Reasons to Use Acoustically-Rated Doors in Healthcare Construction

On May 10, 2021 | admin@freshy.press

Doors play a big role in shaping healthcare environments, and door selection starts with understanding performance solutions. During the design of a hospital or healthcare facility, it’s important to take into account both technical and aesthetic considerations. Acoustically-rated doors play a role in patient outcomes. Without careful consideration, the wrong interior doors could easily become the weak link in a healthcare facility’s acoustic performance.

In some cases, building codes dictate a door’s STC rating—the decibel level it blocks. However, some clients in the healthcare industry may want acoustically-rated doors that provide sound-reduction above and beyond what’s required. Sound reduction confers a range of benefits for patients and employees.

Here’s some great information to know about acoustically rated doors and how to choose them for when constructing or designing a doctor’s office, hospital, or other healthcare setting.

Setting Client Expectations for Acoustic Healthcare Doors

As with any commercial construction project, setting client expectations is critical to a successful outcome. Clients may request “soundproof” doors, so it’s important to be clear that nothing is 100% soundproof. STC (Sound Transmission Class) ratings provide a guideline to how much sound a door can block.

Solid core doors offer the greatest sound reduction, and they are typically called for anyway, for fire resistance and other specifications. Commercial wood doors can be manufactured for multiple performance requirements including fire ratings, blast resistance, bullet resistance, radio frequency, shielding, or other possible combinations.

Clients might ask whether acoustically-rated doors will obstruct wifi or cellular signals. Typically, this will not be a concern.

A Quick Review of STC-Ratings and Door Acoustics

Acoustically-rated doors carry two STC (Sound Transmission Class) ratings, one of which is a “sealed in place” rating, and the other is an “operable” rating. Manufacturers may test acoustically-doors while they’re sealed in place with putty, or in a realistic, operational setting. Masonite Architectural tests all of its doors in operable openings.

The STC rating of a door roughly indicates the decibel reduction that it provides. At a rating of 35, loud speech is audible but not intelligible, while 40 or more meets the level considered “privacy.”

The materials, construction and installation of architectural doors all play a part in acoustics. STC-rated doors reduce sound in two ways, by absorbing sound or by reflecting it. Healthcare clients want surfaces that are easy to clean and sanitize in order to prevent infection. That means that doors for these projects typically have flat, painted surfaces or heavy-duty laminates with minimal ornamentation. They work mainly by reflecting sound.

The best acoustically-rated doors bring together form and function. You can find just the right style, finish, and color to match the rest of the hospital or medical facility, to create a seamless visual effect.

Many Hospital Doors Fall Short on Noise Reduction

As it stands, healthcare facilities often fail at providing ample sound reduction. According to Healthcare Design magazine, many studies conducted in hospitals have found background noise ranges between 45 dB and 68 dB, peaking at more than 90 dB. The World Health Organization, by contrast, recommends that hospital noise not exceed 35 dB. By accounting for noise reduction by incorporating acoustic-rated doors into your healthcare facility’s designs, you can create a more accommodating environment while avoiding costly renovations later

Benefits of Acoustically-Rated Doors in Healthcare Settings

A healthcare facility should be designed to block the sound of human voices, as well as noise from ringing telephones or medical equipment. Sound reduction confers three key benefits:

Patient well-being
Patient satisfaction
Privacy

Studies show quieter environments produce higher patient quality-of-care ratings in healthcare settings. Hospital patients need peace and quiet to be able to concentrate on recovery and sleep well. Also, hospital administrators rely heavily on positive reports of patient satisfaction and strive constantly to improve these. Patients and visitors alike report that noise levels impact the ratings they give. Finally, HIPAA privacy rule also requires safeguards to protect the privacy of personal health information. This means conversations must stay private, whether between care providers and patients, or among employees of the facility.

An added, but sometimes overlooked benefit of acoustic healthcare doors is that noise reduction can also help nurses, doctors, and other hospital staff to avoid distractions and focus on their work.

Besides the STC- rating of the hospital room door itself, other factors influence how sound travels through healthcare facilities. For example, same-handed rooms leave more space between patient doors, which means less sound carries from one to the next. Silencer pads attached to the door stops soften noise of a closing door. Proper door hardware will limit latch noises.

