Williams Window & Door is proud to offer our customers products with the ENERGY
STAR label.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR SPRING BONE YARD SALES EVENT
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CLICK HERE FOR OUR SPRING BONE YARD SALES EVENT
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SELECTING A QUALITY ENTRY DOOR Exterior door selection is important in that the door not only provides access to your home but it compliments the design features of the structure. Custom wood doors come in two types either solid wood, or an engineered wood laminate. Solid wood doors are hand crafted to fit any of your design requirements. These doors can be produced from any number of wood species and can include fine details not found on other door products. If you have a custom home and want the door to be an important design statement a solid wood door may be your best choice. It is important when selecting a solid wood door to provide enough time for the door to reach ambient air temperature so as to avoid warping through expansion and contraction. Your Williams fenestration consultant can provide suggestion on storage and installation to maintain the performance of your door. The second type of door is the wood laminate. These doors are typically more affordable than a solid wood version and provide more stability to prevent warping or shrinkage. The laminate door has a solid engineered wood core, which is then veneered with a wood laminate. Typically these doors can provide veneers in many different wood species. Most custom door companies that manufacture engineered laminate doors can provide a large variety of styles to choose from. In addition to the door design there are two primary construction processes for wood doors. The first is the flush wood door. This type of door consists of a solid core with a facing attached that is flat or flush. These doors therefore fall into the category of a laminate type. The second and more common wood door is the stile and rail door. This type of door is built from individual wood pieces that fit together. The vertical pieces are called stiles and the horizontal pieces, rails. In between this basic structure are placed free floating panels that can be either flush or raised depending on the style of door. The benefit of a stile and rail door is that the structure allows for more expansion and contraction due to moisture shrinkage. Both solid wood and engineered laminate doors benefit from this type of construction so as to remediate any future warping problems. Each Williams show room has samples and catalogs for both types of doors you can peruse. These resources will help you select a style of door that fits your design criteria. Finish Once you have decided what type of door you want the next step is to determine the wood species and finish you desire. This decision would be based on matching the door to the design and style of the house, or it may be based on matching the door to other architectural elements such as cabinetry or flooring. Your Williams representative can show you wood samples that you can use to match these design details. Each species of wood may require a different finish stain or coating that highlights the inherent grain or texture of the wood. Consulting with your Williams fenestration consultant can provide insight as to the best process for finishing your door. Performance Unlike interior wood doors an exterior door may have to meet specific performance requirements. These requirements may include impact resistance for hurricane prone regions, security concerns from forced entry or fire ratings. Each of our wood entry doors can meet or exceed current code requirements for satisfying these criteria. Talk with your Williams representative about your specific performance needs and they will match a door that provides you with the perfect match. |
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