-Tru responded in with Smooth-Star, a door that incorporated the smooth fiberglass look of painted steel while eliminating dents, dings and rust. We call Smooth-Star the Steel Beater, not only because it''s competitively priced with steel doors, but also because it looks better, feels better and performs better. Plus, its 20-year limited warranty is twice that of most steel products. Clearly the Best Value It took steel the better part of three decades to overtake wood as the material of choice for residential entry doors. Interior Therma-Tru door expects door to eclipse steel much faster. We have seen fiberglass products readily accepted by home builders across the nation, says Oleshansky. Wood and steel doors simply cannot compete with the beauty, energy efficiency, durability, low maintenance and variety offered by today''s doors that are produced from fiberglass.

Divided lites You can purchase true divided-lite (the industry term for multiple panes) doors from some manufacturers. Many doormakers offer snap-in, false muntins that do a fair job of mimicking the look of divided lites but are much less expensive and make glass easier to clean. Sliders that more closely resemble divided-lite doors have both snap-in grilles and matching false muntins sandwiched between the two panes of insulating glass. A pair of 6-foot-wide doors like these costs about. Another option is a miniblind or pleated shade encased between the two panes of insulated glass; the interior glass panel is removable so the binds can be easily cleaned. Listing at about, these are pricey, but they save the cost of window coverings.

Other alternatives are made of a polyurethane foam insulation core - offering six times the energy efficiency of wood - faced on both sides with vinyl or aluminum. These typically cost for a 6-foot-wide door. All well-made nonwood doors are designed with thermal breaks (separations between indoor and outdoor surfaces that block the conduction of heat or cold.) Glazing options Of course, the largest part of a glass sliding door is glass. To make a door truly energy efficient, high-performance glazing is key. Fortunately, this is standard with most high-quality sliders. You''ll find double-paned glass with low-E (low energy) coating and, in some cases, argon gas filling. Low-E reduces heat transfer and protects against ultraviolet damage; argon gas filling provides greater insulation. Some manufacturers let you specify the glazing you want when you order. Where sun-caused fading or damage can e a serious problem, you may want to opt for glass with a solar bronze or solar gray tint to reject ultraviolet rays. In addition, some companies offer decorative stained or beveled glass with true brass caming (leading). For bathrooms or other places where privacy is a concern, obscure glass is available.