LAS VEGAS — Door and window manufacturers are continuing to super-size product lines to make a grander first impression at main entrances and to expand vista views of the outdoors and patio areas.
Therma-Tru Doors unveiled new 7- and 8-foot fiberglass exterior doors at last month's International Builders' Show to capitalize on the trend toward new homes built with higher ceilings.
WinDor also introduced the latest version of its hybrid exterior folding door system made of aluminum framing for strength and capped with vinyl for energy efficiency and low maintenance. Royal Building Products is supplying the PVC profiles.
And, Ply Gem Holdings Inc. offered a glimpse into how a streak of window and door manufacturer acquisitions not only expanded its product lines but super-sized the company, making it the No. 1 player in western Canada and No. 2 in all of that country.
Adding fiber
Fiber is good for the diet and the home, according to representatives of Maumee, Ohio-based Therma-Tru, which added on to its 8-foot offerings of fiberglass doors in its Traditions and Smooth-Star collections.
Fiberglass doors resist rust and dents, are easy to maintain, and offer a timeless look, according to Jay Solarik, Therma-Tru's associate product manager.
“The 8-foot door is an area we're moving into for 2015,” Solarik said. “It's more popular out west but it's an emerging trend nationwide. You want to make a dramatic statement and one way to do it is to have these big doors.”
The standard 6-foot, 8-inch door continues to make up the majority of sales volume but the trend toward not just bigger but wider doors is catching on, Solarik said.
“Everyone wants bigger and better,” he said. “In Texas, they're pushing 3-feet, 6-inches wide.”
In addition to the wow factor, polyurethane foam is used as an insulating core to boost the R-value factor, which measures thermal performance, Solarik added. The foam core insulates against cold and heat to improve energy efficiency.
“We have higher R values than traditional wood doors and they don't rot or decay,” Solarik said, putting the R value at four times that of wood.
Therma-Tru's new 8-foot, one-panel doors with a 3/4-window also come in a variety of grid patterns and glass choices that can also be used for patio applications.
Meanwhile, an adjustment to the 8-foot, two-panel systems opened the door to more than 200 new half-window options for the Smooth-Star and Traditions collections. These doors also can be paired with side windows and transoms.
Therma-Tru expanded its 7-foot, Smooth-Star portfolio of door options, too, with a two-panel square top and six-panel door style that can be combined with 350 glass options.
Solarik said the company also is testing new graining technology for its fiberglass doors in some markets.
Vinyl hybrid