REALITY BASED REMODELING: SMALL REMODELS WITH BIG IMPACT
Economical Therma-Tru® Doors Add Beauty, Functionality and Value to Homes
MAUMEE, OHIO (October 10, 2007) ― No matter how much the housing market ebbs and flows, some things remain constant for homeowners: the reality of repairs and the desire for improvements. Whether it’s replacing deteriorated doors or adding cosmetic touches to bring homes up-to-date, homeowners are discovering that even small remodeling projects can have a big impact on the style, functionality and value of their home.
Americans will spend nearly $233 billion on home remodeling this year, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Factors driving the remodeling market include the size and characteristics of today’s housing stock. With the average at 33 years of age and rising, older homes require more remodeling, both in terms of upgrading features to compete with new construction as well as maintaining their physical quality.*
While many homeowners may be hesitant to invest in a full-scale home overhaul, one of most economical investments can be a front entryway remodel. For example, research from Therma-Tru® Doors found that an enhanced entryway can add as much as $24,000 to a home’s perceived value.
"Installing a new entryway is a great way to upgrade your home and stay on-trend without breaking the bank," says Scott Phillips, vice president, marketing, Therma-Tru Doors. "In addition to adding functionality and energy-efficiency to one of the most-used areas of the home, it can enhance your home’s architectural style and provide greater curb appeal."
New Door Designer Visualization Tool
To help homeowners visualize what a new entryway can do for their home, Therma-Tru offers its new Web-based Door Designer technology that allows users to see how various door designs and combinations will look with their home’s architectural style. Users view online photos of Bungalow, Colonial, Victorian, Ranch, Country or European style homes and select the style that most resembles their own home. Then, using the technology, they "try on" several suggested entryway possibilities that complement the architecture and choose the door design they like best. The technology will be available on
www.thermatru.com/products/door-designer.
"Another trend driving remodeling is the importance homeowners are placing on the 'statement' their home gives to visitors," says James Carey. "In addition to asking for interesting door designs, people want decorative glass, doors with transoms, brass kick plates, and decorative door hardware. These kinds of things indicate that the owners have 'made it' and that their home is in style in relation to the rest of the neighborhood. The new Door Designer tool will help homeowners visualize all of the options to make their home stand out on the block."
Flexibility for Inflexible Replacement Projects
To meet homeowners’ desire for economical upgrades with beautiful aesthetics, Therma-Tru is offering new options within its Classic-Craft® Collection specifically designed for replacement and remodeling projects. Therma-Tru’s Classic-Craft Mahogany Collection™ door styles can now be ordered with 10" sidelites so homeowners can replace their 5'0" double entry doors with a 3'0" single door and decorative sidelites. The Mahogany Collection door styles, along with the entire Classic-Craft Collection, can be trimmed up to 1-1/4" on the top and the bottom of the door without the need to re-rail the door. The added trimmability gives more flexibility for difficult or settled openings.
Decorative Glass Designs for Curb Appeal
The trend of using decorative glass to create dramatic entryways with great curb appeal continues to grow. To meet this trend, Therma-Tru introduces five new decorative glass designs including Camino™, Augustine™ and Bella™ for its Classic-Craft product lines, and Blackstone™ and Salinas™ for the Fiber-Classic, Smooth-Star and steel door lines. What’s more, Therma-Tru has extended its popular Sedona and Wellesley™ decorative glass options to include its Fiber-Classic door line.
High Ceiling Solutions and Grand Entryways
To complement the growing popularity of higher ceilings and grand entryways, Therma-Tru introduces new 8'0" door styles including the Classic-Craft American Style Collection™ with matching sidelites; the Mahogany Collection™ with matching sidelites; the Rustic Collection™ full plank style; and the Smooth-Star embossed two-panel soft arch. The Classic-Craft American Style, Mahogany and Rustic Collections are designed using Therma-Tru’s patented AccuGrain™ technology which combines the look of real wood graining with the exceptional performance of fiberglass.
Customized Entryways with Distinctive Designs
The new ProEdge steel door line features high-definition panel embossing, an adjustable hinge plate, an easy slide-on bottom sweep and durable steel edge construction — all in the same door. The up and down adjustment of 5/16" in either direction (5/8" total) allows for an ideal fit between the door bottom and sill. The in-and-out adjustment of 1/8' in either direction (1/4" total) allows for ideal closing, latching, and sealing between the door, weatherstrip and frame keeper for maximum performance. The door also may be tilted in or out at the top or bottom. Adjustability allows for improved fit, operation and sealing.
Rustic yet Charming
Recognizing the importance of style and authentic details, Therma-Tru introduces new decorative accent hardware for its Classic-Craft® Rustic Collection™ including round and pyramid clavos and strap hinges. Designed for homes that reflect southwestern- or Mediterranean-inspired architecture, the hardware accents bring an authentic hand-hewn look to the Rustic Collection door styles. Therma-Tru has also added new flush-glazed full lite obscure sidelites to complement the Rustic Collection. The sidelites are available in Chinchilla, Granite and Rain glass and are designed to coordinate with two of Therma-Tru’s newest glass designs — Augustine™ and Camino™.
Protection From Harsh Weather Conditions
Weather protection is a must-have remodel for many homeowners. Now, remodelers can offer their customers protection from damaging weather and harsh conditions with the new Tru-Defense line of entry and patio doors. Tru-Defense is the new standard in high performance doors, components and certified systems, designed to work together to protect homes from severe weather. Therma-Tru’s Tru-Defense certified entry and patio door systems have an air, water and structural performance rating of DP-40 or higher. The doors are independently tested, and certified by the National Accreditation and Management Institute (NAMI).
For protection against severe weather, including hurricane-force winds, driving rain and flying debris, Therma-Tru offers a new line of impact rated entry products — Lip-Lite Impact Rated Glass and Opaque Impact Rated Doors. The frame of the Lip-Lite Impact Rated Glass is aesthetically pleasing and beautifully designed for Therma-Tru’s 6'8" and 8'0" Fiber-Classic®, Smooth-Star® and Steel door lines. Therma-Tru’s line of Opaque Impact Rated Doors is ideal for coastal areas that face tropical storms and hurricanes. The opaque doors have the highest structural ratings and designs include a steel plate underneath the skin for added strength and rigidity against hurricane force winds.
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.
* National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) 2007 Industry Forecast, May 2007.
CONTACT: Therma-Tru, Sara Theis, 419-891-7400 ext. 7426.
