Can a door turn a demanding client into a satisfied customer? It can if the door fits their precise needs and wants. And since no two customers’ tastes are exactly alike, door manufacturers have broadened their offerings exponentially.

From traditional to modern and from practical to whimsical, the choices are numerous. While universal design and weather resistance continue to grow as top concerns, homeowners still crave luxury, individuality and customization.

Accessibility is Within Reach

“Universal design features are becoming more popular as homeowners are planning to stay in their houses as they get older,” says Elizabeth Souders, Jeld-Wen product marketing manager. “This means more requests for wider doorways to accommodate special needs and pocket doors for space saving and ease of operation.”

Jeld-Wen offers a multislide door system in IWP custom wood or fiberglass as well as premium aluminum. These door panels operate on a multiple track system so the doors disappear into a pocket in the wall, or stack in front of each other when open. The doors have weatherstripping on both the doors and their frames to add extra protection and energy efficiency.

“Univrsal design will become an important and more visible trend in 2008,” says Lance Premeau, product manager for Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Company. “Kolbe offers a universal design program that contains products and options for the customer to deal with accessibility issues in the home. The program groups items such as larger levers and handles for window operations and sills that are suitable for ADA-compliant (Americans with Disabilities Act) applications.”

Top Options

“In the current market, fewer homes are being built, but many opt to do some remodeling and that has prompted some interesting options,” says Franco An, president of Plastpro. “For instance, adding an addition or remodeling a patio entrance is a popular trend. We actually find that full-lite glass doors with enclosed mini-blinds are popular when it comes to reinventing a drab patio entryway or the door to an outside deck.”

Plastpro recently introduced wrought-iron glass and wrought-iron-frame accents to its Rustic Door collection. The wrought-iron frames are customized by hand to complement the range of cutouts in the Rustic Series. In addition to resisting rust and corrosion, the wrought-iron frames come with a powder-coat finish. For the wrought-iron glass, which is available in Priscilla and Camelia designs, the decorative ironwork is placed between glass panes that have a textured appearance for maximum privacy. Priscilla is matched with bubble glass, while the Camelia accent is paired with waterfall glass.

“Expanded panel designs and design options on entry doors provide greater customization of fiberglass and steel doors,” says Jeff Kibler, Peachtree Windows and Doors brand manager. “Prefinished painted or stained panels in a variety of colors, rich hardware and intricate decorative glass patterns all provide choices for customizing an entry way.”

Peachtree offers eight decorative glass designs to accompany its new entry door systems line. These glass patterns are available in classic floral patterns and stained glass and can be combined with options like wrought-iron grilles. The decorative glass is available on Peachtree’s new Mahogany, Oak, Smooth and Steel collections of entry door systems and complementary sidelites, transoms and direct-set windows.

Milgard Windows and Doors’ fiberglass entry-door line features 40-plus door styles and 500 variations including 12 unique glass designs that can enhance a home’s curb appeal, while remaining energy-efficient and weathertight. Milgard’s fiberglass offerings include wood grain, smooth and flush glaze. The company added entry doors in response to customer demand for one-stop shopping for vinyl and fiberglass windows and doors.

Yours Truly

“Luxury building and remodeling is staying strong because homeowners want to express their high-style tastes,” says Souders. “JELD-WEN is seeing an increasing interest in entry doors with all the options — larger sizes, custom glass, grilles and hardware. High-end homeowners are looking for a ‘wow’ factor, and the front door is a great place to invest in making a statement and to significantly increase curb appeal.”

“Consumers are increasingly using their homes to express their personalities and their passions,” Jim McElroy, Therma-Tru general manager of product marketing. “Design choices are no longer simply for aesthetics — they are a reflection of the owner’s individuality.”

Therma-Tru’s new decorative accent hardware for its Classic-Craft Rustic Collection includes round and pyramid clavos and strap hinges. Designed for homes that reflect Southwestern- or Mediterranean-inspired architecture, the hardware accents bring an authentic hand-hewn look to the doors. Therma-Tru offers door styles to complement the most popular architectural home designs.

For custom replacement doors without the custom price, HighMark Digital’s revolutionary new One-Cut system provides a simplified three-step door fit system within existing jambs. With One-Cut, interior and exterior doors are precisely measured, cut and fit within minutes. The system uses proprietary tools and software for precision measuring, cutting and fitting of doors, accounting for any variances in the door jamb, hinges and hardware by digitally capturing the structural components of the existing frame. One-Cut includes a door imaging system, custom door machining center and software that ensures the final fit is accurate within 1/64 of an inch. With this process, HighMark Digital claims that it can reduce door installation time to as little as five minutes per door for any skill level.

Tempering the Forces of Nature

“Door performance is becoming more prominent due to the stringent codes in many parts of the United States,” adds Kolbe’s Lance Premeau. “Manufacturers will continue to introduce higher-performing doors to meet these codes.”

“Manufacturers are realizing just how crucial controlling thermal energy is and take into account how energy-efficient their products are now more than ever,” says Plastpro’s An. “For what it costs to heat and cool homes, people don’t want any unnecessary airflow.”

“We are seeing trends toward getting a wood door to perform better in situations like historical applications,” says Brad Loveless, marketing manager for Simpson Door Company. “We’ve taken a look at our product lines and made them usable in a patio where there’s no overhang.”