Painted vs. Stained Wood Doors by Project Type

On Aug 6, 2020 | masonite

One of the advantages of designing with wood interior doors for a commercial project is their versatility. Different combinations of wood species, finish, stain and paint colors make for almost limitless options. Paint and stain each offer their own advantages and limitations when specifying wood doors. Depending on whether you’re designing a hotel, school, healthcare facility or office, knowing what separates painted wood doors and stained doors can help you select the best option for your project .

6 Factors that Influence the Choice of Painted or Stained Wood Doors

Both factory applied stain and paint provide a high-quality finish that can complement a wide range of styles. Each has its advantages, much of which depends on the type of project you’re designing and your overall goals. These are some factors to consider when comparing painted or stained wood doors.

1. Cost

Stained wood door products typically cost more than painted wood products, as applying stain evenly and correctly takes great skill. The investment can pay off though, in terms of beauty and long life.

2. Durability

Painted wood has the potential for chipping and scratching, although the door surface type makes a big difference. Additions like impact edges can also help a door last longer.

3. Color

Paint naturally allows a much wider range of colors, and a more predictable color outcome. With stain, the end result varies by the species and wood cut, as well as how it’s applied. Factory stain application lends to better consistency across all doors for a project.

4. Trendy vs. Timeless

Interior design color trends come and go, so your client might end up wanting to update painted doors in the future. Stain often provides a more timeless look, especially with the classic beauty of stile and rail doors.

5. Style

Stained wood doors can contribute to a warmer look, from rustic to sophisticated. Clear stain gives the most natural look which works well, for example, with Scandinavian design styles. On the other hand, painted doors can create a more contemporary look and contribute to a mood, from soothing to playful and anything in between.

6. Door Surface Type

Some door surfaces take stain or paint better than others. You may want to decide on a surface type first, depending on needs for durability and core type.

These factors will help you make smart and stylish design choices, best matched for the functionality of the environment.

Choosing Stained and Painted Doors By Project Type

Hospitality

Painted doors are often preferred for hospitality projects. They tend to be economical, durable, and meet any hotel chain’s brand standards. However, wood veneers give you the warmth of wood along with design versatility.

We recommend the Aspiro select wood veneer for lobbies and reception areas and painted MDO doors for guest rooms. Take a look at our guide to Complete Hospitality Door Solutions for a full range of ideas for your next hotel project.

Education

Durability is the name of the game when designing schools and universities. For the highest traffic areas like auditoriums and stairwells, paintable MDO makes a great canvas for school spirit colors. MDO gives premium adhesion for factory-applied paints. Another popular choice for schools, attack-resistant door openings can be specified with painted, laminate or wood veneer surfaces.

Healthcare

High impact surfaces and edges, along with clean edges, meet many of the needs of healthcare facility doors. High impact Aspiro series doors work well in many areas and pair with radiation cores, STC-rated cores and other performance options. Stained Aspiro authentic stile and rail doors make a great impression for lobbies and offices.

Office

Office design styles vary tremendously from hip, creative workplaces to staid and serious professional services offices. Whether you want painted interior doors or stained ones, you are sure to find an option that fits your vision. MDF or MDO surfaces might be best if you have the perfect paint color in mind, while a hardwood or softwood surface can provide a great stainable surface.

Masonite Architectural Has You Covered for Factory Finished Doors

Every space calls for its own solution, meaning there isn’t a wrong or right way to decide between stained and painted doors except to fulfill the requirements of each project completely. However, there are many differences between these styles of doors, and many factors that play a role in selecting the right doors for your desired space. Masonite Architectural offers an expansive catalog of factory painted and factory stained wood doors that provide a consistent, high-quality result for any project type.

We offer a variety of colors and finishes, including seven standard paint colors, 12 stain colors (availability varies by wood species and door series), and custom color matching. Our finishes are also UV resistant and made from environmentally sensitive water based polyurethane.

Ordering paint or stain samples can be a big help by letting you see how a finish looks in natural light and in combination with your other design elements. Request your wood door samples today.

Complete Guide to Door Core Types

On Aug 6, 2020 | masonite

As someone in the field of architecture and design, when you look at a door, you know there’s a lot more to it than what’s on the surface. It can look beautiful and stylish, but the door core determines much about its functionality and durability. This guide will break down the different types of cores for interior wood doors and where to specify each one.

