Variations of Authentic Wood Veneers for Doors

On Jan 9, 2020 |

Wood makes durable, long-lasting and beautiful architectural doors. It functions well in high-traffic settings like schools and hotels as well as upscale projects like high-end office buildings. The best part about choosing wood doors for a commercial design and construction project is the range of options. In fact, the number of choices available in wood veneers for interior doors can make it hard to decide. Here, we break down information on various species, cuts, stain colors, and other considerations so that you can specify interior wood doors with confidence.

1. Choosing a Species for Wood Veneer Doors

In general, wood doors, windows, molding and other touches add a sense of warmth and natural beauty to a space. However, the species and color of the wood can convey a variety of different styles. The look of wood varies significantly from one tree species to another and even within a species. Look for a color and texture that matches your design aesthetic.

Maple Doors

A classic choice, maple is strong, dense wood that makes doors built to last. Its smooth texture and light natural color respond well to paint or stain. It’s a good choice if you’re pursuing a traditional design aesthetic.

Birch Doors

Birch wood has a light-toned color not unlike maple. As such, it takes paint and stain colors well. It tends to feature a straight grain and uniform texture.

Cherry Doors

This medium-strength wood tends to last and resist warping. It’s a good idea to specify cherry wood interior doors away from sunlight since light can darken the wood over time. It’s sometimes associated with Shaker furniture or cabinetry, and it works well for high-end projects.

Oak Doors

Oak provides a classic look and lasts a long time. It resists water damage and cracking, so you can use it in spaces that take heavy use. The grain of white oak doors is symmetrical and pronounced without any significant knotting, which makes white oak suitable for both staining and painting. They’re great for craftsman and mid century design styles.

Mahogany Doors

The classic look of mahogany is ideal for executive offices or high-end hospitality projects. Its dark color is slightly more restrictive in terms of stain that can be used. Some clients may also raise concerns about its environmental impact.

2. Wood Doors and the Environment

Some clients selecting wood interior doors may express environmental concerns related to wood choice. For example, generally speaking, faster growing tree species are more sustainable than slower growing ones. Masonite Architectural is committed to environmental responsibility and reducing impacts by using wood fiber from well managed forests. We offer products, upon request, with wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) including 100% FSC and FSC Mix. In addition, our veneer lumber is certified Indoor Advantage Gold for indoor air quality.

FSC License Code: FSC-C005458”

3. Other Considerations for Wood Species

When you specify natural wood you might see variations in color from the same piece. Within a tree, the heartwood–closer to the center–is darker than sapwood. The difference is more dramatic in some species than others.

One of the attractive qualities about wood veneers is their unique natural surface character. They are far from uniform. Sometimes you may want a lot of variation across a project to achieve an eclectic feeling, but a manufacturer can work with you to select more closely matching samples.

4. Factory Staining Commercial Wood Doors

By combining the right wood species with the right factory stain, you can achieve exactly the look you want for architectural wood interior doors. Stain provides an added layer of protection as well as a polished appearance. Masonite offers 13 designer stain finishes. Having the stain factory applied for delivers the best results and consistency while saving time on the job site.

Opt for a clear stain to stay close to the wood species’ original appearance, or take the wood in a warmer or cooler direction depending on the design aesthetic. From an unassuming cane finish to a bold saffron, there’s an ideal complement for each type of wood and desired outcome. Not every finish works with every species, so talk with a distributor to select exactly the right combination for your project.

Get started now and download a brochure of our complete designer stain collection.

Masonite Architectural – Want help?

Our expert field of Territory Sales Managers can help guide you through the process. We’ll make sure you get the perfect doors to delight your clients on opening day (and for years to come).

We can apply our expertise of wood type, grain, stain and door design to complement your space. Often, designers give door hardware more consideration than the door itself. Masonite Architectural knows the whole opening matters. We offer a wide selection of veneer options and available material choices.

If you’re ready to get started on your current project, you can call 1-877-332-4484 or email us archinfo@masonite.com

Explaining the Value of Quality Commercial Solid Wood Doors

On Dec 13, 2019 | admin@freshy.press

6 Tips to Help Commercial Construction Clients Understand the Value of Quality Architectural Doors

Quality Solid Wood Doors Never Go Out of Style

While doors comprise only one small portion of a commercial construction budget, their quality affects the finished product in multiple, important ways.

First-time property owners might look at every line in a budget for places to trim costs. When they do, they may find the costs of architectural and commercial solid wood doors surprising. That’s because, if they’re more familiar with residential doors, architectural doors seem expensive by comparison.

