Most people think of custom entry doors as a solution only for the grandest of homes, new homes or homes where the homeowner wants to make a statement with personalized design choices.
It’s more than a ‘you get what you pay for’ thing. In actuality, custom entry doors may be a better choice for replacing existing doors—especially in older homes—when one is replacing a very old, original door that was likely built right on the jobsite. Often these old doors are either a size that isn’t available as a standard offering, or simply worn out. When replacing an existing entry door, ordering a custom-sized door can eliminate installation issues and unnecessary extra work.
And, unlike consumer-grade doors that are sized down to fit, a quality custom door is built to your exact measurements for a better fit and a more secure and energy efficient door.
Door-To-Door Comparisons: What To Look For
When comparing door options, remember the following:
- Corners should be dovetailed, not tack nailed. Dovetails are what you see in high-end construction or kitchen cabinetry.
- The strength of the door is in the stile and rail system. A typical door in the marketplace only has a 1-5/8" rail around the door that's tack nailed or glued, making it less strong. Look for doors with much wider rails.
- Drier wood materials mean less expansion and bowing. The strongest doors have hardwood stiles and rails that are kiln dried.
ProVia Makes Strong, Better Performing, Custom, Fiberglass Doors
ProVia Signet custom fiberglass doors have all of the strength and performance benefits you’ll need to offer a significant upgrade to your homeowner customers when replacing those old wood doors.
Just like quality-grade hardwood for furniture, ProVia hardwood stiles and rails are kiln dried. This pre-stabilizes the wood preventing expansion and contraction. And all of the corners on a ProVia Signet custom fiberglass door are dovetailed providing added protection against warping or bowing.
In addition, ProVia Signet custom fiberglass doors have a strike side rail that is 4-1/4-inches and a stile made of 4-ply hardwood. While most fiberglass doors have a multi-piece construction in the rail around the lockbox, the ProVia strike side rail runs continuously through the height of the door, eliminating the need for a lockbox. This not only adds to the overall strength of the door, but also enhances security.
Customize The Width, Height, Sidelites And Door Design
ProVia offers customized door and sidelite widths and heights in 1⁄8-inch increments, ensuring there is a door for any project.
Customize The Wood Grain And Finish
Through the use of nickel vapor deposition technology to create Signet door skins, the ProVia Signet door series achieves the realistic look of most wood species. You can achieve the look of a real wood door, without the inherent maintenance required.
Most doors purchased have to be painted or stained on the jobsite. By contrast, ProVia paints or stains all its doors in a professional process that ensures a superior finish. All doors come with a 7-10 year warranty on the finish against flaking, checking, blistering or peeling.
Choosing a custom entry door from ProVia offers much more than design personalization; it provides the confidence that the door you are installing will be a significant upgrade from the one being replaced, with better comfort (no drafts), more energy efficiency, more security, better performance and longer life expectancy.