Hollow Core Wood Doors

Hollow core doors are not completely hollow, but rather house a cardboard honeycomb inside. Hollow cores are lightweight and easy to transport and install. They can be less susceptible to expansion and contraction than a solid wood door, but that is where the advantage ends. Hollow doors typically get damaged more easily and are harder to repair when they do. They provide little in the way of insulation and cannot be rated for fire or acoustics.

They are most often selected for interior applications in the multi-family and hospitality markets. They might work well in out-of-the-way locations of hotels or offices, like lesser-used storage rooms. Masonite Architectural offers the Cendura series with hollow cores.

Cendura Wood Veneer Surface Hollow Core Stile and Rail Door Section

Structural Composite Lumber Cores

For heavier use and longer life, structural composite lumber (SCL) is often a viable option. SCL offers a durable, extra heavy-duty rated core made from strands of wood bound with resin. SCL cores include fire ratings to 20 minutes.

An SCL door core works well for an interior door that needs to make a strong visual impression and last a long time, but without the need to provide high-level performance. Explore the SCL core in our Aspiro stile and rail doors, which make great statement doors. SCL is also widely available for flush doors.

Vics remodeled dining room with Masonite Architectural stile and rail doors in the background.

Particleboard Cores

Particleboard is made from ground wood chips bonded with adhesive. Particleboard door cores work for many applications. While it increases the weight of the doors, it also increases durability.

Typical particleboard cores are lower density and great for flush wood doors. They can be specified with a 20-minute fire rating, so can work well for offices. For more versatility, an extra heavy-duty (EHD) particleboard core offers 45-minute fire ratings, for just about any place where you need a fire-rated door. Their higher density makes them well suited for heavier surface-mounted hardware as well. You can specify particleboard or EHD in many of Masonite Architectural’s interior wood doors.

MDF Cores

For a door core that is even denser than particleboard, opt for medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Its glued wood fibers make it suitable for a broad selection of applications. Masonite Architectural uses it for Cendura stile and rail doors, a budget-friendly choice with a classic to modern look and seven standard paint colors. An MDF surface helps ensure smooth paint application.

Hotel room with MDF Square Groove doors.

Agrifiber

For an environmentally friendly choice, just about anywhere you need to specify flush wood doors, agrifiber makes a good option. Made from rapidly renewable plant cellulose, agrifiber is more sustainable than wood and meets LEED standards. It also lacks the bonding agents found in particleboard, so it plays a role in improving indoor air quality. Agrifiber door cores comply with WDMA standards and extra heavy duty performance requirements. They can still meet fire-ratings up to 45 minutes. Agrifiber cores are available in Masonite Architectural’s custom flush wood doors.

Fire-Rated Cores or Mineral Cores

Fire-rated cores, also referred to as mineral cores are made from non-combustible materials such as minerals and fiberglass to slow the spread of fire and smoke from one part of a building to another.

Fire-rated doors are required for key areas in schools, hotels, and most other public spaces. They can be specified for 20, 45, or 90 minutes. Even with glass lites, many wood doors styles can be specified with a 20-minute fire rating.

In 2019, Underwriters Laboratories—a third party research and testing company—honored Masonite Architectural with its Dedication to Safety award, in recognition of wood door fire safety.

Door Cores for Performance Needs

Interior wood door cores can be specified to meet a variety of other requirements, like STC-rated doors to reduce sound transfer, lead lined doors to provide a radiation shield, or attack-resistant doors, which use an EHD or SCL core for added strength.

When you’re ready to find the perfect doors, with the combination of the surface type and core type to meet your project’s demands, reach out to your Masonite Architectural rep or request samples.

Using Wood Stain Samples When Planning Your Projects

On Jul 10, 2020 | masonite

Architecture and design engage all of the senses. Your choices work together to create an immersive experience. For this reason, choosing architectural materials by only seeing them on a screen—in two dimensions and with colors limited by HTML code—can never give you a true sense of their aesthetic qualities. Wood stain samples of architectural doors give you a more realistic and tactile experience to aid you in making the best choices for your projects. Learn more about how to use wood stain samples to your advantage.

What are the Benefits of Ordering Door Stain Samples for Commercial Projects?

There are four main benefits you get when you order door stain samples from Masonite Architectural.

1. Can Preview the Stain Colors in Different Lighting

We all know how much impact lighting makes on the look and feel of a space. Different wood grains and stain colors for doors may look completely different in low light or bright light, and whether the light comes from above or head-on. Samples enable you to visualize the location of interior doors relative to a light source and see how the wood looks.

