As tax time wraps up this year, it’s not too soon to think about what tax breaks you might qualify for come next year. There are plenty of energy efficient home improvements that can still qualify for tax credits, including upgrading the energy efficiency of your front entry door. Not only will this enhance your home’s curb appeal and help maintain the value of your house, there’s a new federal energy tax credit of up to $500 on certain Energy Star certified doors that could be just the incentive you might need.
Changes to the exterior keep a home fresh-looking and create a rewarding home ownership experience. Replacing a 
home’s entryway with a fiberglass door can significantly increase the curb appeal of a house while providing homeowners with enhanced energy efficiency benefits. One challenge of upgrading your front entry door might be just which door to choose. There are so many wonderful styles out there. And it’s not like holding a paint chip up against a wall. Obviously you can’t hold up different doors to the exterior of your house. Or can you? Two new virtual tools at www.thermatru.com can help take the guesswork out of what your finished front entry will look like.
The “Door Designer” program allows homeowners to select a house style that matches their own home. The next step is to select a door shape and style that are electronically inserted on the sample house. Homeowners can customize the on-screen entryway by “trying on” different door styles and glass packages, along with selecting various colors for the sample home’s exterior, roof and façade.
The “My Saved Doors” tool allows homeowners to upload a photo of their existing home to the site and then browse Therma-Tru’s online product catalog to select doors they like. The tool allows people to save the doors they select and make side-by side comparisons to the features they like best while looking at the picture of their own home on the screen. Finally, homeowners can save and print out their final selections to share with family and friends via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter.
Therma-Tru also offers the Picture Perfect™ Virtual Designer that provides homeowners with the opportunity to upload pictures of their own home and make changes online by swapping in different door styles. Homeowners can contact their contractor or dealer to use this online tool or order a personal copy at www.thermatru.com/orderPP.
After selecting your main entry door, you can add trim pieces to complete the entrance. Fypon, Therma Tru’s sister company, makes synthetic pilasters, crossheads and pediments to actually surround the door. These pieces are the ‘icing on the cake’ for a home’s entrance. They’re lightweight and easy to install, extremely decorative, and best of all, they resist moisture, insects, termites and humidity. Together, the new Therma-Tru door and Fypon trim create the perfect entrance.
So now you’ve got three great reason to go ahead an update your front entry: increased energy efficiency, enhanced curb appeal and a federal tax credit for doors that qualify. To view the extensive collection of fiberglass entry doors and decorative glass packages available from Therma-Tru, visit www.thermatru.com. For additional information on the federal government’s 2011 tax credits available to homeowners, visit www.energystar.gov/taxcredit. And, to see a selection of Fypon entrance trim pieces, visit www.fypon.com.
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