UGLY DOORS WIN BEAUTIFUL PRIZES
Therma-Tru ® Awards Entry and Patio Door Makeovers to Winners of its Fourth Annual "Ugliest Door in America" Contest
MAUMEE, Ohio (August 25, 2008) — With the help of over 4,000 online
votes of Americans coast to coast, Therma-Tru Doors has awarded
glamorous entry door transformations valued at up to $5,000 to the two
winners of its fourth annual "Ugliest Door in America" contest.
Scott and Cat Eidness of Auburn, Wash., won in the essay category for
their home’s disgustingly decrepit entry door, and Gina Nelson of
Burleson, Ill., won in the video category for her pathetically poor
patio door. Both will receive Therma-Tru door makeovers in a door style
to complement their homes’ architectural styles.
This year Therma-Tru invited homeowners to submit their entries for
"America’s Ugliest Door" in a choice of two formats – either a written
essay with door photos or a one-minute video describing why they
deserved to win a new entry or patio door system from Therma-Tru.
Visitors were then offered the opportunity to view the 10 contest
finalists online at myuglydoor.com, post their comments and vote for
their top picks in each category. Winners were determined from more
than 200 entries, 4,100 votes and 809 comments.
"A
beautiful door says a lot about the owners’ pride in their home and
creates a welcoming first impression for all who enter," says Sara
Theis Alcroft, public relations manager, Therma-Tru Doors. "Every year
the winners just can’t get over the difference a new door makes in the
functionality, appearance and curb appeal of their home."
Research shows that besides remodeling a kitchen or
bath, few other upgrades can increase the perceived value of a home as
much as a new entry door. According to a national home valuation study
conducted by TNS, an independent research organization, simply
installing a new Therma-Tru entryway door has been shown to increase
the perceived value of a home by more than $24,000 on average.
No Longer Will "The Ants Come Marching In"
In her video entry, Gina Nelson provided a point-by-point demonstration
of each malfunctioning aspect of her ugly patio door. In addition to
showing how she has to use vice grips to open the door (because the
latch fell off) she showed its cloudy, damaged glass and the holes
below where the ants come marching in. In addition, the door is in such
bad shape that the kids have to go out the front door to get to the
backyard so they can play. "Thank you, thank you Therma-Tru — I’m so
excited," Nelson said upon learning she’d won.
Say Goodbye to Broken Windows and Screens
Scott
and Cat Eidness provided a written plea along with photos of their
incredibly ugly original door, the top of which is so cracked that they
can see light and feel a draft, even when the door is closed. They had
started to refinish the door in 2004 (when one window broke) but Scott
developed Leukemia mid-project. Meanwhile, the door’s broken windows
caused incidents of flying keys and shoes, plus a broken screen. Today
the couple, in addition to being thankful that Scott is now remission,
looks forward to receiving their door makeover.
Cat
Eidness said she had tried not to get her hopes up too much, but was
"stunned" to learn she and Scott had won the contest. In addition to
looking forward to a better-looking door, they were happy to learn that
its energy-efficient construction will help them save on heating bills
in their Washington state climate.
Therma-Tru’s fiberglass
doors offer five times the insulation of a wood door — something all of
the winners will likely appreciate, especially with winter coming.
Therma-Tru door systems are ENERGY STAR qualified and certified by the
National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC), helping homeowners save
money on energy costs and protect the environment through superior
energy efficiency. In fact the average
R-value (measure of thermal resistance) of a Therma-Tru fiberglass door is almost as insulating as the wall of an average home.
Makeover Magic
All
winning homeowners will soon enjoy beautiful new entry and patio doors
that welcome, not frighten their guests. In the coming months,
Therma-Tru will work with the homeowners to replace their ugly doors
with low-maintenance fiberglass entry door systems. The new fiberglass
doors won’t rot, swell or peel like their current doors and will
increase the curb appeal of each home.
To see the entries online and view the posted comments, visit myuglydoor.com.
About Therma-Tru
Therma-Tru Doors is
the nation’s leading manufacturer and most preferred brand of
fiberglass and steel exterior door systems. Founded in 1962, Therma-Tru
pioneered the fiberglass entry door industry, and today offers a
complete portfolio of entry and patio door system solutions, including
decorative glass doorlites, sidelites and transoms, and door
components. Therma-Tru, headquartered in Maumee, Ohio, is part of
leading consumer brands company Fortune Brands Inc. (NYSE: FO). For
more information on Therma-Tru Doors, visit www.thermatru.com or call
(800) 537-8827.
CONTACT: Therma-Tru, Sara Theis Alcroft, 419-891-7400 ext. 7426
.