To help them understand the importance of their investment, share the following points with them.

1. Architectural & Commercial Doors Take a Lot of Abuse

Remind your client how much traffic they hope to see through their restaurant, hotel, medical office, or whatever kind of business they own. Doors get used constantly, often by visitors or clients who aren’t as conscientious as one might hope. They may kick doors open, bump into them with luggage carts, let their children bang on them, or worse.

Solid core wood doors are durable, especially those with impact edges or factory finished paint. Stile and rail doors are particularly sturdy—and stylish—and can last a long time, saving the client money in the future.

2. Architectural & Commercial Doors Must Meet Stricter Code Requirements

Commercial clients may not be aware of the many different code requirements for interior and exterior doors, in the various parts of a building in their industry. Hundreds or thousands of people’s lives may depend on a door’s fire resistance, for example, so those codes are in place for a reason. They might need to consider ballistics or lead lining as well, depending on the nature of their business.

3. Quality Solid Wood Doors Never Go Out of Style

Most businesses feel the need to redecorate and rebrand frequently these days. For example, most hotels get a facelift every six to eight years. For many restaurants, it’s even more frequent. The timeless beauty of a stile and rail door outlasts any fashion trend. The combination of durability and a classic look make it a smart long-term investment.

4. Beautiful Wooden Doors Make a Statement

Doors make a strong impression on customers, whether they notice consciously or not. When a patron arrives at a business and move from one space to another inside, they interact with doors a lot. A gorgeous, unique door can make a strong impression of the business’ brand and quality. Plus, their functionality affects the overall experience. Different kinds of people, of different ages and abilities, all need to use them effortlessly. Quality doors are worth the customer experience.

5. Clients Trust Brand Names They Know

Your client might ask about the brands of the products you spec for their building. If you can assure them that a particular brand of commercial wood doors comes with your personal seal of approval, as well as a long history in business, they may show more willingness to foot the bill.

6. Clients Care About Warranties

You can reassure your clients about their investments in high-quality wood doors with good warranties. They are making a sizable investment and taking a leap of faith by starting a business or moving one to a bigger, better space. Recognize that they might feel nervous about encountering problems down the line. Many consider lifetime warranties on architectural doors and the other component parts of their building worth the investment.

At Masonite, Aspiro doors come with a lifetime warranty, while Cendura doors carry a limited lifetime warranty.

Even if your client is less familiar with the range of commercial brands available, some will know the name Masonite from the residential market. You can also assure them that, with Masonite, they will not have to choose between performance and appearance or use doors as a place to cut costs. When they arrive at work each day, they too will see those well made doors you specified and will appreciate the beauty and reliability.

Masonite Architectural – Want help?

Our expert field of Territory Sales Managers can help guide you through the process. We’ll make sure you get the perfect doors to delight your clients on opening day (and for years to come).

If you’re ready to get started on your current project, you can call 1-877-332-4484 or email us archinfo@masonite.com

Choosing Doors to Meet Hotel Brand Standards

On Nov 16, 2019 |

Choosing Interior Hotel Doors That Balance Brand Standards with Your Creative Vision

With the rise of Airbnb and other personalized experiences in the travel industry, hotels must prioritize design more than ever before. Great design features, such as custom interior doors, set one hotel apart from another. Travel site Trivagosays, “In the pursuit to provide the ultimate unique experience to travelers, hotel design has become a powerful instrument of differentiation.”

As always, a hotel brand must present itself as unified across all its properties, and therefore distinct from its competitors. More recently, however, hotels are feeling the demand for distinctindividualproperties, each reflecting the uniqueness of the neighborhood where it’s located.

Balancing these two demands—adhering to stringent brand standards while also expressing your own creative vision—presents a potentially rewarding challenge for an architect. Custom hotel doors, fixtures, color palettes, flooring, and furniture all play their role in the brand experience. In this post we will focus on commercial doors for hospitality projects, which can make a bold statement and act as a unifying element throughout a property.

The Role of Hotel Doors in Branding

Since interior hotel doors influence the look of every part of a property, front-of-house and back-of-house, your choice of custom doors matters a great deal. Although doors are sometimes among the last things considered in a commercial construction project, they are one of the most visible to the property owner and integral to the experience of the hotel guest.

A hotel chain’s brand standards may or may not include strict appearance guidelines for every kind of door in every area. The only immovable requirements are building codes. Once you find solutions to fit each code requirement for every part of the property, you get to enjoy some flexibility on the aesthetics.

