West Texas Doors

Industry Leader for Installation, Service and Parts

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The underappreciated joy of the smooth-opening/closing door.

In our last blog, we closed with the line “All’s well that shuts and closes well!” We were referring to the shuttering of a particular company we had profiled, but today we’re taking the line literally: any door that shuts and closes well is likely an unappreciated door taken for granted! Put another way, a door that doesn’t operate smoothly is immediately obvious to any user and a gnawing nuisance to a homeowner. That’s because we’ve simply come to expect unerring craftsmanship in modern door making. Recently, certified FenestrationMaster Jim Snyder shared his views on what’s behind the smooth-operating door.

For many reasons, door installation demands precision and durability. Any compromise is noticeable. Aligning and securing the frame comprises about 98 percent of a door’s operation and installation endurance. If done correctly, the panel(s) should fall in place.

The threshold and sill are the “foundation,” spacing the side jambs accurately apart, yet tying them together. It also sheds or weeps out rainwater. In the case of sliding doors, the threshold must also manage the extreme weight of the door panels, all while enduring regular foot traffic. In addition to including a sill pan, the base should be level, flat, and provide continuous rigid support for the entire sill.

The side jambs of swinging and sliding doors are structurally different. Side jambs are the workhorses for swinging doors. All of the door panel weight is suspended through hinges on one side jamb. Alignment is managed by controlling the pull on the top hinge and the push against the bottom hinge. This floats the panel within the doorframe, which should just graze over the threshold when closed. The center hinge, a fairly neutral job, helps vertically support the panel weight.

The head jamb, like the threshold, spaces yet ties together the side jambs. The threshold positioning predetermines whether the head jamb is level end-to-end. Yet, the overall span may not be flat without additional shimming and anchoring. The finished result for a “swinger” should be a reasonable closing effort and a consistent reveal on the sides and top between the jambs and door panel.

Sliders usually offer adjustable rollers on the door panel, not to compensate for an out-of-square frame but to align the panel to an already-squared frame. The panel should roll easily with consistent effort and meet the latch jamb equally throughout the vertical length.

How do you know it’s done right? A properly installed door literally feels and sounds right when closing.  

Then again, for the absolute finest in commercial and residential new door products, service, and accessories, you could call West Texas Doors, South Texas’s complete door experts. All’s well that shuts and closes well!

West Texas Doors 103 Flecha Lane Laredo, TX 78045

Toll Free: 1-888-753-0711

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Hangar doors: Plenty to talk about.

The topic of hangar doors always seems to generate discussion. Even on our own website, we mention that hangar doors “are the subject of deep debate and often the source of much pain and frustration.”

Recently, we checked into an online discussion about this very matter. The moderator stated that he was trying to gather information on bi-fold, hydraulic, and sliding doors, expressing his desire to hear what were the good points and the least favorite attributes regarding hangar doors.

The first respondent spoke of sliding hangar doors, which often have bottom tracks that can be an issue. The man mentioned a situation involving T-hangars at his California airport location that had protruding 1⅛-inch high rails that required he and his fellow pilots to build little ramps to get their airplanes over the newer height hump. Fortunately, this tale had a happy ending: it turned out the hangar contractor was trying out a new design. “When we all went nuts, the city had the contractor remove the high rails and install the ‘normal’ ½-inch rails.”

Another discussion participant extolled the virtues of the Schweiss bi-fold door: “It even has a remote control to open the door as you approach it on a miserable day. Mine has been operating for five years with no issues, even in cold Maine winters.”

An endorser of a 60’ wide x 20’ tall HydroSwing door cited positives plus one big negative about the product, liking how it doesn’t impinge on neighboring hangars, like sliding doors will do, as well as its “significant rain canopy” when the door is open. On the negative, the man noted a distressing downer: the company is no longer in business! To this, the moderator came to the rescue, saying that though HydroSwing had indeed closed its doors, several of its employees had banded together and started their own company. All’s well that…shuts and closes well!  

For the absolute finest in commercial and residential new door products, service, and accessories, call West Texas Doors, South Texas’s complete door experts.

West Texas Doors 103 Flecha Lane Laredo, TX 78045

Toll Free: 1-888-753-0711 Email: [email protected] Web: www.westtexasdoors.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/westtexasdoors

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Misconceptions about automatic doors.

As with many elements of life, misinformation occasionally gets mixed in with the truth, creating confusion and mistaken beliefs about a subject. Such is the case with automatic doors and their installation. One would imagine that revolving doors faced the same scrutiny back in the late 1800s when they were first introduced to the public. Here are a few of the more common misconceptions about automatic doors today:

The original cost of automatic doors is high. They are more economical than people believe. Factors such as life cycle costing and energy savings are often overlooked by potential buyers during pre-purchase evaluations. Another factor to consider is how many customers do you lose because your competitors have automatic doors and you do not? Properly maintained and serviced automatic doors run smoothly for years and pay for themselves in convenience and energy savings.

