The popularity of the 8-foot entry door system has brought into focus a potential vulnerability: door slab warping, twisting and bowing.

For door manufacturers, distributors, general contractors, remodelers, and installation contractors, the warping, twisting, and bowing is so common, it’s noted as an exception in some entry door warranties. Result: The homeowner, and by extension the contractor, are on the hook in entry door performance disputes.

It’s a callback with a high price. Replacement cost, labor time and expense, lost margins, and a damaged reputation are business setbacks. What causes door slab deformation? The building science is straightforward: A mid-rail latch position puts extreme stress on the upper and lower latch stile, whether the door is fiberglass or wood. Weather extremes – wind, moisture, and temperature – create ideal warping and bowing conditions on the comparatively insecure strike side (versus four hinges on the other stile).

Proven Solution

Fortunately, there’s a proven way to dramatically mitigate 8-foot entry door issues: a multi-point lock. This lock system is so effective some entry door manufacturers won’t warrant an 8-foot entry door without a multi-point.

Just ask Steven Bayer. Bayer and his family own and operate Bayer Built Woodworks, a 40-year-old Minnesota-based company. The firm manufactures pre-hung wood, fiberglass, and steel entry door systems and distributes them across an eight-state region in the upper Midwest.

“You’re at risk if you’re not putting a multi-point latch system on a an 8-foot entry door,” explains Bayer. “It helps keep the door square. I know some homeowners go with a single mid-rail lock on their 8-foot door. Too often they’ll wish hadn’t.”

Bayer’s company sells lots of 6-foot 8-inch and 8-foot entry doors and warrants all of them for 25 years. The warranty is a solid one and includes this statement:

Doors 8’ or higher ordered without multi-point hardware are not performance-certified and are not warranted against bow, twist or warp.

“We do everything in our power to get multi-points on the door. If the homeowner says no, it’s on them,” Bayer cautions. “We see far fewer 8-foot door callbacks with a multi-point lock installed.”

“We live in a harsh climate,” Bayer adds. “It’s cold and dry in the winter, hot and humid in the summer. Even an 8-foot fiberglass door can move because it has wood composition under the fiberglass cladding. We also recommend multi-points for standard -foot,’8-inch entry doors.”

For homeowners on the fence, Bayer points out other multi-point lock advantages including:

  • Security. “Three latch points beats one. It’s valuable extra security, especially for families,” advises Bayer. For example, impact/forced entry resistance is tested to grade 40 for the Panolock+ Multi-Point Lock from Endura.
  • Energy Savings. Three secure latches across the slab plane secure the door tight against the frame, sealing out outside heat and cold.
  • Homeowner Flexibility. Electronic deadbolts? Off the shelf hardware? Knob, lever, or thumbpress handset? Bayer says Panolock+ Multi-Point Lock is compatible with all. “Panolock+ is the next big thing,” he observes.

Eight-foot entry doors add curbside distinction and value. Protect the door, homeowner and your business with a performance-certified multi-point lock.

Learn more about multi-point lock 8-foot entry door resilience, security, energy savings, and design flexibility with Panolock+ Multi-Point Locks from Endura.