front door serves many functions
for a homeowner: letting family
or friends in or out, protecting an
interior entrance area from weath-
er conditions, and either furthering a home's
architectural style or representing a standout
look. What homeowners may prioritize when
looking for an exterior door may vary, but de-
sign is often the frst place they start.
"We can never talk enough about entry
doors. It's the frst thing people see, and
it's just a really valuable part of somebody's
home," says John Monfore, product marketing
manager, JELD-WEN. "What we're seeing
is a move from steel toward fberglass for the
front entry door. Steel defnitely has its place
for security and looks, but people are moving
toward fberglass."
While material selection plays a role in de-
cision making, ProVia sees current trends that
may be refected in other aspects of a home
infuencing homeowner preferences. "I think
glass and hardware defnitely continue to pick
up, and we have made some adjustments in
our product oferings for glass caning as well
is in the decorative glass," says Phil Wengerd,
vice president of market strategies says. "For
many, many years, brass caning was kind of
the introduction of that whole thing, but that
has made a signifcant shift. We have added
several diferent fnishes to our oferings over
the past number of years and, in fact, even
intend to change that up a bit further in our
2016 program." He believes the kitchen and
bath industry likely plays a driving role in
the hardware fnishes consumers are seeing
and wanting.
Personalization is something homeowners
are seeking in other areas of the home as well,
and Kolbe's Product and Market Manager,
Lance Premeau, LEED Green Associate, sees
this continuing as a trend in the exterior door
market. "One of the things we're seeing is
obviously there's a sizable investment when
it comes to a good, high-quality front entry
Open to
Possibilities
Exterior door
manufacturers factor
in the power of curb
appeal and today's
visual society
By Kacey Larsen
A
PROVIA introduces an innovative fiberglass
entry door that provides a U-factor of 0.10 and is
2.5 in. thick. Embarq is available in a number of
styles, finishes, glass options and custom sizes.
Currently, it is only available through select
dealers. Circle 4 on inquiry card
56 September 2015 QR QualifiedRemodeler.com
PRODUCT TRENDS: Exterior Doors