Automatic doors are not as safe as manual doors. With over 50 billion safe automatic door openings and closings every year in the United States alone, automatic doors hold an exceptional safety record. Significantly, millions of Americans are disabled and the number grows as baby boomers age. The Americans with Disabilities Act guarantees that handicapped people are properly and safely served. Automatic doors do what manual doors cannot do for people with packages or the disabled.

Automatic doors lose heat, air conditioning. In fact, automatic doors reduce wasted energy and may significantly lessen annual heating and cooling costs. Automatic doors eliminate the chance that doors are left open plus they close completely. This is especially true in high-trafficked areas with simultaneous entry and exit. In addition, a number of low energy door models are available.

Automatic doors are too costly to maintain. According to the American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers (AAADM), automatic doors are manufactured to the highest standards for quality and safety, ensuring minimal maintenance requirements. The key to proper maintenance is purchasing the type and design best suited for your location, along with the assistance of qualified professionals familiar with your location’s traffic flow conditions, types of users, and the facility’s image concerns.

For the finest in commercial and residential new door products, service, and accessories, call West Texas Doors, South Texas’s complete door experts.

 West Texas Doors 103 Flecha Lane Laredo, TX 78045

Toll Free: 1-888-753-0711

Email:

[email protected]

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Lack of quality manpower hits windows, doors manufacturing.

Door and Window Market Magazine’s Jim Plavecsky recently wrote about an unsettling topic among the fenestration crowd: the shortage of quality manpower within the window and door manufacturing industry.

In his travels and discussions with customers, Plavecsky routinely came across discouraging comments like the following ones from manufacturers: “Young people just don’t have the strong work ethic that we had growing up.” Another one: “They come in here and want a high wage without proving themselves.”

One plant manager told Plavecsky that he had hired 40 new employees and 20 of them were gone after the first three days. All but eight exited after a month. “Some of them just walked off the job,” the manager said. “They just could not handle working.”

One interesting revelation that came to light was that some manufacturers have even been forced to soften drug-testing requirements. “We had to stop random drug testing,” exclaimed one manufacturer. “We were losing too many employees and facing a severe shortage of trained workers.”

Another manufacturer revealed that they had relaxed their drug-testing policy to permit a positive result for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. “We would have had to fire half our workforce if we enforced drug testing to include THC, so we now only screen for hardcore drugs.”

What is the solution? Plavecsky cited three possibilities:

1) Add employee incentives to attract a higher caliber of worker.

2) Invest in automation, thereby reducing the manufacturing personnel necessary to run the operation.

3) Outsource fabrication of components wherever possible.

Plavecsky urges incorporation of all three of the above in unison to maximize productivity, quality, and profit. Utilizing the proper mix of motivated manpower, automation, and outsourcing, he says, should ease the challenge of finding sufficient quality labor.

 The door industry has come a long way, and the same can be said for our company. For the finest in commercial and residential new door products, service, and accessories, call

West Texas Doors

, South Texas’s complete door experts.

West Texas Doors 103 Flecha Lane Laredo, TX 78045

Toll Free: 1-888-753-0711 Email: [email protected] Web: www.westtexasdoors.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/westtexasdoors

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Survey Reveals What Consumers Think of Automatic Doors.

An on-line polling survey conducted by the American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers (AAADM) reveals the importance of commercial automatic doors in a variety of locations. The polling company Survey Sampling undertook the consumer study.

Survey participants were asked to assess the level of significance they placed on automatic doors at numerous public locations: hospitals, airports, hotels/motels, shopping mall entrances, retail stores, government buildings, office buildings, colleges and universities, full service restaurants, and fast food restaurants. In every category except for fast food restaurants, the majority of those surveyed reported that automatic doors are “somewhat important” to “most important.”

The following were ranked in order of importance in respondents’ views, along with the percentage of those polled supporting that location:

Hospitals — 98.2%

Airports — 94.9%

10. (last)  Fast food restaurants — 40.9%

 Accessibility was ranked highest in terms of the most important features of an automatic door. Safety came in a close second.

Most respondents felt that automatic doors are a convenience that should be offered by businesses. Many said that automatic doors are especially important because they show good customer service and provide access for the elderly, handicapped, and those with children in hand. The number of consumers expressing a preference for automatic doors over manual doors topped out at a whopping 98.9 percent.

Of those polled in the mid-2000s survey, many felt that the most conspicuous disadvantage of manual doors is that they are too hard to push open, especially with full hands or while pushing a stroller. When participants were asked to name specific locations where automatic doors are essential yet not usually present, shopping malls, hotels/motels, and post offices were mentioned the most. An overwhelming majority, 84 percent, stated they prefer sliding automatic doors to bi-fold, swinging, and rotating designs. The survey’s universal sample indicated that it was most important that automatic doors be present at hospitals. Surprisingly, the survey failed to poll health reasons as a concern. Manual door handles in public locations are notorious for the enormity of germs they contain.

