Gregg Hoyer illustrates the performance differences between a Therma-Tru Classic Craft and a Therma-Tru Fiber Classic including durability, function, and build quality.
Author: reeblearn
Premium Fiberglass Doors – Design
Gregg Hoyer illustrates the design differences between a Therma-Tru Classic Craft and a Therma-Tru Fiber Classic including price, layout and visual appeal.
Premium Wood Doors
Gregg Hoyer walks us through various types of premium wood doors and dissects the components that make up each one, offering us an in-depth look at how each will perform in the real world.
Note: Metropolitan Doors are no longer offered. A comparable offering is the Nantucket with Optional Joinery.
Primed Exterior Frames
Gregg Hoyer explains the differences between primed finger-jointed, wood, and composite frames and which ones are recommended for each exposure type.
Stainable Exterior Frames
Gregg Hoyer explains the differences between stainable finger-jointed, wood, and composite frames and which ones are recommended for each exposure type.
What is 2g®?
2g® is Reeb’s cloud-based product configuration software that puts our vast inventory at your fingertips and streamlines the quoting, pricing and ordering process into a fast, easy and accurate guided selling system. The project began in 2007 and has since become the #1 guided selling system in the millwork industry, and for good reason.
Companies use 2g because it’s easy-to-use, reliable, and most importantly, saves time and money by helping to ensure more complete and accurate orders and quotes. Users routinely report higher tickets and increased profits due to reduced errors and increased option awareness for the buyer. 2g presents all of the available options, so even less experienced staff members don’t have to worry about missing one.
2g doesn’t just save time and money, it’s a way for team members to access a growing database of industry knowledge and become quickly informed about important changes.
Using 2g®
2g® has powerful reporting, permissions and pricing features that allow you to keep detailed records of who orders what, and when. Reports can be pulled at any time to allow better insight into your sales process and review individual performance. Rather than wait for the end of your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly sales cycle, this information can now be reviewed in real time.
- Click here to access 2g’s User Guide – a detailed guide which provides step by step directions on how to use all of 2g’s functionality.
Accessing 2g®
2g® is a modern website application built to perform equally well on both Windows and Mac platforms. It is fully tested in newer versions of Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Chrome and is user-friendly on tablet and mobile devices.
Wood Door Joinery
Note: Metropolitan doors are no longer offered. Any reference to Nantucket doors includes both the standard and optional joineries.
Exterior doors are exposed to sun, wind, and/or moisture. Of these three, moisture is a door's greatest enemy.
Wood doors, like all exterior products, are subject to the effects of moisture. While all wood doors may look similar, the joinery varies.
Special joinery methods used on Nantucket®, Performance Series® and WaterBarrier® doors can help mitigate moisture issues.
Nantucket Joinery
The Nantucket door by Simpson is the toughest wood exterior stile and rail door. The stiles and rails are two pieces of solid lumber which are face laminated together. Because there is no veneer and the core is solid, the door is not subject to veneer delamination or core swelling.
The Nantucket door has a two special joinery technique called a mortise-and-tenon joint.
A mortise is cut into the stile and rail and a tenon is inserted.
Glue is applied to the tenon as well as the entire coped area where the stiles and rails come together.
The standard joinery will include an additional face pin driven through holes in the face of the door pulling the joint together.
The optional joinery will use a grip tenon which is slightly larger to hold the stiles and rails together
The joint is virtually indestructible allowing the door to hold up in any exposure.
Mortise-and-Tenon Joinery
Nantucket Close Up
Metropolitan™ Joinery
Similar to the Nantucket®, the Metropolitan™ door utilizes the same solid lumber face-laminated construction technique with no veneers. The difference is in the joinery ‐ the Metropolitan door is joined with dowel pins. Glue is applied to the dowel pins as well as the entire coped area preventing moisture from attacking the door.
If you prefer a minimalistic look, the Metropolitan's joinery removes the face pin aesthetic element.
This joinery does not compare to the Nantucket's joint strength, but the door is still capable of being used in any exposure.
Performance Series® Joinery
Simpson's Performance Series® door has a solid bottom rail to protect the most vulnerable part. The joinery of the Performance Series is the same as the Metropolitan™ ‐ glue is applied to dowel pins as well as along the coped area. The biggest difference between the two is that the Performance door is not solid lumber. The stiles are a finger-jointed wood block core covered with a veneer and have Ultrablock® Technology, a composite block finger-jointed at the bottom preventing water from getting to the core.
