By
eHow Home & Garden Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Step1
Measure the door or the entryway. If you are replacing a door, note the old door's length, width and height. Note the knob and lock placements. If you're adding a door to a new home, purchase a prehung door that includes molding, a threshold and predrilled holes for accessories. Doors also come without these features, but their installation requires much more work.
Step2
Decide whether you want an inswing or outswing. Choose a right-handed or left-handed door.
Step3
Pick a material. Entry doors typically are made of steel, fiberglass or wood. Steel and fiberglass exterior doors are weather resistant and are ideal for high traffic areas. Steel doors often come ready to paint or stain. Fiberglass doors contain wood grain molding and resemble wood doors after you paint them. Wood doors are especially heavy and sturdy, but are more vulnerable to harsh weather conditions than steel or fiberglass doors.
Step4
Shop for an exterior door with energy efficient features. Steel and fiberglass doors usually contain foam insulation and have full weather stripping to maximize energy efficiency. If your door contains glass, make sure it's insulated.
Step5
Choose a color. Your front door should reflect the style of your home and your personal style. Wood is traditional, while a steel door can be painted any color from black to bright yellow.
Step6
Add architectural accents to complement your new exterior door. Add a transom or sidelites, which are windows above or to the sides of an exterior door.