Trends in Hotel Branding

As hotels strive to reach a multigenerational audience, which includes the sought-after millennial demographic, they follow certain societal trends.

A key trend is to create a sense of location. In historic neighborhoods, especially, cities want big national brands to match their style. Customhotel doors can go a long way toward capturing a particular era or vibe. For example, louvered doors in a pool area conjure old Florida, while a stately, six-paneled door might speak to a Colonial look.

Open, contiguous spaces are increasingly popular for common areas. Some hotels are even trying desk-less check-in. Open spaces mean fewer doors, so more budget to direct toward quality and construction.

As for the rooms, some guests now select individual rooms based on unique features and decor. Of course, brand standards still dictate that certain amenities or elements remain consistent, but you may have more choices. Guest rooms are shrinking, too, with some even forgoing closets. This means choosing guest room doors and door placement that maximizes usable space.

Evolving technology greatly affects interior hotel doors, too. Many properties now equip their doors with smart locks that guests can control with their phones. This shift opens possibilities for more sleek, modern styles with less visible hardware.

All of these changes present new challenges and new opportunities for designers. Hotel Managementquoted Hilton’s VP of Architecture and Design, saying, “As branded hotels compete with Airbnb in the more in-demand markets, flexibility in brand standards is vital.” Therefore, he added, “the ‘hard brands’ are offering more latitude as they move into valuable markets.”

Colors and Finishes for Interior Hotel Doors

Doors are a good place to play with color. A hotel chain might use the same custom decorative doors across its properties but vary the color or finish. Use factory-finished painted wood doors to introduce a pop of a bright or bold color, custom painted to the hotel’s palette. Try varying door color from guest rooms to common areas, as well as office spaces. Or, for a more playful brand, use one color for a whole floor and then a different color for the next floor.

Conversely, you might opt for a neutral gray or white door or a factory finished stained door to balance otherwise busy design elements. The choice of veneer can take the look from casual to upscale. Think beyond the traditional oak and maple veneers and explore all the options to find the perfect balance of branding and beauty. A sophisticated, classic hotel door like a stile and rail can match virtually any style.

Hotels tend to renovate their properties every six to eight years, so even for an existing property, decorative doors provide an opportunity for a refresh. Simply upgrading doors to the latest styles, colors, and entry technology can make a big impression.

Hospitality clients tend to be pretty savvy about design and construction. They will guide many of the choices but also look to you for your vision and for your recommendations about quality architectural products. From luxury to standard, the Masonite Architectural product offering can help set the tone and convey a hotel’s unique identity. Reach out to one of our knowledgeable representatives to get your project started today.

Masonite Architectural – Want help?

Our expert field of Territory Sales Managers can help guide you through the process. We’ll make sure you get the perfect doors to delight your clients on opening day (and for years to come).

If you’re ready to get started on your current project, you can call 1-877-332-4484 or email us archinfo@masonite.com

Tips for Specifying Wood Veneer Doors

On Jun 4, 2019 | admin@freshy.press

Three Ways to Ensure You Get Project Vision Follow-thru – From Spec to Install

Imagine spending over 12 hours of your design time picking just the right wood veneer doors for your project.

You looked through the product lines finding a species and finish you liked.
You ordered samples from the manufacturer.
You sat down with the interior designer to make sure you were on the same page for other finishes in the project.
You reviewed the options with the client to make sure they're happy with it.
You spent a few hours editing the wood door spec to get it just right.

Then at the end of construction, you show up for the punch list to find a building full of doors that are a far cry from what you’d envisioned. It’s too late to change now. You approved the shop drawings and the owner needs to open for business next week. So you’re stuck with a bunch of doors that don’t quite flow with the rest of the interiors. You’re not happy. The interior designer’s disappointed. And the client is wondering what went wrong.There will likely be a lot of finger-pointing and blaming, but there has to be a better way to get in front of this potential nightmare.

Where did it go wrong, and how can you avoid it happening to you? The following offers a few tips to help keep you on track.

Knowledge is Key

Early in your project, you should work with your wood door distributor. Let them know your design intent, your budget, color and grain requirements, and the total size of the project. Using their resources helps you enhance your knowledge and help your clients.

You’ll also find a wealth of resources throughout our website. Go to our Educational Content Page where you’ll find downloadable PDFs on various wood veneer topics. You’ll also find descriptions of the many CEU presentations we have available.