2. Can Compare Door Colors with Other Design Elements

Various wood species and cuts take stain in different ways, producing variations in color. Easily place wood door samples alongside samples of millwork, furniture and other design elements. This will ensure that your interior entryway choices will fit with and complement everything around them.

3. Helps Clients Envision Their Finished Spaces

A key part of an architect or designer’s job is to enable their client to image the finished space. Showing them wood stain samples in person allows you to do that. They can see and appreciate the quality of the wood, accurately assess the color and texture, and picture the doors in their office, school or other location.

Keep Samples Handy for Quick Reference

When you embark on a project, you have numerous elements and vendor interactions to manage. You can save time by ordering a range of wood door samples so that you have them on hand when you need them.

Why Choose Factory Stained Doors?

Having all of your wood interior doors factory stained helps ensure consistency across your project. The controlled climate of the factory minimizes contact with dust. Doors get adequate drying and curing time in favorable temperatures and humidity. Factory staining also helps with maintaining project timelines, since contractors can install the doors immediately after delivery. If you want a more consistent, efficient and reliable finish in less time, factory-stained wood doors are the solution.

What Stain Colors are Available for Masonite Architectural Doors?

Masonite Architectural offers more than a dozen colors for Cendura Series stained doors; these are also available for Aspiro Series doors. Stain colors range from a clear finish that showcases the natural beauty of the wood, to a deep stout that works with a wide range of design styles. You can request individual 8”x10” samples of specific species-color combinations, or you can select a box of all stain colors in a particular species, in 2”x4” size.

Wood Species Options for All Doors

Plain sliced red oak
Plain sliced white oak
Plain sliced white maple
Rotary white birch
Plain sliced white birch
Rotary natural birch
Plain sliced cherry

plain sliced white birch wood with clear factory finished stain
rotary natural birch wood with cinnamon stain

Stain Color Options for Aspiro and Cendura Series Doors

Clear
Espresso
Cinnamon
Stout
Caramel
Honey
Cane
Nutmeg
Toast Bourbon
Saffron
Cocoa Bean

plain sliced red oak wood door with toast stain

How to Order Stain Samples from Masonite Architectural

Wood stain samples will guide you toward the best decisions the next time you specify interior wood doors for a hospitality, retail, office or education project. Masonite Architectural would be happy to supply your file of samples. Just fill out a quick sample ordering form, and you should have your samples within one to five business days. Order what you need to plan a current project or prepare for future projects. If you are keeping our veneer samples for reference, please keep them in their original packaging and boxes. You should store them in a dark closet or cabinet to avoid discoloration from UV and other light sources. This will ensure that your samples stay in the appropriate color for future reference.

How to Choose the Right Commercial Door Hardware

On Jul 10, 2020 | masonite

No interior door specification is complete without the right hardware. Hardware adds the finishing touch for style and contributes to safety and durability factors. It’s important to select the best hardware for any office, school, hospitality or healthcare project. Here you will find helpful information for selecting the safest, most attractive, and capable hardware for interior wood doors.

Door Hardware Available for Commercial Wood Doors

Having a clear view of all commercial door hardware available is an essential component in selecting the best options.

Hardware options for commercial wood doors include:

Lever handles
Doorknobs
Controls
Kickplates
Door sweeps
Locks and deadbolts
Door reinforcements
Panic bars and exit devices
Hinges
Security devices

6 Things to Consider When Choosing Door Hardware

There are several key considerations when selecting the right hardware for your commercial design, ranging from the most basic to more high-tech functions. When choosing hardware for your doors, consider the following questions.

Which Way Should the Door Open?

How a door opens influences the look of the room on either side, the flow of light and air, privacy and the space available for furnishings. This seemingly simple question sometimes requires discussion with the client to think through all possible impacts. A door handing chart can help with making these decisions.

How Much Traffic Does the Door Need to Withstand?

Installing impact surfaces or impact edge doors eliminates the need for kickplates and strengthens the door’s durability. Masonite Architecual’s selection of Aspiro high-impact edge doors is available in an expansive range of woodgrains and solid colors, creating a stylish and professional facility, from hotels to hospitals.

Does the Hardware Need to Match Other Design Elements?

In order to make the best aesthetic decision, look at how the hardware complements other fixtures, along with millwork, flooring, and any other design element. Keeping everything in mind as one overall design creates a clean and attractive look.

