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sahmmy_gw

HomeGuard Entry Door&Sidelites - Composite vs. Wood Frame

sahmmy_gw
9 years ago

I am getting a HomeGuard steel entry door with sidelites. HomeGuard offers an option for a composite for jambs and brickmold vs. standard wood. They call it "Timberframe". The HomeGuard brochure says Timberframe is "completely maintenance & worry free, will not wick water, will not warp, rot or mold, a 100% composite material". There is an upcharge, but it's not too bad.

The door and sidelites I am replacing have painted wood frames and jamb. They are 23 years old and rotted. It appears I may have carpenter ants in the bottom frames of the sidelites.

I have to abide by HOA appearance requirements and have the jamb and frames painted a certain color which is not a problem with HomeGuard. However, I am not sure whether I should opt for the composite material or go with the standard wood. HomeGuard provided a sample of the composite Timberframe material and there is a slight grain to it, vs. the wood which would be smooth like what my frames are now. I painted the composite sample, and the grain doesn't show much after painting. So, can anyone give me advice about whether I should opt for the composite or the wood.

I am concerned with:

- is the composite really an advantage? Yes, my wood frames are rotted now, but they've been there for 23 years of rough midwestern weather.

- if I stay with the standard wood, will that mean the carpenter ants that are in the rotted wood frame I have now, move right in to the new wood frame?

- will the composite with its grain look significantly different after painting so it would be a problem with keeping with HOA requirements that everything look the same?

Thanks so much for your advice.

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