Where to Install Acoustically-Rated Doors in Hospitals

These are some of the places where you may want to specify acoustically-rated doors in a healthcare setting:

Patient rooms, for the purpose of aiding in relaxation and recovery
Corridors, which can carry sound readily
Offices and work spaces where people need to concentrate or talk privately
Chapels, meditation rooms or other spaces where visitors go for quiet reflection

For your next healthcare construction or design project, keep acoustics in mind when choosing patient room, office, or cross corridor hospital doors as a key element of satisfaction on the part of the end user. At Masonite Architectural, we offer a complete line of acoustically-rated doors to meet your healthcare project’s needs. To see our work in action, read our CHUM Hospital case study on how we provided doors for North America’s largest healthcare facility.

And if you need a helping hand in picking out acoustic healthcare doors for your next project, please use our Acoustically-Rated Door Finder or reach out to your Masonite Architectural sales rep.

The Most In-Demand Colors for Factory Painted Doors for 2020

On May 10, 2021 | admin@freshy.press

As 2020 kicks off a new decade of design trends, take a look at how custom painted wood doors will fit into your commercial projects. While your designs will certainly last well beyond 2020, it’s a good time for fresh new ideas. Here, we aim to share some inspiration and get you thinking about where Masonite architectural doors can add an on-trend flare to a project.

Pantone Trends

Color trends come and go but they speak to larger themes. Pantone’s Colors of the Year for 2020 take inspiration from the sea. This revelation follows on their track record of choosing colors that reflect nature. (Remember 2019’s Living Coral and 2017’s Greenery?) Among their fashion trends, announced in spring 2019, Pantone included Classic Blue, which they describe as “evocative of the vast and infinite evening sky opening us up to a world of possibilities.” The preference will likely cross over from fashion to other realms of design. This hue, a true classic, fits into design styles from colonial to modern.

When you choose architectural doors for upcoming projects, consider nature as a source of inspiration. Blues, greens, and warm neutrals complement other trends like living walls and sustainable building materials. Wood doors are the ideal place to introduce a splash of color and to tie together large spaces with multiple entryways. With custom color-matching, the only limit is your creativity.

Roaring 20s Redux

It is widely expected that brands and consumers alike will embrace the concept of “The Roaring 20s” this decade, incorporating all kinds of trends from the 1920s. Expect an interest in geometric and stylized shapes, reflective surfaces like chrome and mirrors, as well as a healthy dose of glamor.

While art deco made a resurgence a few years ago, as what some call “neo deco,” it will likely continue strong into the 20s. A timeless architectural door, like a stile and rail, works with a wide range of design influences, depending on the finish or paint color. Choose bright or deep paint shades that create strong contrast with walls or furnishings.

It wouldn’t be the Roaring 20s without a dose of Hollywood glitz, too. Think big and bold. A sophisticated statement door can serve as a focal point for a dramatic hotel ballroom or executive office. Choose colors that stand out and work with elements like metallic hardware and eye-catching side lites.

Calming Colors

The glitz and glam idea doesn’t fit every project, of course. Fortunately, soft shades of gray, include gray-greens are also growing in popularity. A recent article in Architectural Digest says that their color themes for 2020 “channel joy and serenity while lessening the noise that constantly surrounds us.” While an acoustically-rated door can reduce literal noise, a calming paint color on its surface can reduce visual noise. As technology keeps advancing, filling daily life with a dizzying stream of information, people will seek restive spaces.

Because these shades inspire calmness and serenity, they work well healthcare facilities and hotel guest rooms. Calming colors can be used to offset brighter shades, as well. Try them in combination with the bolder colors we discussed above. A neutral painted door can look great next to a brighter wall, or vice-versa, depending on the effect you want to create.

Masonite Architectural offers commercial wood doors in seven standard designer colors with custom color-matching available to fit any design trend that the 2020s bring. Factory-finished painted doors create the visual impact of a painted door without the risk of field-applied finishes. Our premium painted doors combine color-critical design elements and unmatched quality, while our state-of-the-art painting equipment ensures stunning results in every project—every time.

Are you ready to add a splash of color to your office, hotel, or other commercial space?

Request samples of our factory painted doors

Adding Security Features to Wood Doors in Office Construction

On May 10, 2021 | admin@freshy.press

Wood doors lend themselves to all kinds of design scenarios, sometimes simply adding beauty and style to a space, and other times performing as part of a complex safety protocol. Office buildings tend to fall into the latter category, as security is usually a high priority. Office construction clients need to think not only about the safety and security of their personnel but about expensive equipment and sensitive information.

