Residential door market wide open

l-|IGH HOUSING production in

II recent years has resulted in a strong demand for residential doors for new construction and repair and remodeling. In 1986 a new market peak was reached with sales of eight million exterior doors and 37 million interior doors.

Projections for 1987 indicate about the same level of demand for exterior doors and a slight decline for interior doors. The 1987 housing start total will consist of a higher proportion of single family homes, which require more doors per house.

Hinged exterior doors for new construction have seen a shift in materials since 1979. Steel embossed doors have doubled in use and now account for 25oh of the market. These doors have a foam plastic core covered with steel faces pressed to simulate wood panels. They are energy eflicient and practically maintenance-free. The same is true for steel flush doors which have increased in demand from 3lolo to 38% of the market since 1979.

Wood flush exterior doors have felt the impact of steel competition and declined in sales from 4lolo to 28% since 1979. Wood panel doors, however, have kept their l0o/o market share in large measure due to new designs and the natural appeal of wood.

According to William Ruddick of the Simpson Door Company, Seattle, Wa., "Quality wood doors have a handcrafted beauty home buyers and remodelers prefer particularly for traditional styles of houses. Sales of our Mastermark wood doors have shown steady growth."

A newer product on the market combines most of the features of steel and wood doors. Doors made with compression molded fiber glass faces over a foam core have a realistic-looking wood grain and can be trimmed to fit openings and stained like wood doors. Nancy Roffey of Therma-Tru, which developed their Fiber-Classic door line four years ago, says, "There has been a tremendous interest in our doors and many of our customers are convinced this type of door will become dominant in the future."

Donald F. Spear, president,LSl Systems, estimates total demand for exterior doors for new construction will be four million in 1987. Added to this figure will be 3.6 million doors for repair and remodeling (the R and R market) and4.2 million for mobile homes. The R and R demand, a 160/o increase over 1985, is based on a strong resale market for existing houses. More than 500/o of owners repair or remodel their houses during the six-year period after they move in.

Story at a Glance

Demand near 8 million for exterior doors, 37 million for interiordoors . . steel preferred for new construction wood panel doors hold market share al 10o/o, dominate remodeling sales.

Unlike the new construction market, exterior wood doors for repair and remodeling have retained their predominate use primarily because they can be cut to fit existing door frames. Wood flush doors are expected to take 350/o of the market and wood panel doors, 240/o. Steel flush and embossed doors will have a 370lo share, with embossed doors having growth of l0o/o since 1979.

Total demand for interior passage and closet doors for new construction in 1987 is expected to reach 23 million. The R and R market will add 9.9 million, up 290/o from 1985.

For repair and remodeling of houses, wood flush and panel doors will remain the dominant doors used in 1987 with two-thirds of the market. Closet doors also will be about two-thirds wood.