Specifying wood veneer doors can be a challenge. It’s important to know the wood species, their veneer availability, and how to use those veneers. Then you have to clearly communicate your ideas or intent, to end up with your initial vision.

Clearly define your design intent

At some point it may be necessary to hand your project over to someone else to care for during construction. You may have other projects or other responsibilities pulling you away. Or your firm may have designated staff to handle the construction administration.

Whatever the case, you want to ensure the design intent is clear to anybody who comes along. One way to do that is with design reference samples.

Having a design reference sample is a great way to ensure your design intent is clear to all parties.

Be sure to note, it’s more than just a simple swatch of veneer and finish color. Your design reference samples should include all of the following important material and construction details:

Develop a system of checklists

We’ve mentioned it in other blog posts, and you may have seen it on our website. One of the best ways to make sure you stay on top of your project’s door selection and design is to download our Specification Checklists.

With these checklists, you’ll have reminders of what you can do at each phase of your project. You’ll have a great system in place you’ll find flows into other areas of your design as well.

One more thing…

One last bonus tip: Aesthetics deals with subjective issues like color, grain character and scale. And one key element of your specification is the face grade veneer.

Define your project’s spaces where higher aesthetics are most important. Focus on them for the Grade AA door finish, and define other areas where Grade A is acceptable. Make sure these different zones are clearly defined in the specs and, if needed for clarity, on your drawings.

You’ll save the project (and your client) time and money.

Masonite Architectural – Want help?

Our expert field of Territory Sales Managers can help guide you through the process. We’ll help make sure the doors you specified are the ones you see on opening day.

Our goal is to be your valuable resource and help you get the perfect doors to inspire and delight your client.

If you’re ready to get started on your current project, you can call 1-877-332-4484 or email us archinfo@masonite.com

Simplifying Door Selection Start-to-Finish

On Oct 15, 2018 | admin@freshy.press

Simplifying Door Selection Start-to-Finish

Imagine looking out over the Pacific Ocean from the penthouse suite of a gleaming 38-story luxury condo-hotel in Hawaii. A building of this esteem is expected to have intricate design elements and top-of-the-line finishes. That’s why the design team for the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Waikiki worked with us to specify more than 2,000 doors with various design and functional needs. Working with a single source helped ensure quality and consistency to meet the demands of this luxurious environment.

The high-end door styles for the multi-million-dollar residential spaces needed to not only match aesthetic expectations, they also needed to meet performance requirements such as fire and STC ratings.

Now, imagine working in a non-profit behavioral treatment center providing care to children with mental health issues. The design team for the Clarity Child Guidance Center was focused primarily on specifying high-performing doors that could create a warm, calming environment while also standing up to abuse and ensuring the safety of the patients and staff. Standard doors could not provide the long-lasting durability needed for this structure, which is why the design team turned to us to help create a successful environment with high-performing doors.

Choosing the right doors for your project isn’t easy — we know that. Especially when your projects span different building types and requirements. In this post, we’ll explain how we help create a simplified door specification and buying process.

Experience Leads to Simplification

In 1924, William H. Mason pioneered radical innovations in manufacturing with wood, leading the way towards modern door construction. Another pioneer in this world is one of our legacy brands, Marshfield, which has been making solid core wood doors since 1908. They’ve provided the door industry with numerous innovations in performance. Algoma, another of our legacy brands, has been known for innovations in door design for six decades and innovated distribution, which helped reduce door ordering and delivery times.

Today, Masonite Architectural is one of the undisputed leaders in manufacturing wood doors. We’re leveraging our experience to make your door selection process as simple as possible. Here are a few ways to help you start.

Identify the Market

Each project has its own unique design and certain traits shared with other buildings of its kind. We understand these market-specific qualities. From healthcare to hospitality, we have the experts to help you achieve your client’s goals for a better environment.

As you begin each new project, you need to educate yourself on the market trends, code requirements and other nuances critical to a successful design. When you understand the unique needs of your environment, you can begin focusing on the right door options for your building type.

Pinpoint Unique Design Needs

Once you’re clear on your project’s market-specific needs, look at the specific design requirements of each area and room of your building. To help ensure the environments you design provide the best possible experiences, we’ve put together solutions for your most stringent design needs, such as:

Drill Down to Specifics

Now that you’ve narrowed down the market and design needs, you’re ready to get down to door specifics to begin specifying the right doors for your project with confidence. This is when it helps to work directly with an expert partner. To help you find the perfect doors for your project, we’ve designed tools to make the process simple from start to finish.