Ultrablock® Technology
Dowel Pin Joinery showing Coped Area
WaterBarrier® Joinery
WaterBarrier® is another version of the performance door which utilizes a medium density overlay over the entire exterior side of the door preventing any moisture from getting to non-solid lumber portions. This means the exterior is only paintable but the door can be used in any exposure.
Medium Density Overlay over exterior side of door
Standard Construction Joinery
Standard construction wood doors have a veneer overtop a finger-jointed core making it very susceptible to moisture especially in a partially or unprotected doorway. The stile and rail joints are joined by dowel pins but are only glued at the dowels, not at the coped area. Doors with this joinery should only be used in Fully Protected Doorways.
Standard Construction Joinery
Dowel Pin Joinery
Water can get through the coped area because it is not sealed by the glue.
Once moisture begins to get through the coped area, it can lead to moisture infiltration, door swelling, and eventually rot and decay as well as veneer delamination.
Door with rot/decay
Door with veneer delamination
While it is important to have an aesthetically pleasing door, it is also important to have a door that is capable of withstanding its environment.
If you have a fully protected doorway, any of these joinery types will work well.
However, if you have an unprotected doorway, it is important to use the tough Nantucket®, Metropolitan™, or WaterBarrier® doors to ensure the maximum life of your door.
NANTUCKET®
METROPOLITAN™
WATERBARRIER®
Reeb® Finish Paint
Reeb® Finish Paint featuring PrismaGuard® is a versatile color palette featuring elegant, modern hues and bold, rustic tones providing exciting options to achieve the look you desire. This offering boasts vibrant, truer-to-life colors that give the finished product additional depth and resistance to fading.
A preliminary top coat seals the finish and enhances the color applied during the painting process, adding durability and sheen to the final product. A second top coat provides maximum durability and protection from the elements.
For a complete entryway solution, several color options match available door accessories. All finishes on fiberglass doors are backed by a 10 year limited warranty and an unmatched reputation for quality and customer service.
Reeb Finish Paint is available in the following 22 finishes :
Alaskan Storm
Morning Dove
Harbor Fog
Grace Bay
Nautilus
Tanned Leather
Brighton
Urban Dusk
Falcon Gray
Java Bean
Mocha Chip
Sienna Bronze
Luna Moth
Deep Moss
Bamboo Forest
Royal Marine
Moonless Night
Total Eclipse
Rio
Mojave Red
Dahlia
Dried Cranberry
Actual colors may vary from pictures shown.
Door Unit Construction
When a door is needed for remodeling or new construction, door unit configuration and handing are two important aspects that need to be determined.
Configuration
The first configuration decision is choosing a single or double door. Single doors are most common for entryways. Double doors have twice the opening size but are not as secure.
Single Door Unit
Double Door Unit
The next configuration decision is a complementary component such as a sidelite (a small panel with glass that sits next to the door) or a transom (a glass accent fixture that sits above the door).
A sidelite can be added to either or both sides of a single door. A transom can be placed over a single door, double door, or unit with sidelites to bring more natural light into the home.
For larger openings, a single door with two sidelites is a good option as a double door is not as weathertight.
Single Door w/ Sidelite on Left
Single Door w/ Sidelite on Right
Single Door w/ Two Sidelites
Single Door Unit w/ Transom
Single w/ Transom and Left Sidelite
Single w/ Transom and Right Sidelite
Single w/ Transom and Two Sidelites
Rough Opening
Another consideration regarding the unit configuration is the rough opening (RO), the hole in which the door unit is placed. The standard size door is 3'0" (36") wide by 6'8" (80") tall and is the main component of the door unit. In the industry it is known as a 3068 door. The door unit, though, consists of the door, the frame around the door, and the sill underneath the door. An additional 2⅜" is added to the width and 2½" is added to the height to account for all door unit components and allow space for shimming. The rough opening for a standard inswing complete single door unit is 38⅜" by 82½".
Single Door
Single Door R.O.
Adding a sidelite to a unit will increase the rough opening width, not only due to the sidelite but also due to the addition of a mullpost between the door and sidelite.
A standard door unit with sidelites is constructed by using one head jamb and one sill, called a continuous head and sill unit.
A common configuration includes using a 3'0" wide door with two 12" sidelites.
The rough opening necessary will now increase to the addition of the two sidelites as well as two mullposts which are used between the sidelite and the door.
Therefore, the rough opening for a single door with two 12" sidelites is 64⅜" by 82½".
Single Door w/ 2 Sidelites R.O.
Adding a transom to a unit increases the rough opening height. standard glass in a rectangular transom, coupled with the frame around the transom, will add 13½" to the rough opening.
