Industry News

Exterior door leaks commonly involve one of five paths: water crosses a leaf-to-frame seal, enters through hardware or glazing, passes through the frame-to-wall joint, runs behind the head flashing, or collects at a sill that cannot drain outward. Water on the interior face during cold or humid conditions may instead be condensation. Dry the area, document the first wet point and inspect the corresponding detail before adding sealant.

Send a project cover sheet, a door schedule, dimensioned elevations and sections, site photos, material and finish requirements, a hardware schedule, performance requirements, quantities, delivery location and the requested Incoterms rule with its named place. Mark every unknown as "supplier to propose" instead of leaving it blank. Ask the manufacturer to list exclusions, assumptions and deviations beside the quote.

A smart lock can be installed on many custom aluminum, copper-aluminum, copper and steel entrance doors. The safest route is to select the exact lock model before the shop drawing is approved. Give the door factory the current installation drawing, lock case, outside and inside trim, power requirements and required door function. A finished door may be retrofitted, but only after the internal structure, available edge depth, existing cutouts and any fire rating have been checked.

For many coastal residential projects, a properly finished aluminum door is a practical starting point because it avoids red rust. That does not make every aluminum door coastal-ready. Ask for the exact alloy or substrate, pretreatment, coating build, protected cut edges, compatible fasteners, perimeter seals, sill drainage and project-specific test evidence. Copper can also work outdoors, but its appearance changes as it weathers and it must be isolated from aluminum and zinc where moisture is present.

Specify a thermal break when the entrance sits in a meaningful indoor-outdoor temperature difference, when interior condensation is a design concern, or when the project requires a whole-door thermal value. Do not approve the door from the phrase "thermal break" alone. Ask for a section drawing, the material and position of the separator, the complete assembly U-factor, air-leakage evidence, glazing data and the installation detail.

Before requesting a price, record five different dimensions: structural rough opening, finished opening, outside frame size, door-leaf size and clear passage with the door open. Use a standard-size system when it fits all five without unsafe site cutting or awkward fillers. Use a custom door when the existing opening, facade proportion, active-leaf passage, wall build-up or hardware loads require a project-specific assembly.