The state of physical security has ramped up with new technology like biometrics and AI, but wood commercial doors—themselves a timeless design feature—can adapt to most client needs. Below are some ideas to consider when specifying wood doors for offices. Modern office doors have to do it all.

Security for Modern Office Doors

A commercial wood entry door presents many options in terms of construction. Add hardware and electronic access control, and you have a whole array of moving parts that must work together.

Some offices rely on electronic locks which are activated by RFID devices like keycards. However, many companies are moving beyond this once popular technology since they worry cards being lost, damaged or hacked. Some newer offices use “smart doors” that interact with employees’ smartphones and with a centralized security hub, which may or may not be on the premises. These allow a user to lock or unlock a door from anywhere.

Also growing in popularity are biometric scanners, which scan fingerprints or faces.

Alarms remain an important element for office doors, of course. An alarm might be used to signal when someone tampers with a locking apparatus or if a door is left open too long.

While it’s possible to retrofit existing doors, new construction or remodelling presents an ideal opportunity for a company to install all new doors with up-to-date security features

Security of the Office Doors Themselves

The difference that these high-tech solutions signal is that most facility owners worry less about brute force entry than about insider or “professional” crime. That means, while some commercial design clients once insisted on steel, they are willing to give commercial wood doors a fresh look.

That is not to say that wood doors are weak! A 20- or 90-minute fire resistant core adds a tough extra level of durability. Impact-resistant surfaces and edges can further reduce the risk of damage from an attempted forced entry. These performance features also help wood doors stand up to frequent use and last a long time.

Security Features for Commercial Office Doors

An advantage of wood is that it is relatively easy to custom cut to accommodate any security additions. Whether you need them designed for traditional locks and deadbolts or for cutting-edge security scanners, they will serve each need.

Experts expect the adoption of biometric tools to increase in the 2020s. These can be installed to work in conjunction with electric strikes to permit entry for authorized users. Electric strikes, used in place of traditional strike plates, work well for wood doors but wouldn’t work as well with, for example, glass.

Another trend affecting work space design and construction is the rise of coworking spaces. These locations cater to gig workers or remote employees by providing a place they can use at their leisure. As you can imagine, security is a big concern when many people have access to a building. Wood doors can provide the hip, modern look that these facility owners often want while also accommodating keypads and smartphone scanners.

The bottom line is, wood architectural doors are versatile enough for any office or mixed-use application, balancing appearance and performance. Talk with your customers about their security needs, and contact Masonite Architectural for help specifying the ideal solution.

How Doors Fit Into Resimercial Design

On Mar 23, 2021 | masonite

How Doors Fit Into Resimercial Design

Building design blends science and creativity. Every project needs to meet certain standards and serve a functional purpose, however, this design also has a psychological impact on its visitors. Resimercial design has become an increasingly popular trend in office design — and it’s clear why. Working in a well-designed, attractive and comfortable office influences employee productivity and innovation.

Continue reading as we discuss what resimercial design is, its importance and how interior doors fit into your resimercial office design.

What is Resimercial Design and Why is it Important?

Resimercial design combines residential and commercial elements to provide an approachable and comfortable work environment.

Building owners today need to compete against work-from-home opportunities in order to achieve and maintain occupancy. A predicted continued decline in office space rentals will likely motivate building owners to think in new ways about how to increase occupancy — which starts with design.

Bringing resimercial design into the workplace promotes the feelings of comfort an employee finds at home — physically and psychologically. Comfort at work fosters creativity, concentration and an increased sense of well-being, which are key elements in employee productivity.

What Part Do Doors Play in Resimercial Design

2020 brought about some changes in office design and construction demands, which mostly leaned toward a need of separate offices. While doors serve a functional purpose, their impact reaches far beyond just that. Doors serve as transitional moments that both divide and harmonize every space. Interior doors can be customized many ways with different designs, colors, finishes and more. These customizations can match your resimercial design and improve a room’s aesthetics.

Enhance the Resimercial Aesthetic

Strategic use of color can increase feelings of comfort and improve focus. Color exerts psychological impact as well as physiological responses. For example, blue is often linked to productivity, inspiration and tranquility and can even lower blood pressure. On the other hand, red can elevate blood pressure and heart rate, and is commonly associated with danger, aggression, power and passion. Specifying interior doors in calming custom paint colors can create a united feeling of comfort throughout the office.

Resimercial design often calls for comfortable furniture that looks more like what one expects in a home than in an office. Specify a wood species or design that matches the furniture and decor to take your design choices a step further.