A single door with two 12" sidelites and a rectangular transom will have a rough opening of 64⅜" by 96".
Single Door w/ 2 Sidelites and Transom R.O.
Unit Construction
At times, the existing rough opening in the home is larger than a standard opening, typically found in older homes. For these occurrences, there is an option to increase the size of the unit by using a boxed construction also known as spread mulls. This method of construction will add extra space between the sidelites and the door allowing the unit to better fit the larger rough opening. If the existing rough opening is shorter than 82½", it is also possible to cut down the door in height.
Continuous with FrameSaver® Composite Bottom Frame
Boxed with FrameSaver® Composite Bottom Frame and Spacers
The image of the boxed unit shows a spread mull with a split sill.
Boxed units can also be constructed with no visible split by either using a continuous sill or by adding a nosing to the end of a split sill to give the appearance of one continuous sill.
Handing
The handing of the door refers to the swing of the door as well as left or right hand. There are two types of swings: inswing and outswing. If the door swings into the home, it is considered an inswing unit. If the door swings out of the home, it is considered an outswing unit.
Next it must be determined if the door unit is left or right hand.
Imagine the door is open and you are standing with your back to the hinges.
If the open door is on your left, it is a left hand swing. If the open door is on your right, it is a right hand swing.
This is true for both inswing or outswing.
Left Hand Inswing
Right Hand Inswing
Left Hand Outswing
Right Hand Outswing
Finally, when choosing the handing for double doors, it is the swing of the active door, or the door that will be opened the majority of the time, that needs to be determined.
Left Hand Inswing
Right Hand Inswing
Left Hand Outswing
Right Hand Outswing
Exterior Lock Options
All doors have some sort of latching mechanism to hold the door tight against the weather strip for a good seal, and a lock to provide security. Locks come in a variety of styles, options, and finishes, but generally fall into three categories: cylindrical, mortise, and multi-point.
Cylindrical Lock Prep
Mortise Lock Prep
Multi-Point Lock Prep
Cylindrical Locks
Cylindrical locks require a circular hole in the face of the door to accommodate the lock chassis, and a cut in the edge of the door for the latch bolt. This lockset has a quick and easy installation making them very common in homes, and offices, in both interior and exterior doors.
Mortise Locks
Mortise locks sit in a rectangular pocket in the door. They offer a few advantages but the most important is added security and stopping power. The box is totally concealed when the door is closed. Mortise locks also include a feature which prevents the ability to retract the latch with a credit card, and they are more aesthetically pleasing because of their clean look and old antique charm.
Multi-Point Locks
The best option for security is a multi-point lock which secures the door to the frame or an astragal at multiple points. This locking system provides a better seal, and enhanced security for your home. However, multi-point locks require additional preparation: a pocket in the edge of the door to accommodate the box mechanism and a channel routed in the edge of the door for the other points of contact.
Multi-point locks are especially beneficial in two scenarios. First, with 8’ doors, to prevent warping and maintaining a good seal the entire length of the door. Second, in extreme wind situations, when the pressure is so great that it could separate the door and weather strip, creating a leak.
Therma-Tru
The Therma-Tru door offering comes with a Therma-Tru approved, multi-point locking system. It has tongues that pivot out into the frame or shoot bolts that extend into the sill and head jamb. This lock has a unique feature that prevents the tongues or bolts from being extended when the door is in the open position, which prevents damaging the frame. The Therma-Tru multi-point lock is available in 5 trim styles in both narrow and wide widths, and 6 trim finishes.
Trilennium
The standard multi-point lock product for wood doors is the Trilennium lock from Endura. It features 3 latches that double as bolts when they are engaged. Latches differ from bolts in that they drop into the keeper without any action needed from the operator. The Trilennium lock also features an I-beam that increases the precision of the lock, but also strengthens the edge of the door as an additional measure to help prevent warping over the life of the door.
Tru-Lock
Note: Tru-Lock is not longer offered. This section will remain available as a reference.
The third option is Tru-Lock. Tru-Lock offers 2 points of contact approximately 18” apart, and requires the least amount of prep. This product works in conjunction with standard deadbolt bores and hardware and is available in two finishes. Tru-Lock is an excellent choice when traditional knob or thumb-latch hardware is used, and it also serves as a great after-market two-point solution for security.
So you’ve got cylindrical, mortise, and multi-point locks. Of the 3, we prefer multi-point locks because of their superior sealing and security benefits. There are many options. Consider these options based on your own exposure and security needs.