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Explain Doors



Explain doors speaks to types of doors, weather resistant doors and thermal doors.

The various types of doors available for building construction. Doors fall into two categories, exterior and interior.

Weather resistance is usually the most important functional factor in choosing exterior doors, whereas resistance to the passage of sound, fire and smoke are frequently important criteria in the selection of interior doors. Many different modes of door operation are possible.

There are numerous types of exterior doors, solid entrance doors, entrance doors that contain glass, storefront doors that are mostly or entirely made of glass, storm doors, screen doors, vehicular doors for residential garages and industrial use, revolving doors and cellar doors to name just a few. To simplify our discussion, we will focus on swinging doors for both residential and commercial use.

In addition to the thermal properties of a glass in a window, the thermal conductivity of the frame and the leakage of the door unit have a very significant effects on the amount of energy that will be required to heat and cool the building.

Doors can leak significant quantities of heat by conduction through the material of the door. Foam core doors have better thermal performance than other types. The performance of any exterior residential door can be improved substantially by adding a storm door during the cold season of the year.

Air lock vestibules can limit the amount the amount of outside air that enters a building when the exterior door is open, as well as improve the comfort of building occupants in the vicinity of the vestibule. Revolving doors which maintain an air seal regardless of their position, are suitable alternatives to vestibules. All doors should be tightly weather stripped to limit loss of unconditioned air.

Often over looked but of prime importance to building air loss is the pressurization of the building relative to outside air pressure conditions. If the building is at too positive a pressure relative to outside, air will move from the building to outside. If the building is a too negative pressure relative to outside, air will move from the outside to inside the building.

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Wood Doors

Steel Flush Doors

Fire Doors

Access Doors

Door Safety

Door Structural Performance

Door Thermal Performance

Impact Resistant Doors

Blast Resistant Doors

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