Facilitate Creativity and Learning

Studies have shown that natural light supports creative thinking and learning — both of which are essential in the workplace. Interior doors for a resimercial design can include a variety of lite openings in different shapes and sizes. From full-lite openings or lite and panel combinations to allow natural light through while boosting aesthetic appeal. If natural light is desired but privacy is a concern, glass panes can be incorporated with frosted, rain or reeded finishes.

Increase Focus

Noise is commonplace in most office environments, in contrast with the residential feeling that resimercial design seeks to cultivate. High noise levels can decrease employee productivity, and increase the likelihood of mistakes. Keeping comfort at the forefront, acoustically rated doors reduce sound transfer room to room, helping employees stay focused and maximize their productivity.

Find the Right Doors for Your Resimercial Design

With the goal of providing a seamless experience, the doors you choose for your resimercial design are important. At Masonite Architectural, we offer endless options that can meet any client’s budget.

All of our doors are highly customizable and precisely produced with quality craftsmanship and a specialized construction process. Contact us today to find the right interior office doors for your resimercial design.

Healthcare Door Surfaces, Edges & Cores

On Mar 22, 2021 | masonite

Door Surfaces, Edges and Cores in Healthcare Projects

When designing a new healthcare building, two of the client’s biggest concerns are durability and hygiene. Interior healthcare doors, used by so many people so frequently day and night, need to meet high standards. The door surface type, edges, and core all affect the doors’ ability to stand up to the challenge. Take a look at the key features to consider when specifying interior healthcare doors.

Hospitals are a Unique Design Environment

Hospitals and healthcare facilities have a major responsibility to keep patients, visitors, and healthcare professionals safe. They must be built for high capacity and busy movement, complete with bulky equipment like carts and gurneys. Doors facilitate this movement, letting professionals do their jobs successfully. They can even contribute directly to people’s health.

Healthcare doors must be durable, but not too heavy. They should be easy to clean, easy to open, and in certain situations, reduce sound transfer. Their construction and features should take these goals into account.

Healthcare Door Surfaces

A key factor when specifying healthcare doors is choosing the right door surface. While you might choose a wood veneer for a few key places, such as executive offices, laminates usually perform best in hallways, patient rooms, and other busy areas. A high-impact laminate stands up to daily abuse while creating visual consistency throughout the building.

A high-impact laminate door surface is made by bonding half-inch thick sheets of resin to the core under pressure and heat. This process can work with a variety of different door cores. Inorganic materials, like high pressure decorative laminates (HPDL), eliminate miniscule crevices that you might find in wood, which can harbor germs. Laminates provide smooth, easy-to-clean surfaces for doors that are used frequently and touched by many people.

Masonite Architectural offers high impact laminates in a wide range of wood grain patterns, solid colors, and decorative designs, as well as custom colors.

Healthcare Door Edges

An interior door’s edges have implications for both durability and cleanliness. First, a door is only as durable as its edges. Impact edges increase a hospital door’s durability, helping it stand up to frequent use and collisions with equipment. A wood door with impact edges can withstand impact from carts, wheelchairs or gurneys, as well as frequent hard closings, without metal edges.

Clean edges create a more hygienic product by eliminating areas where germs would otherwise get trapped. Clean-edge doors minimize bacterial growth and allow easy cleaning for infection prevention and control.

Masonite Architectural makes impact edge doors in a wide range of solid colors and woodgrains, which can look uniform with wood veneer doors or millwork. They adhere to superior industry standards, complete with smooth vertical edges that can be easily wiped down.

Healthcare Door Cores and Performance Features

Door cores can fulfill several different needs for healthcare interior doors, including fire rating, radiation protection, and noise reduction.

Fire-rated doors are required in healthcare settings and contribute to safer environments. Fire-rated door cores, or mineral cores, are made from non-combustible materials such as minerals and fiberglass. They can be found in 20-, 45- or 90-minute fire rated doors designed to slow the spread of fire and smoke from one room to the next.

Lead-lined doors are required for rooms containing x-ray machines and other imaging equipment. A lead-lined door contains a sheet of lead that is 1/32″, 1/16″, or 1/8″ thick, situated inside a mineral or wood core. The lead lining shields patients and medical providers from radiation. Lead-lined healthcare doors can also come fire-rated for 45 or 60 minutes.

