Best Exterior Door

[Venus Pax]

We are installing a new exterior door between attached garage and main part of house.
What is best: solid wood, fiberglass, or metal?

[JALLEN]

I may be misinterpreting this but the door between a garage and the dwelling part of a house must meet building code requirement which is an hour fire door, IIRC, usually steel or some sort. Definitely cannot be wood and I doubt it could be fiberglass.

[MeMelYup]

For security; metal with reinforced jams.
For longevity; fiberglass.
For looks; wood.

[sjfcontrol]

I may be misinterpreting this but the door between a garage and the dwelling part of a house must meet building code requirement which is an hour fire door, IIRC, usually steel or some sort. Definitely cannot be wood and I doubt it could be fiberglass.

The doors between the house and garage(s) in my house are wood (at least as far as I can tell).

[Keith B]

Last code i dealt with required garage to room entry doors be at least 20 minute fire-rated, or 1 3/8″ solid core doors – no hollow core, interior type doors like the ones that you normally install in bedrooms, closets, bathrooms, etc. They can be wooden or fiberglass, but most are going to be metal and won't have a window per code. I would suggest you check with your local building code to make sure they don't require a higher fire-rating.

Here’s the text from 2009 edition of the IRC:

R302.5.1 Opening protection. Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall not be permitted. Other openings between the garage and residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less than 1 3/8 inches (35 mm) in thickness, solid or honeycomb core steel doors not less than 1 3/8 inches (35 mm) thick, or 20-minute fire-rated doors.

[Running Arrow Bill]

Forget building codes...LOL! For REAL protection from bad guys, fire, etc., Use only a steel, insulated door in a steel frame. Make it very difficult for a BG to kick the door in. Same wouldn't be too bad for all exterior doors to one's house. And, yes, NO glass in the door where someone could break the glass and turn the lock & door knob and just walk in. JMO.