What are the Security Needs of the Space?

One of the most important aspects to consider when selecting door hardware is security. Consider the client’s specific needs as well as changing ideas and technology.

Schools and other public facilities might seek attack resistant hardware. Attack-resistant openings provide a critical delay against an attacker until help can arrive. Hardware plays a role in the overall security of the door opening.

More office and hospitality clients are looking for “contactless” doors with electronic locks that respond to RFID devices. This feature contributes to hygiene as well as security. There are also automatic door sensors, mobile key platforms, door operators, and locksets. Biometric scanners that read fingerprints or faces makes sense for buildings with advanced security needs, like medical labs or government offices.

Will the Hardware be Easy to Use?

If the hardware is not reliable and or easy to use, clients and their customers won’t care how beautiful it is. For any facility, select the most user friendly but secure equipment. For example, in a healthcare environment, will the door be used by people with physical challenges? In a school, will it be used by children? In a hotel, will users likely have their hands full with service trays or luggage? In any environment, of course, needs of people with disabilities must be considered, such as the ability to open a door while using a wheelchair or walker.

What Cost Considerations are Involved?

Now consider the cost of the interior door hardware. Does the pricing work with your client’s budget? Lastly, it is good to know the proper maintenance and care for the hardware in order to educate the client, depending on the frequency of use and potential for damage.

Factory Installation vs. Job Site Installations for Door Hardware

Masonite Architectural highly recommends interior door hardware installation be factory-prepared before arriving on the job site. Doing so helps to achieve the best handling, installation, and long-lasting wear.

The right choice in hardware for commercial interior doors should ultimately bring together style and functionality to your facility with thoughtful construction and flexible technology. Explore our interior wood doors and start envisioning them with the perfect hardware for your space.

Changing Times for Office Design and Construction

On Jul 10, 2020 | masonite

As trusted providers of interior wood doors for design projects across the country, we are watching how the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts will affect the commercial construction industry. It’s no secret that the outlook for the 2020 non-residential construction market is bleak. April 2020 saw non-residential construction starts down more than 30 percent year-over-year and down 22 percent from their five year April average. Here, we share some thoughts on the future of office design, including the role of office door performance in constructing spaces clients want.

Commercial Construction Predictions

A recent article in Architect Magazine stated bluntly, “companies are questioning their traditional investment in expensive real estate.” While some worry that commercial office construction is a thing of the past, the article goes on to predict, “we will eventually return to a collective workplace, but one that has changed beyond what we could have previously imagined.”

A tighter market means more competition to deliver the best designs, particularly for office space, where demands are changing fast. Success means understanding client needs from layout to doors and windows and more.

Assessing Changing Office Design Demands

While many offices adapted to a work-from-home model, the trend is toward returning to the office, whether on a staggered schedule or with precautions in place. Many still put stock in the benefits of in-person interaction. Therefore, companies who choose to keep employees working on-site in an office will face greater demands from employees and, in turn, real estate companies will face greater demands from office tenants.

Doors Contribute to Calming Office Spaces

Workers returning to the office want stress-reducing experiences. Office designs may emphasize connection to natural elements, such as wood, and calming colors. Interior wood doors available in a wide range of stains and colors can contribute to such an environment. STC-rated doors can reduce sound transfer, creating quieter work spaces, which also help to reduce stress.

Daylighting in Offices

Design changes influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic in many cases will eliminate open, team-work style spaces, and allow for more isolation and privacy. However, putting up walls means the need for glass partitions and lites in order to allow in natural light. Glass is becoming a sought-after building material for contemporary office design. It provides a great intermediary to counter the adverse effects of light deprivation or isolation. Daylighting has long been shown to enhance worker productivity and well being. The strategic use of glass lites in commercial doors, or as sidelites and transoms create naturally-lit, comfortable spaces.

Less Crowded Spaces

For a long time, the trend was toward creating more density in office buildings. Now, in the interest of social distancing, workers will be arranged with more personal space. Workstations will likely be further apart and partitions will divide up spaces. It’s likely that a particular space will need more office doors than it would have previously.

Explore Office Doors Now for 2020 and Beyond

Now, as always, interior office doors can influence a healthy and productive workforce by providing secure, attractive work spaces to keep work projects moving forward. As trends change, even in a challenging market, Masonite Architectural can provide a wide range of interior door styles and performance functions to meet every need. Request samples today or explore your options with our Door Selector.