Acoustics play an important role in a healthcare setting. Noise reduction improves patient privacy and enhances recovery from illness or surgery. An STC-rated wood door can reduce noise from voices, hallway traffic, ringing phones, and medical equipment. Acoustic doors depend on a core that dampens sound, along with a surface, frame, gasketing, and hardware that all work together. To get an accurate measure of sound transfer, Masonite Architectural tests our acoustic doors as part of a complete assembly.

Shape Better Healthcare Environments with Masonite Architectural Doors

Healthcare is one of the industries where Masonite Architectural focuses for providing complete door solutions. The next time you are ready to specify doors for a healthcare or hospital project, explore our options to meet all of the interior door demands of your design. Contact your representative or order samples now.

Where to Use Stile and Rail Doors in a Hospitality Project

On Mar 22, 2021 | masonite

Where to Use Stile and Rail Doors in a Hospitality Project

When working on a hospitality project, you’re creating a place that’s supposed to feel like home away from home. The last thing you want is an interior door interrupting the visual flow of the room or creating an unapproachable appearance. Doors must withstand the wear and tear of consistent use without compromising style or brand standards — especially in the hospitality industry.

Stile and rail doors give you the versatility and durability you require— making them a worthwhile investment on the part of your hospitality clients. Continue reading as we discuss where to use stile and rail doors in a hospitality project.

How Stile and Rail Doors Can Match a Hotel’s Design and Style

Doorways serve as transitional moments in the guest experience and can play a huge role in their overall impression of the hotel. Stile and rail doors are a great option for any space in your hotel’s design. There are a few ways you can customize them to match.

Panels

With stile and rail hotel doors, you can customize the shape, number and configuration of their panels. Mitered rim panels create a distinct, structured pattern ideal for a traditional style. Flat panels offer a clean, simple look. Louvred panels are a stylish way to improve air circulation.

Customize your door by configuring the panels into unique patterns, changing their shape or incorporating raised or applied moldings.

Finishes

Stile and rail doors are available in a wide range of wood species and veneers that can be stained and painted to match your design. Masonite Architectural offers hardwood, softwood, high- and medium-density fiberboard and paint-grade poplar finishes for our stile and rail doors.

Stain and Paint Colors

Stain your door to enhance the wood’s natural beauty or paint it to seamlessly match your design. Factory applied paint and stain provides a consistent and long-lasting result. At Masonite Architectural, our stile and rail doors can be painted with standard or custom paints, or stained in a variety of colors to best match the design you envision.

Structural Design

Choose from simple, standard doors to elegant arch top entryways, and more to best match your design and the building’s structure. Hardware can be added in virtually any style to complement your design.

Construct your door with a heavy-duty rated core for increased stability. Choose a fire-rated core constructed with hardwood composite fire stiles and non-combustible materials to meet commercial building codes. These door cores can be fire-rated for 45, 60 or 90 minutes — even if they have lite openings.

Lite Openings

Include lite openings in your doors to boost natural light and add an aesthetically pleasing element. Choose a full-lite opening, lite and panel combination, muntins or mullions. These glass panes can be incorporated in numerous sizes, shapes and finishes such as clear, frosted, rain or reeded.

At Masonite Architectural, our stile and rail doors are available with many different surfaces and cores. We apply our finishes in-factory to guarantee their durability and quality.

Where Hospitality Stile and Rail Doors Work Best

Ideal for both interior and exterior entryways, stile and rail doors are great for places in a hotel where you’re looking to make a good impression, but need an interior door that’s durable. With solid, sturdy construction, stile and rail doors are built to last. Their designability enables them to blend into your design or act as a centerpiece.

The Main Entrance

The main entrance is the first interaction guests have with a hotel — an interaction that impacts their impression and sets the tone for their stay. Use an arch top or french stile and rail door with glass and muntins to impress guests from the start.

The Lobby

Dining Areas

Whether for an entrance to an in-hotel café or an upscale restaurant, keep the design consistent by using a stile and rail door. Choose mullions or a full-lite opening to provide continuity from the hotel to the dining areas.

Banquet Rooms

Guests reserve banquet rooms for special occasions and events. An aesthetically pleasing entrance with a custom-designed lite and panel pattern or muntins can increase the allure of your hotel as a venue. Consider using frosted, rain or reeded glass to add privacy and visual appeal.

Restrooms

Just as any room in your hospitality project, restrooms need durable doors that don’t detract from the hotel’s design. Incorporate louvred panels in your restroom doors to increase airflow and ventilation. Adding a full inset mirror to the back of the entrance is a smart way to save space in smaller restrooms.