The door industry has come a long way, and the same can be said for our company. For the finest in commercial and residential garage door products, service, and accessories, call West Texas Doors, South Texas’s complete door experts.

West Texas Doors 103 Flecha Lane Laredo, TX 78045

Toll Free: 1-888-753-0711 Email: [email protected] Web: www.westtexasdoors.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/westtexasdoors

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Door Security...Looking Ahead.

A recent article in an industry trade publication dealt with a topic worth passing along to our readers: door security…and how different it has become from installations of the past.

A man invited to inspect an older home under renovation noticed the homeowner had placed a preference on security—even over energy efficiency. Prior to installing his new doors, wiring was run throughout the whole house to every opening so each port of entry/exit could receive an alarm. The owner was prioritizing over product beauty, style, and efficiency.

The awareness and importance of door security, the article notes, is increasing significantly in North America as a result of European influence. To amplify the security of doors, building owners are becoming increasingly interested in multipoint locking systems. The combination of hooks and shoot bolts—well worked in Europe—offers an unprecedented level of defense. Multipoint locking systems not only increase security but also improve weather resistance and reduce the inclination for doors to warp, as every portion of the door—top, bottom, and middle—is clamped securely into place.

Looking down the road at entry door systems, keep an eye on the advancements of biometric technology, which uses distinctive and measurable identifiers to recognize individuals, who are then placed into a “trusted access group.” Your door can be programmed to allow yourself and those trusted others to unlock your door by encoding fingerprints into the door’s locking system. Other biometric characteristics also in use employ facial recognition, iris identification, palm prints, and even voice recognition. Current video play stations even utilize the method. One popular brand scans the user’s body and face into its system, creating on-screen likenesses that are astonishingly real.

The timeworn play on an old phrase “these aren’t your grandfather’s doors anymore!” has a place in the conversation. A level of technological sophistication has begun to influence future fenestration design and performance.

The door industry has come a long way, and the same can be said for our company. For the finest in commercial and residential garage door products, service, and accessories, call West Texas Doors, South Texas’s complete door experts.

West Texas Doors 103 Flecha Lane Laredo, TX 78045

Toll Free: 1-888-753-0711 Email: [email protected] Web: www.westtexasdoors.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/westtexasdoors

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How the Garage-Door Remote Came About.

Garage doors and garage door remotes go hand-in-hand. The remote’s transmitter sends a signal to the motor inside the garage that instructs the door to open and close. The invention of these devices has made access to our garages decidedly easier, freeing us from physically lifting a heavy door. But when did these changes come about? And who were the brains behind them?

First things first. Before there could be an electric garage door opener, there had to be a folding overhead garage door. Ironically both inventions were the product of the same man: C.G. Johnson of Hartford City, Indiana, founder of the Overhead Door Corporation—a company that has been in business for more than 90 years—created the overhead door in 1921 and followed that with his electric garage door opener in 1926.

A 1931 article in the magazine Popular Science attributes the development of the garage-door remote to two competing companies, one in Spokane, Washington, the other in Illinois, without specific reference to either by name. The article opens: “When you drive home late at night, there is no need to step from the car into a cold wind or a driving rain to open the garage doors. Instead, touch an inconspicuous button on your instrument board—and radio opens the doors for you.”

Both developments involved extensive mechanics. The Illinois system, in addition to two insulated radio antenna wires fastened beneath the car, also required the services of a second antenna buried in the driveway. The Washington inventors concentrated on addressing possible car theft with their creation, which depended on having a receiver tuned to respond only to the particular wave length broadcast by the spark coil on the car, instead of to coded radio impulses.

As garage door openers became increasingly popular and widely available, a predictable problem arose: Not only did a person open their garage door, they opened their neighbor’s garage door as well. While the garage door remote is low in power and in range, it was powerful enough to interfere with other receivers in the area. To rectify the shared frequency problem, multicode systems were developed.

But the overhead-door dilemma wasn’t just about frequencies. The issue of safety surfaced from the outset with the fascination held by little children for automatic garage doors. It was reported that at least 85 children in the United States had died or suffered permanent brain damage between 1974 and 1995, in accidents involving automatic garage door openers. The situation led the U.S.’s Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 1993, to pass a law requiring that all garage doors be equipped with photoelectric sensors and pressure-sensitive sensors.

We’ve come a long way, baby, as the saying goes. And the same can be said for our company. For the finest in commercial and residential garage door products, service, and accessories, call West Texas Doors, South Texas’s complete door experts.

West Texas Doors 103 Flecha Lane Laredo, TX 78045

Toll Free: 1-888-753-0711 Email: [email protected] Web: www.westtexasdoors.com

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