Adding Security Features to Wood Doors in Office Construction

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.

1. 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.

2. 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.

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

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). 

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

Simplifying Door Selection Start-to-Finish

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.