Find the Right Stile and Rail Doors With Masonite Architecture

Masonite Architectural can create a stile and rail door for virtually any hotel entryway. Available with a limited lifetime warranty, our Cendura Series Stile and Rail Doors are a durable and cost-effective option. Our Aspiro Series Stile and Rail Doors include a lifetime warranty and offer the highest aesthetic appeal and performance quality.

Produced using precise craftsmanship and a specialized construction process, the options are endless — the only limit on the design is your innovation. Contact us today to find the right stile and rail wood doors for your hospitality project.

Understanding Commercial Door Warranties

On Mar 19, 2021 | masonite

Understanding Commercial Door Warranties

When undertaking any commercial construction project, it’s important to understand the warranties on different products within the design. Here, we will talk about the basic components of a door warranty, how to protect it, and what to know about Masonite Architectural door warranties.

Client Communication About Warranties

The client will expect an overall warranty on the construction, but they may not know to ask about warranties on individual products. They may actually see a good warranty as a selling point. They are making a sizable investment and may have apprehensions about who will be responsible if a problem arises. Many consider lifetime warranties on architectural doors and the other component parts of their building worth a little extra cost in exchange for peace of mind.

You can reassure your clients about their door investments by assuring them they’re getting good product warranties. Share all product documentation with the client so that they can keep everything on file after your job ends.

Protecting Your Door Warranty

To keep the warranty intact, it is important to know how to handle doors in the field upon receipt, how to properly install hardware and how to install the doors and frames. Start by inspecting the doors as soon as you receive them to look for any damage that may have occurred in transit. A warranty will not extend to doors installed with obvious defects. If you notice any damage, note it on the delivery receipt and notify your distributor immediately. Doors should always be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s written instructions.

What a Commercial Door Warranty Document Should Include

Although you have countless documents to review and keep track of during a construction project, you should not neglect to review your product warranties. These are some features to look for within the terms of a commercial door warranty.

Remedies

Remedies describe how a manufacturer agrees to address potential issues with their product. They may agree to repair, replace or refund a product, depending on the degree of the problem and their ability to fix it. The agreement may contain specific language about how promptly you (or the client) must report any issues, and how expenses related to the remedies — such as installation of a new door — will be handled.

Exclusions

Exclusions are simply a list of anything the warranty does not cover. Examples might be doors that are hung improperly or have hardware installed improperly. Always ensure that your doors are handled and installed by qualified professionals every step of the way.

Tolerances

Think of tolerances as the conditions that the door can “tolerate” in order to stay protected by the warranty. For example, exposing a wood door to extreme temperatures or humidity might damage it in ways that exceed the coverage of the warranty. For doors, tolerances will vary tremendously based on the style, type of construction, core material, and numerous other factors, so read these closely. For example, a flush door has much different tolerances than a stile and rail door.

Claims procedures

The warranty’s claims procedure will outline what to do if you encounter a defect, including how quickly you must report it, and who to contact — whether it’s the distributor or the manufacturer themselves.

Masonite Architectural Warranties

Masonite Architectural is proud to offer excellent warranties on our interior wood doors. AspiroTM doors come with a lifetime warranty. Most CenduraTM doors carry a limited lifetime warranty, with the exception of hollow core and bi-fold doors, which come with a one-year warranty.

The lifetime and limited lifetime warranties begin on the date that the doors are originally purchased and continue for as long as the doors remain in use at the commercial structure where, and as, originally installed. Masonite Architectural also warranties finishes and accessories installed in our manufacturing facilities. Note that glass lites fall under a separate warranty.

Find the Right Interior Doors for Your Next Project with Masonite Architectural

If you’re ready to specify interior doors for your next project, contact us today. Our expert field of Territory Sales Managers can help guide you through the process of selecting all of the right interior doors with the necessary features and code requirements of your project, including a warranty that will make your clients happy.

How to Allocate a Tight Budget for Commercial Doors

On Mar 19, 2021 | masonite

How to Allocate a Tight Door Budget in a Commercial Design Project

Designing and building an office building, healthcare center, school, or other project requires creativity, vision, and expertise. It also requires the ability to budget appropriately to bring your vision — and your client’s demands — to fruition. While interior doors may represent a small portion of the overall project budget, the right doors make a huge impact on the success of the finished building. Doors affect both the aesthetics and the users’ experience of a space, including their safety. When you begin allocating a budget for interior doors, follow these five strategies to get the most benefit for the least cost.