Use Natural Light to Support Thinking and Learning

On Jun 19, 2020 | masonite

The concept of daylighting, well known to architects, is catching on with educators, human resources professionals, and others who aim to use natural light to draw out the best work from people. Allowing the flow of natural light through a space supports thinking and learning. As explained by Edutopia in an article titled “The Science of Effective Learning Spaces,” light engages the body’s systems related to sleep-wake cycles and cognitive performance.

It starts with windows and skylights, but also relies on the flow of light within the space. Interior doors with glass lites, transoms and side lites facilitate the flow of natural light into classrooms or offices while still meeting requirements for sound reduction or fire resistance. Consider how glass options for wood doors can contribute to a better environment in your next school or office project.

Natural Light in Offices

According to Whole Building Design Guide, “By providing a direct link to the dynamic and perpetually evolving patterns of outdoor illumination, daylighting helps create a visually stimulating and productive environment for building occupants, while reducing as much as one-third of total building energy costs.”

Employees recognize the importance of natural light while they work. In a survey by Future Workplace, they rated it the number one perk for an office environment. Research from multiple sources confirms that natural light positively impacts employee engagement and productivity. It also affects employee health, decreasing eye strain, headaches and fatigue.

As open plan offices are fading from popularity, walls and doors hinder the availability of natural light. Furthermore, employees benefit from quieter environments, so doors with good STC-ratings improve their productivity. In order to get the benefits of both sound reduction and natural light, solid wood doors with glass lites provide an ideal solution.

Natural Light in Education

Educators are also noticing the benefits of daylighting compared with manufactured lighting. The Healthy Schools Network reports that students in naturally-lit educational settings demonstrate better work habits, fewer sick days, and better scores on assessments.

Scientific American reported on a separate study where, over one school year, elementary school students exposed to more sunlight during their school day displayed 26 percent higher reading outcomes and 20 percent higher math outcomes than kids in less sunny classrooms.

Door criteria for schools include features like fire resistance and attack resistance. However, they can still permit the flow of daylight with the strategic placement of glass.

Doors with Glass Lites Facilitate Daylighting

Strategically placed lites in or around doors can allow natural light to pass through while still meeting performance needs. You can customize to a great extent by choosing among size and shape of opening, glass types and finishing options. Masonite Architectural offers a broad range of options for factory glazing to enhance the beauty of any finished door.

These are some of the goals you can achieve with doors with glass lites.

Fire-rating

It is possible to specify interior wood doors with 20-minute fire rated glazing. In our Graham Maiman doors, choose our wood bead 20-minute lite kit, with ¼” thick clear glass and 1” bars and muntins. Stile and rail doors may be used in combination with fire rated glazing and metal or wood veneered metal lite kits

Attack resistance

Attack resistant door openings are increasingly in demand for schools. When you specify an attack resistant door solution from Masonite Architectural, you get the benefit of Armoured One’s 5/16” tactical security glass, along with standard metal door frames, metal vision kits, and reinforced hardware. The security glass can slow down or deter an attacker who is trying to gain entry through the glass with a blunt object or a gun.

Privacy

One drawback to glass lites is that not everyone wants passers-by to see through the door. Different glass options including frosted, reeded or rain-patterned provide privacy while still allowing light to pass. Transoms—glass lites above a door—also permit light without letting someone easily see into a room.

Elegance

French doors offer the maximum flow of light and add elegance to executive offices or conference rooms. Opt for true divided or simulated divided lites. Stile and rail doors can be enhanced and customized with lites in configurations of your choosing. Side lites can create the appearance of a larger, more elegant door opening.

Quality

All of Masonite Architectural’s wood interior doors exhibit superior craftsmanship and integrity. With the Aspiro™ Series, you will find full lite or lite panel combinations featuring cope-and-stick joinery and custom profiles.Or choose Cendura™ Series flat panel MDF doors with glass inserts routed directly into the door.

When designing for school or office environments, or any location where people can benefit from natural light, consider how to incorporate glass into interior doors. Door lites offer infinite possibilities for style and function, letting you customize your project and delight clients.

Choosing Interior Doors for Healthcare Projects

On Jun 19, 2020 | masonite

Healthcare facilities face a range of challenges, from the pressure to reduce costs to dealing with pandemics. Designing a hospital or other healthcare facility requires an understanding of these demands and products that meet them. Great healthcare facility design—which includes great doors—makes a difference.

