By Mark Clement
When beauty and brawn meet in one package it's worth a second look. The IWP Aurora custom fiberglass doors/jamb packages and the Simpson impact-resistant Mastermark Series wood doors promise to max out that combination.
First, the brawn. JELD-WEN's IWP Aurora all-panel doors pass a strict series of impact resistance (2x4 cannon) and structural wind load tests to make sure they stay on their hinges, in the jambs and dry during a storm. A big part of what makes this possible is the door and door jamb's fiberglass construction. JELD-WEN certifies their IWP fiberglass all-panel doors have passed the tests for storm approval, in large part because the holding power of the fasteners is greater in fiberglass than wood. It also has to do with the copious opening detailing, an included sill pan and fastening schedule they describe in their installation procedures.
Simpson's doors, made with American hard and soft woods, also pass muster according to Simpson. Mastermark doors received Florida Code Approvals for outswing and inswing applications under "worst case scenario" testing for several different Simpson Door slabs.
Next, the beauty. JELD-WEN says not only are their IWP fiberglass entry systems as tough as the storms they resist, but they look just like natural wood species. According to JELD-WEN even experts can't tell the difference between the wood and fiberglass versions by eye. They come in 14 unique pre-finished colors with three wood grain options, with various configurations available with impact resistant side-lites. The fiberglass from which the IWP Aurora doors are made won't rot, split, check or swell.
Simpson Doors incorporate glass within the door itself, enabling architects and designers to deliver different looks than an all-panel door. The Simpson doors have 3/4-inch thick, 0.090 insulated PVB laminated, impact resistant glass (like that found in storm windows) that takes 2-by cannon fire. As for hanging options, the Simpson doors leave the factory as slabs only. However, many distributors are set up to pre-hang and bore Simpson Doors in their shops. Check with your local distributor if you can buy them pre-hung or need to fabricate your own jamb.
JELD-WEN says that the IWP Aurora doors come "pre-hung" but that the these doors ship "knocked down." After a look at the installation instructions, this means you have to site assemble the jamb with JELD-WEN parts and install the trim. Some builders will consider this to be an ambitious definition of pre-hung, but as long as you know ahead of time you're not getting a door that tilts into the opening in one move, expectations (and labor bids) can be managed.
This brings us back to JELD-WEN's installation procedures. What's good about these procedures for you or your installers is that the company provides a lot of detail on flashing the opening—tying the door into what building scientists refer to as the building's "drainage plane." This is key for not only keeping out everyday rain and moisture, but for repelling and expelling wind-driven rain from storms.
Because no system is perfect (or stays that way) JELD-WEN includes a sill pan—a very nice detail—that installs beneath the threshold. Sill pans catch water that passes by other barriers and gives it a way out of the building envelope. They also indicate that one-screw per hinge should be long enough to reach the framing. This is a good technique for any door you hang, but especially for entry doors.
What this all means to builders and their customers is there are door choices that not only beat back the weather, but look good doing it.
www.JELD-WEN.com
www.SimpsonDoor.com
Resources
Installation and Finishing Instructions
www.JELD-WEN.com/resources/installation.cfm
Mark Clement is a remodeler and author of The Carpenter's Notebook and The Kid's Carpenter's Workbook, Fun Family Projects! Find out more at
www.TheCarpentersNotebook.com.
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