1. Take a Holistic Approach to Hard Costs

Your client will not think of doors in a vacuum. The level of door they choose will fit into a grouping of features that they approach as basic, mid-range or executive. In other words, if they choose the lower end for lighting, millwork, carpet, and other features, they will want more economical doors. If they are spending more for these other features, they will anticipate spending more for high quality interior doors as well. Approach all of these hard costs as a package, and then be prepared to scale back here and there if the budget needs tightening.

2. Put Door Performance First

You can adjust veneers, finishes and other elements of your doors’ appearance more easily than you can sacrifice performance features. Building codes dictate whether to specify fire-rated doors or lead lined doors, for example. Other performance features are less necessary, although they may be just as important to the client. Think acoustic-rated doors or attack resistant door openings.

Once you have met code requirements, you can modify other elements like door surface type, lites and hardware to find the ideal price point.

3. Place More High-End Doors in Select Locations

room, that doesn’t mean you can’t still use them in a few places. Pick and choose where you place high-end doors, such as executive offices or conference rooms.

In less visible places, you can make compromises, like painted MDF surfaces instead of wood veneers. In low traffic areas where durability is less of a concern, low-pressure decorative laminates (LPDL) offer a budget friendly choice.

4. Order Factory Painted Doors

In most cases, factory finishing costs less than using a field finishing contractor since you eliminate the costs of job site preparation, painting and cleanup. In addition, doors can be installed as soon as they’re delivered, helping to keep your project on schedule. Choosing a standard paint color can reduce costs compared with a custom color, and paint can be applied to a number of different door surfaces, allowing for flexibility.

5. Buy All of the Interior Doors from One Manufacturer

You can streamline your project and, in turn, some of your costs, by minimizing the number of suppliers and manufacturers on which you rely. When you can source all of your interior doors from one manufacturer, regardless of style, appearance or performance features, you simplify a whole portion of your project. With the high aesthetic and performance qualities of Masonite Architectural Aspiro series and the performance-based value of our Cendura series, we can meet a wide range of design needs and budgets for commercial projects. Explore our interior door solutions for offices, healthcare facilities, hotels, schools and universities, and more.

How to Match Interior Doors to Other Design Elements

On Feb 19, 2021 | admin@freshy.press

How to Match Interior Doors to Other Design Elements

While they may not be the first element you select when designing a commercial space, interior door openings reinforce your design concept throughout a building. The vast array of options for interior wood doors give you limitless opportunity to connect them with other design elements.

Doors themselves, along with their frames, thresholds and hardware, can really tie a design together, whether by standing out or blending in. They are impossible to miss, too, since a building’s inhabitants actively use them all the time. Here we look at some considerations for choosing door options and other design elements to keep in mind as you specify interior doors.

How Doors fit Into Design Concepts

It’s a good idea to start considering door openings early in the planning or schematic design phases to integrate them into the overall concept of a commercial design. The repetition of design elements like color, texture, and materials leads to design harmony and unity. Harmony and unity contribute to a sense of calmness, which is important in any space, but especially in places like office buildings and healthcare facilities.

The quest for unity doesn’t mean that every design element has to match. Doors can be used in two opposing ways:

to blend and repeat patterns
to stand out by adding a visual “pop”

Either effect can be achieved through various characteristics of the doors. Here are three to consider.

Door Material, Style and Color

If you have already decided on wood doors — an excellent choice for their versatility, timelessness and performance options — the next step is to choose a surface material. Pick a wood veneer or composite surface to match other design elements. You might choose a wood species and stain color that echoes the floors, for example. Variations of species, cut and stain afford limitless options.

Door Frames

A door frame closes off and trims the wall construction, for both practical effect and appearance. Wood frames can match the door itself or not, creating different visual effects. A stain can enhance the look of the frame, as with the door.

Hinges and Hardware

Hinges and door hardware come in more variety than ever, ranging from vintage to high-tech and even internet-enabled. Different metals and finishes can contribute to a more industrial or more rustic appearance, and can complement other metal elements in a room, such as light fixtures.

6 Elements to Match with Interior Doors

These are some of the key design elements you will want to keep in mind as you select interior doors for your commercial project.

1. Window casings

Window casings can blend or stand out, similarly to door frames and trim. Windows and doors may or may not match, depending on the desired effect.

2. Flooring

Wood flooring in the same species as doors and trim can create a unifying, even cozy effect. Door styles and colors can also be chosen for how they correspond to a pattern on a tile floor or the color of a carpet.