The AspiroTM door from Masonite Architectural can be customized to meet the intense demands of healthcare projects. Here we take a look at the aesthetic and performance benefits of Masonite’s AspiroTM series interior wood doors.

How Should Doors Perform in Healthcare Environments?

An article from Whole Building Design Guide explains how architectural design choices can be important factors for “attracting and retaining the best doctors and nurses, the most successful HMOs and insurance plans, and the most patients.” The author goes on to say, “An aesthetically pleasing facility is a key aspect of the perceived quality of care.” With that in mind, each design choice you make matters to the ultimate success of a healthcare facility.

Meeting construction client demands means limiting construction and design costs, and working on tight schedules, all while delivering a high quality result. You need interior doors that can meet many needs at once.

Doors Tough Enough for Healthcare Facilities

Doors in a hospital or healthcare facility need durability without being too heavy. Picture how people move around a hospital. Staff may walk very quickly, while patients with various ailments may move slowly. People are pushing carts, gurneys and wheelchairs, or carrying things. Nurses and orderlies might open doors by elbowing or kicking them.

To stand up to heavy use in a healthcare setting, an interior door needs:

Quality construction
The right core type
Durable surfaces

You can find many options for all three within the AspiroTM series.

Security Doors That Provide Attractive Openings

In healthcare facilities, people want to see evidence of security to feel safe, but the environment still has to feel welcoming. Features like security cameras and biometric locks enhance security, as do features of the doors themselves.

Attack resistant openings have become more and more in-demand, especially for public spaces. An attack resistant door opening will include:

A heavy-duty core
Shooter attack glass
A metal frame
High-quality hardware

Masonite Architectural incorporates all of these elements into its highly attractive and customizable AspiroTM doors.

Healthcare Door Features That Contribute to Calm Environments

Healthcare facilities must create a calming effect, both to encourage healing of patients and for the comfort of visitors. As a designer, you contribute to this effect though light, color and acoustics.

Each of these elements comes into play when choosing doors.

STC-rated doors reduce sound transfer
Laminate or paint color choices allow doors to fit into the perfect calming palette
Lite openings contribute to daylighting, which supports healing

AspiroTM doors offer numerous choices in each of these areas.

Hygiene and Interior Doors

Perhaps no element of healthcare facility design matters more than hygiene to reduce the spread of illnesses. Many bacteria and viruses can linger on surfaces, especially those that are used frequently and touched by many people—like interior doors.

These features reduce the chances that healthcare doors will spread germs:

Laminates allow for smooth, easy-to-clean surfaces
Clean edges eliminate areas where germs would get trapped
Automatic doors can reduce the need to touch them entirely

Masonite Architectural offers AspiroTM doors in a wide range of high-pressure decorative laminates (HDPL).

Placement of Doors in Healthcare Facilities

The placement of a door could have implications for the visibility of protected patient information, and therefore HIPAA compliance. Factors that affect visibility and potentially privacy may include:

Which ways the doors swings and the resulting sight lines
Whether the door contains lites and the type of glass used
Whether to place a door in a given opening at all

Masonite Architectural’s interior wood doors come in a broad range of choices, including aesthetic and performance features, making it possible to find all of the doors required for a healthcare project from one source.

Learn More About Masonite Aspiro™ Doors for Healthcare

Take a look at a project that used Masonite Architectural healthcare doors, Clarity Child Guidance Center, and use the DOORSELECTOR™ tool to learn more about options for AspiroTM doors.

Handling Wood Doors in the Field

On Jun 4, 2020 | masonite

Finding and specifying all of the elements for your construction project is only the beginning. You need to count on quality all the way through from buying to installation to help ensure a positive result for your clients. Wood interior doors require correct handling and installation to perform up to expectations and last as long as expected. Here we provide some insights on how to handle Masonite Architectural wood doors once they arrive at your job site.

1. Inspect Doors When You Receive Them

It’s always a good idea to inspect any assets as soon as you receive them, and doors are no exception. Because Masonite Architectural’s warranties do not extend to doors installed with obvious defects, check carefully for any freight damage. If you notice any damage, note it on the delivery receipt and notify your distributor immediately. We will take appropriate steps to address any issues.

2. Storage of Wood Doors

Timing is everything in a construction project and there is often a need to store one element temporarily while the project progresses to the right stage. When your wood interior doors arrive, store them flat on a level surface in a dry, well-ventilated location. Cover the doors to protect them from dirt, water, and abuse while allowing for air circulation under and around the stack.

