Vinyl Doors Key Terms

Understand vinyl door terminology to make smarter business choices

By Howard Robertson

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.

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