Vinyl Doors Education and Training

Match a vinyl door to various applications
By Marjorie Gilbert 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.

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

• 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.