Protect Doors from Discoloration

Cherry, mahogany, walnut, and certain other species of wood tend to discolor if exposed to sunlight or some artificial light sources. Protect doors in those species by also specifying that they be covered with opaque wrap. Some wood species, like oak, contain acids that react with ferrous metals, producing a dark blue-black stain. To avoid this result, keep steel wool or other metal materials away from raw wood doors.

Protect Doors from Heat and Humidity

Intense weather conditions wreak havoc on wood. We recommend storing wood doors at 30 to 50 percent relative humidity and 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not subject interior doors to conditions outside this range, as doing so could lead to cracks, warping, or other damage.

Humidity poses a threat to wood doors not just during storage but also following their installation. It is wise to wait until HVAC systems are installed, operating and balanced to make sure the environment isn’t too damp or too dry.

3. Installing Wood Doors

Anyone handling your wood doors should have clean hands or wear clean gloves. When moving the doors, do not drag one door across the surface of another. Instead, lift and carry each door to its new location. Or if available, use a panel dolly for stress-free maneuverability.

Installing Hardware

Follow manufacturer instructions for installing locks or other security devices. Details for installation of door hardware can be found on the Masonite Architectural website.

Installation of Fire-Rated Doors

white doors in hotel room

All fire-rated doors must be installed in accordance with NFPA-80 and must be pre-fit and machined by Masonite Architectural or other licensed machiners. While it is best not to cut doors for openings smaller than those for which they are manufactured, licensed machiners may bevel the stiles at the rate of 1/8″ in 2″ so proper clearance can be maintained.

The standard location for Intertek Testing Serve-Warnock Hersey (ITS-WH) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) fire-rated door labels is on the hinge stile of the door. It identifies the door as fire-rated. Do not remove, cover up, or paint over the metal fire label.

Do not trim the door lock stile with concealed or exposed intumescence. Doors may be undercut a maximum of 3/4″ from the bottom as long as clearances are maintained per NFPA-80.

Why Choose Factory Finished Doors?

While you can choose to finish doors in the field, it’s recommended that you have wood doors finished in the controlled environment of a factory. With Masonite Architectural, every door is matched to your specifications so you are not limited to a list of common finishes.

Choose from numerous stains and paints to match almost any color available. Factory finishing helps ensure consistency of color, texture and coating across your whole project. Our state-of-the-art spray systems with optimal flash-drying and cooling cycles help provide more durability than field-painted wood doors.

If you do choose to finish them in the field, use high quality finishing materials according to the finishing manufacturer’s directions. Always prepare wood doors before applying stain or topcoat. Keep in mind that any natural color variations in the veneer that exists prior to finishing will be accentuated after stain and finish are applied.

Finding the Right Doors for Every Part of Your Project

Masonite Architectural’s wide range of Aspiro and Cendura Series commercial wood doors, customizable to any look or requirement, allow you to specify all of your doors in one place. We are here to help with the entire process, from selecting to installing. For more detailed information, refer to WDMA I.S. 1A, Industry Standard for Architectural Wood Flush Doors.

3 Factors That Affect Hospital Door Durability

On May 5, 2020 | admin@freshy.press

Designing for healthcare, especially when it comes time to specify doors, comes with its own set of challenges. Institutional doors for healthcare facilities must stand up to intense wear and tear while also contributing to a hygienic environment, safeguarding patient privacy, and keeping noise levels down.

Healthcare facility clients may be budget-minded, but they will not want to sacrifice durability. The action moves fast in most healthcare facilities, especially hospitals. People rush from place to place, moving equipment and patients, sometimes in emergency situations. Doors must facilitate their important work, not hamper it. To ensure the doors you specify are durable to handle the client’s future use, consider the following factors.

1. Impact Edges for Healthcare Facility Doors

One of the keys to making a door highly durable is adding impact edges. With this simple feature, a wood door can withstand impact from stretchers or wheelchairs or gurneys, as well as frequent hard closings, without metal edges.

Masonite Architectural’s impact edge doors come in a wide range of solid colors and woodgrains, to maintain a uniform look. The vertical edges are completely smooth, so they don’t collect dirt and can be easily wiped down. They adhere to superior industry standards.

2. Impact Laminates and Surfaces for Healthcare Facility Doors

A high-impact laminate provides another protective feature, further guarding against daily abuse. It also adds a layer of toughness to the entire door while maintaining visual consistency.

