I had a great meeting with Performance Building Supply last Friday to review the Window quote. The pricing was a bit higher than expected due to the 7 foot by 7 foot tempered glass windows I settled on for the front of the house.

I’ve been looking for an affordable door which matches the performance of the windows. Unfortunately, the most affordable door is the Intus at over $2500 each! With three operable doors spec’d for the house, this isn’t a viable option.

Additionally, I am hoping to add a z-wave electronic lock to the entry door so it can be monitored remotely and the entry code changed when necessary. The Intus doors lock at three points which make for great security and an air-tight seal, but impossible to add an electronic lock.

Performance Building Supply had some ideas to help reduce cost and suggested an Intus balcony door for the two operable doors in the walk-out basement. These doors have the same triple pane glass as the windows and are reasonably affordable at about $1500 each. The downside is they have a slightly elevated 3/8 threshold and no exterior locking mechanism.  Since they are intended to open on to a patio area, I think the tradeoffs are acceptable to get a great-quality door.

As I lock-in the final quotes for the project, I’m keeping these doors in mind. Unfortunately, the front door will be a more traditional American-made single-point locking door. I’m hoping the mudroom area will help avoid a draft through the rest of the house.