Vinyl is a material that lends itself to doors, be they vinyl entry doors, vinyl French doors, vinyl interior doors, vinyl garage doors or even a vinyl sliding door. The vinyl door can be a good choice, economically, in that they are often less expensive than fiberglass, wood, or steel doors without being less secure.

However, it's important to match the right vinyl door to the proper application—something that is an important part to vinyl doors education and training. Below, you will find information that will describe the various vinyl door types so that you will be able to properly select a vinyl door. This will help you when you speak with a vinyl door seller when you buy a vinyl door.

1. Learn about vinyl interior doors.

2. Explore various vinyl entry doors.

3. Understand vinyl garage doors and their variations.

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Educate yourself about interior vinyl doors and fire rated vinyl doors

Start your vinyl doors education and training with interior vinyl doors. Vinyl interior doors can have the look of wood without the cost. These doors can be quite plain, have multiple panels like traditional wood doors, be bi-fold or even have mirrors affixed on one or both sides. Another important fact is that these vinyl doors can, depending on the types of cores these interior vinyl doors possess, have fire ratings of ranging from 20 to 40 minutes. Proper installation, as specified by the manufacturer, is important to retain these fire ratings.

I recommend: Jeld-Wen is a good resource for vinyl doors education and training because it provides very thorough information about the doors. The website details not only the dimensions, but also a discussion about fire ratings for each door and the various door cores. You can also read more at Information on Fire-Rated Doors.

Learn about vinyl entry doors

Vinyl entry doors also have a number of variations, just as the vinyl interior door. In this category are vinyl screen doors, the vinyl sliding door, vinyl patio doors and vinyl French doors. The vinyl entry door may have a vinyl door canopy, but that depends on the vinyl door manufacturer. Whatever the style of the vinyl entry door, each door must meet certain specifications, some of which depend on the municipality where you live. For example, Florida has strict requirements for doors and windows, stating they must be able withstand winds of 150 miles per hour as well as be impact resistant.

I recommend: Ebuild Guide to Entry Door Specifications is a helpful article. PGT Industries includes information about building codes for various states on their website under the "Performance" tab.

Obtain education regarding vinyl garage doors

As with vinyl entry doors, vinyl garage doors require some scrutiny. Whether or not they come with windows or just possess decorative panels, they need to meet certain requirements for wind resistance and water resistance.

I recommend: "Wind-Resistant Garage Doors" and "Storm-Ready Home: Storm-Ready Garage Doors" are two good articles that explore the necessary strength of garage doors.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Check the building codes in your area concerning the regulations for entry and garage doors. You may find that, in some parts of the country, the garage doors need to meet a certain requirement for strength and impact resistance. If the vinyl garage doors don't come with the proper reinforcement, you may have to purchase a retrofit reinforcement kit.

Vinyl doors are sleek and sturdy, and come in a variety of sizes, colors and price points. For construction and building projects, capitalize on customer interest in energy efficiency and affordability when selecting vinyl garage doors, vinyl entry doors and vinyl sliding doors. You won't sacrifice beauty and durability. Today's vinyl door manufacturer supplies vinyl French doors and vinyl interior doors with the look of wood finishes, and uses state-of-the-art technology to produce vinyl exterior doors that can handle the roughest weather.

Don't forget other vinyl door and entryway products, such as vinyl door awnings for businesses and vinyl canopy extensions for mobile homes and patios. In warehouses and on delivery docks, vinyl strip doors shield workers, goods and machinery from dirt, weather and fumes and allow affordable climate control options. When purchasing vinyl doors and vinyl door products, consider:

1. New designer choices in vinyl interior doors.

2. Energy savings and durability in exterior products such as vinyl patio doors, vinyl garage doors, vinyl screen doors and vinyl door awnings.

3. Options for vinyl strip doors and other industrial vinyl door products.

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Boost home sales by including innovative vinyl interior doors

Customers expect doors that will conform to their design needs and personal preferences. Where vinyl doors were once selected on a cost basis alone, new options now offer a full range of design solutions for added value at little added cost.

I recommend: Milgard Windows & Doors sells the Style Line vinyl sliding door, which features a thin frame suitable for contemporary decor or a grid window design popular with traditional customers. Find beautiful and durable kitchen cabinet doors coated in vinyl Thermofoil at Map Doors, Inc.

Look for durability, energy efficiency and affordability in exterior vinyl doors

Today's vinyl patio doors and garage doors offer affordable, high-quality security options. Modified vinyl doors supply protection against hurricane winds and flying debris.

I recommend: Gorell vinyl swing patio doors boast a 3-point lock system for extra security and tight seal. EverDoor advertises its vinyl garage doors as "virtually kidproof." PGT Industries WinGuard vinyl doors are built to withstand high winds and block UV rays.

Choose vinyl door products to embellish and protect entryways and patios

A vinyl door canopy or patio canopy adds value and saves energy by blocking sun where shade trees and landscaping aren't an option. Vinyl door canopies transform business entrances into an extension of the interior, protecting customers from bad weather and offering space for advertising.

I recommend: SunSetter's patented retractable vinyl door awnings lower temperatures by 20 degrees and offer UV protection. Find Delta Awnings in a choice of vinyl colors, affordably priced and with a 5-year guarantee, at CheapAwnings.com. Order custom-designed Art Tech backlit vinyl awnings for your business from AwningPros.com.

Determine your needs before selecting vinyl strip doors

Vinyl strip doors come in a variety of weights. When selecting a product, consider the longevity required, the typical stress of use, fragility of the vinyl door, level of dust and noise and the required fireproof platform.