3. Baseboards and molding

Together, the horizontal and vertical lines of doors, baseboards, and molding add depth to a room and can draw the eye in the direction of key elements. This effect is strongest when they’re the same or similar in appearance. For a more monochrome look, any or all of these can be chosen to blend with the walls and floor.

4. Ceilings

Statement ceilings are in demand, especially in offices and hotels, making them a focal point you can coordinate with doors and other elements. Exposed fixtures lend themselves to an industrial look, while bold colors and patterns can complement or contrast with custom factory painted doors.

5. Entry doors

Entry doors and interior doors typically have different performance needs, but that doesn’t mean they can’t look good together. In areas where both are visible, such as a lobby or waiting room, think about the interplay between the two.

6. Furniture and decor

If your firm will be selecting the furnishings for a space, they are another element that can complement or offset interior doors. For example, you may want to paint the doors the same color as the walls so they don’t steal focus from an impressive piece of furniture or artwork. Or, you may want to choose wood veneers for the doors in the same species as the wood furniture.

Customize Interior Doors for Any project

Whether you want stile and rail or flush doors, painted or stained, fire-rated or hollow, with any combination of different features, Masonite Architectural can provide custom wood doors for your project. Contact us today for samples to keep on file, so that you can easily match them with other design elements as you plan your projects.

Continuing Education for Architects & Designers

On Feb 19, 2021 | masonite

Supporting Continuing Education for Architects and Designers

No career stands still. Architects and designers, however, have to work harder than many other professionals to keep their skills and knowledge current. According to Building Design and Construction, “With the rapid evolution of available technologies, and the integration of them into the profession, the role of an architect is changing faster than it ever has before.”

New developments take place each year, due to changing client demands as well as evolving regulations, such as LEED certification requirements. Continuing education enables an architect or designer to stay abreast of relevant developments in the profession.

As a manufacturer of commercial interior doors, Masonite Architectural works closely with architects and designers and is invested in their expertise. That is why we offer continuing education opportunities.

Why Continuing Education Matters

Earning a certain number of continuing education units (CEUs) is required for most licensed design professionals and for some professional memberships. Your individual state or jurisdiction will have its own requirements for professional development hours (PDH) or credits.

American Institute of Architects (AIA) Membership

As the self-described voice of the architecture profession, the AIA is always looking ahead at ways to improve the industry, which is why membership requires continuing education. To take advantage of their member benefits, you need to earn and report regular learning. Membership in the AIA requires 18 hours — or learning units (LUs) — of continuing education per year, 12 of which must be in the area of health, safety and welfare.

Some architects earn all of their required credits at once by attending the AIA Conference on Architecture. (Note: This event was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19.) The AIA also offers its own course online as well as a catalog of approved courses elsewhere.

Professional Benefits of Continuing Education

In addition to meeting requirements for professional licensing or memberships, there are many reasons you may simply want to take part in continuing education. It lets you:

Stay current, or ahead, on the latest developments in the profession’
Stay marketable and competitive
Network with other professionals
Gain inspiration and rediscover your passion for the profession
Make the most of available technologies and products

Whatever your motivation for pursuing continuing education, look for opportunities from companies and organizations you can trust.

Why Masonite Architectural Offers Continuing Education

Masonite Architectural is committed to applying the highest standard of ethics to every interaction, whether between employees, customers, suppliers, regulators, or anyone else. As an architect or designer you are part of that community. We want to encourage your creativity and empower you with the latest knowledge. We also want to help you understand and appreciate not just interior doors, but how doors function within a project, and how to have a successful project overall.

Courses for Architects and Designers

To that end, we offer ongoing courses for architects and designers through our website, good for AIA learning units. For example, we provide education about how different interior door features factor into the LEED rating system. Other topics include Positive Pressure Requirements for Wood Doors and Veneer Specifics for Wood Doors.

We also offer courses through Hanley Wood University on topics such as attack resistant door openings and acoustic considerations for door systems, which can provide AIA learning units, PDH hours, or Canada learning credits.

When possible, we will gather industry experts for a panel discussion, such as our Acoustic Design Event, the video of which you can access online. Our goal is that participants will come away with a deeper understanding of an important topic, including how Masonite Architectural interior doors may fit into your design.

For a complete list of available courses, visit the technical resources section of our website or reach out to your Masonite Architectural area rep to schedule a course at no cost.