To create the laminate, sheets of resin are bonded at high heat and pressure. The sheets are bonded to the door core, whether particleboard, composite lumber, or speciality cores designed for fire rating or radiation. The .05”-thick laminate faces with five-ply bonded construction and positive pressure fire rating up to 90 minutes.

3. Door Placement in a Healthcare Facility

How you place doors in a healthcare facility can affect the level of wear and tear they endure.

Doors can be strategically placed to allow for a large enough door for the opening to swing into a relatively small space. You must allow for accessibility by wheelchairs and gurneys and enough clearance for showers and toilets. When you can minimize the risk of doors being impacted by objects, you can increase their lifespan and functionality.

Other Considerations for Healthcare Doors

In addition to durability, there are several important factors of door performance to consider for commercial doors in healthcare facilities. An STC-rated door can reduce noise, improving patient privacy and enhancing their recovery.

Frosted glass can be incorporated into doors or used in sidelites and transoms to permit light while enhancing privacy.

Another important factor is safety. Clean-edge doors minimize bacterial growth and allow easy cleaning for infection prevention and control. Lead-lined doors meet safety requirements for rooms where x-ray machines and other imaging equipment reside.

Extensive veneer options introduce the warmth of natural aesthetic elements, which can improve patient comfort, mood and recovery.

Masonite manufactures highly functional doors with healthcare facilities in mind. Choose wood doors for patient rooms, offices, storage areas, imaging rooms, surgical units, and more all from one source. For inspiration, take a look at how a major hospital in Montreal benefited from Masonite Architectural doors.

Where to Specify Stile & Rail Doors in a School

On May 4, 2020 | admin@freshy.press

When specifying doors for a school or education facility, your first thoughts likely relate to safety and durability. While both factors are crucial to a successful education project, don’t overlook the chance to make choices based on aesthetics, too. Performance factors for school doors need not limit your creative vision or refined taste. Stile and rail doors combine both form and function, and make a statement in key areas of a school.

Read on for some inspiration about where to specify stile and rail doors in a school or education facility.

5 Places Where Stile and Rail Doors Can Make a Statement

Public schools often work from publicly approved budgets with little room for leeway, but private schools sometimes offer more opportunity for high-end features. Higher education buildings also tend to offer more allowance for some luxury touches.Regardless of the type of institution where your architectural school doors will be installed, think about spaces used primarily by adults. Spaces where meetings might be held with potential donors, for example, call for a more dignified appearance. Try specifying stile and rail doors for the following spaces:

Masonite Architectural stile and rail doors at university entrance.

1. Executive offices

When executives invite anyone—a parent, a donor, a colleague from another institution—into their office, the doors make a strong first impression. Embellish with sidelites, archtops, metal inlays, or other features to make these particular doors unique.

2. Conference rooms

As a location where school officials may host guests, in addition to conducting their own day-to-day business, conference rooms require a certain sophistication. A wood stile and rail door can welcome everyone to the start of a great meeting. Use double doors for a more stately look and to ease traffic flow.

3. Libraries

Ideally, the demeanor in a library is more studious and less rowdy than, say, a gymnasium. A library may pull double-duty as a space for receptions, book signings, and lectures, too. These are occasions where guests from outside the school community may visit, and school officials will want to put their best foot forward.

4. Arts venues

If a school is fortunate enough to have a theatre or art gallery, they will want it to look its best. Architectural doors leading into these spaces and connecting them with offices or corridors should look the part. A neutral paint color or custom stain can allow a wood door here to look elegant without stealing the show from the artwork.

5. Dormitories

For boarding schools, dormitory areas may play a role in the design. While doors to individual rooms and corridors need to stand up to heavy use and reduce sound transfer, you may want one or two high-end doors in central areas. These can make a strong impression for tours and parent visits.

Stile and Rail Doors Also Offer Performance Features

Stile and rail wood doors do more than look great. With their superior craftsmanship, they can last a long time. You can also find them with performance features like fire ratings, and STC ratings for acoustics. Combine your ideal colors, veneers, wood species and additional features to perfectly complement the rest of your education design project.

Even if you specify only a few stylish stile and rail doors for a given project, you can rest assured that Masonite can supply all of the different types of architectural wood doors you might need. After all, going to fewer suppliers for materials can reduce friction and costs. Remember Masonite Architectural for your next education project, and source all of your wood doors from one manufacturer you can trust.