I recommend: Compare the quality of Steel-Scrim vinyl developed by Steel Guard Safety Products to regular vinyl laminate. Uline offers vinyl strip door kits in a variety of sizes, as well as replacement rolls.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Modified vinyl doors qualify for Energy Star savings, a popular selling point with customers.

As the name indicates, vinyl doors are manufactured using thermo-formable vinyl foils. These doors are suitable for various domestic, commercial and industrial applications, as they are lightweight and inexpensive as compared to other types of doors. In addition, vinyl doors come in different surface finishes, such as gloss, satin and textured.

While searching for information for vinyl doors, you will come across technical terms that indicate their types or properties. To select the most suitable vinyl door for your application, you must understand the meaning behind these technical terms. This guide will give you a basic understanding of key terms, such as vinyl strip doors, lamiwood doors, R-value and U-value.

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Vinyl strip doors

Vinyl strip doors speed the movement of materials between two areas, with the operator not needing to be hassled by opening doors, holding them and moving goods through them.

I recommend: To learn more about vinyl strip doors, you can read through the information at USAgNET.com. You can also get more information about vinyl strip doors at Bargain Enterprises / Garage Door Parts, LLC, a manufacturer of strip doors.

Vinyl patio doors

Because patio doors are exposed to environmental changes and wear out easily, a vinyl patio door is an exellent choise because they are resistant to moisture and require low maintenance.

I recommend: wiseGEEK, an online knowledge resource, offers an informative article about vinyl patio doors.

Lamiwood doors

Lamiwood doors have an aluminum oxide coating, making these doors scratch-proof and wear resistant. In addition, these doors can have decorative papers on both sides, adding to its overall aesthetics.

I recommend: You can read through detailed information on lamiwood at Mitchell Laminates (PDF), a reputable vendor for cabinet making and kitchen manufacturing companies.

R-value (also called resistance value)

R-value indicates the thermal resistance of a material. Before buying a vinyl door you can evaluate the requirement of thermal insulation for your application. The higher the R-value, the greater will be the thermal resistance of the material.

I recommend: You can read through detailed information on R-value at RoofHelp.com, an online knowledge resource.

U-value

This specification indicates the number of BTUs that will pass through each square foot of area of a door per hour, per degree Fahrenheit difference from one side of the unit to the other. This specification is important in the doors for applications in the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) field.

I recommend: Home Energy Magazine provides a glossary of technical terms, such as R-value and U-value.

Rigid vinyl

Rigid vinyl is a category of vinyl material that is useful for manufacturing weather strips. A weather strip is fitted at the base of a door to force water away from the door panels.

I recommend: Meloche Windows & Doors, a reputable supplier of windows and doors, offers a glossary of window and door terms.

Vinyl doors pricing and costs vary widely depending on the style and size of the door, as well as additional features, such as a vinyl door canopy or a vinyl pet door, and whether or not you choose to have the door professionally installed. Vinyl entry doors are a common choice, since the materials are attractive, high quality and durable to weather.

A vinyl door manufacturer typically offers several styles of vinyl doors, in addition to various window models. Vinyl screen doors generally occupy the lower end of the cost spectrum, and can usually be found for under $200, while vinyl French doors and multi-panel sliding doors for large patios are the most expensive, costing $1000 or more for premium styles and large sizes.

When estimating vinyl doors pricing and costs, consider the following mail types of vinyl doors:

1. Find vinyl doors on a budget when buying screen doors or entry doors;
2. Pay more for options like pet entries on your vinyl doors;
3. Get high quality and style with vinyl patio doors.
   

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Get vinyl screen doors for versatile functionality and cost effectiveness

Vinyl screen doors are one of the most cost effective options for buying vinyl doors, and feature a vinyl frame with screen panels. Vinyl screen doors feature a number of different style and color options to match the decor of your building, and can be installed like any standard size entry door, allowing you to cut the cost of professional installation.

I recommend: The Home Depot provides a wide selection of vinyl screen doors ranging from $100 to $200. You can also find vinyl screen doors at Ace Hardware Superstore, where a smaller variety of doors are priced under $200.

Find vinyl doors that provide safe and convenient pet access

While you can expect to pay more for add-ons like a vinyl door canopy or vinyl pet door, a number of vinyl door styles offer the option of a pre-installed pet door, sometimes for as little as $100-$200 more than the price for standard doors of the same style and size. Vinyl pet doors are easy to maintain and vinyl doors that contain a pet door offer simple installation by adding a screen entry door or replacing an existing door.

I recommend: PETCO Animal Supplies sells premium quality vinyl doors with pet entry for $350-$600. You can find additional pet door options from Patio Pacific for $300 to $400.

Purchase a vinyl sliding door to fit any size wall

Vinyl patio doors are the most common type of vinyl door used by homeowners and businesses, and are commonly used for their ability to cover large amounts of wall space, provide natural light and an open atmosphere, and offer access to outdoor areas. In addition to fulfilling a wide variety of design needs, vinyl patio doors provide the most price variance of any vinyl door style, and may cost anywhere from $200 for the most basic styles to $1500 or more for the largest sizes.

I recommend: Lowe's offers vinyl patio doors ranging from $200 for basic styles and small sizes up to $600 for wider doors and extra styling features. House of Windows also offers a range of sliding door models from $500 to $1600 depending on the width and number of panels. Prices do not include professional installation for sliding doors, which is typically needed.