It all begins with our step-by-step Door Selector, which helps you narrow down your door type, surface material and construction details. From there, the Product Details page will help you find the right veneer for your door. You’ll then have clear, complete door information to request samples and, ultimately, finalize your door specifications with confidence.

Masonite Architectural

Creating Successful Environments

Our experts are here to help guide you through the door selection and buying process. We’ll make sure you get openings to delight your clients on opening day (and for years to come). We can apply our expertise of wood type, grain, stain and design to complement your space. Often, designers give door hardware more consideration than the door itself. Masonite Architectural knows the whole opening matters. We offer a wide selection of paneling, veneer and material choices to meet your unique needs.

And, finally, remember to request samples of the specific species and cuts you’re considering. Experiencing the door through a sample can help reduce lead times for your project’s doors by ensuring your design choices are solved early. If you’re ready to get started on your current project, you can call 1-877-332-4484 or email us archinfo@masonite.com.

Advantages of Factory Painted Doors

On Sep 28, 2018 | admin@freshy.press

Factory-Finished vs. Field-Finished: Understanding the Difference for Your Doors

Painted doors have the potential to be the perfect visual impact for your projects. From neutral colors that complement your interior to bold hues that stand out as design elements, painted wood doors create a beautiful aesthetic element across the entire built environment.

Ensure consistency across all your painted wood doors by specifying the factory finishing technique. In this post, we’ll compare aspects of painting doors in the field to finishing in the factory to help you understand the differences.

Characteristics of Factory-Finished Painted Wood Doors

Unrivaled Consistency

With factory finishing, doors have a uniform color, texture and coating, providing consistency across your building. When you specify factory-finished painted wood doors, you’ll receive doors painted with state-of-the-art spray systems that are cured with optimal flash-drying and cooling cycles. This can help provide more durability than field-painted wood doors.

“A more controlled finishing process provides consistent color and uniform film thickness,” explains Rob Boudry, Masonite Architectural product manager. “A monitored paint curing process ensures proper curing and greater field performance. Factory painted doors are more efficient, more reliable, and very easy to specify.”

Increased Efficiency

Contractors can immediately install factory-finished doors after delivery. This gives the construction manager flexibility in his schedule and can help expedite project completion. Finishing doors in this controlled process also allows for specialized finishes unavailable in the field, which can optimize fire spread rates and minimize moisture content.

Also, in most cases, factory finishing costs less than using a field finishing contractor since job site preparation, painting and cleanup are not necessary. The end result — significant labor savings with the consistent finishes across all of your doors.

Less Room for Error

In the factory-controlled environments, there is reduced contact with dust and dirt along with adequate drying and curing time. This process also protects the wood door from unfavorable moisture conditions.

Characteristics of Field Painted Doors

If you choose to specify doors that need to be painted in the field, there are a few challenges surrounding consistency and damage. We’ve outlined some of the common hurdles that come along with finishing doors on the job site.

Unstable Reliability

Doors arrive onsite with instructions to the painter on how to paint the doors. Typically, the doors will come with a note stating that the manufacturer does not warrant the final appearance of the field-finished doors. Meaning, the end result is the responsibility of the field finisher.

Room for Error

When the painting process begins, the painter finds a safe working place on the jobsite and uses clean canvas gloves to avoid finger marks and soil stains on the doors. Then they will sand and prep the doors in a horizontal position. This is messy, dusty business but it’s the only way to ensure the clarity of finish and uniform color you need.

Increased Downtime

Once the paint is dry, the contractor will hang the doors in place and try to tell the other tradesmen rushing to finish their own work to be careful of these doors. The doors are not cured yet, so the paint gets easily scratched.

Harmful Chemicals

After their work is done, the painter cleans up the mess, using solvents where needed to remove any paint. He also properly disposes of the unused paint.

A valiant effort, but you can see the hurdles a contractor faces to get great looking field-painted wood doors.

Masonite Architectural

Creating Successful Environments

If you want a more consistent, efficient and reliable finish done in less time, factory-finished painted wood doors are the solution. We take pride in our ability to serve your needs. Our factory-trained craftsmen have been finishing doors for years. Their experience coupled with our state-of-the-art finishing line ensure beautiful results — today, tomorrow and a lifetime.

If you’re ready to get started on your current project, contact your Masonite Architectural Representative or order your factory-finished painted wood doors samples today. We’re here to answer any questions you have and help you specify the perfect door and finish for your project.