Fiberglass Doors Make Their Stand

Fiberglass entry door systems continue to gain popularity and respect in the home building industry as today's distributors, builders and remodelers make the switch from wood and steel doors to the high-performance fiberglass materials that deliver style and durability.

"We sell fiberglass doors 50-toone compared to wood doors," said

Dave Viall, Warren Window & Supply, Rapid City, S.D. "Nowadays, the only reason people purchase wood doors is for historical purposes."

According to Recent research by Therma-Tru Doors attributes the growth in fiberglass to homeowners' desire for high-performance, advanced materials that outlast and out-perform their old-fashioned counterparts. They reportedly are frustrated with the maintenance requirements and poor performance that plague wood and steel doors.

As front entry doors are replaced, wood was replaced 587o of the time, primarily to improve the appearance of the home.

Durability and energy efficiency were the two features given most frequently for selecting a particular type of door. But, for higher-end entry doors. style became a more important factor. Homeowners purchased a fiberglass front door because: o 37Vo said it was more attractive than wood or steel.

627o said it would be more durable than other types.

. 3|Vo thought it would be more energy efficient than other types.

. 31Vo said it had features other door types did not.

Patio doors, in particular, are evolving with the advent of fiberglass patio doors, which raises the bar for performance for all patio products. Fiberglass' share of the patio market today is less than 5Vo,but it is growing very quickly. It doubled in 2OO2 and again in 2003.

The performance of fiberglass is driving the shift from aluminum and wood, but at a much faster pace than the shift occurred for entry doors. The patio door market will be 4.16 million units by 2006, totaling a more than $2 billion opportunity.

News Briefs

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(5+ units) was at a 281,000 pace ... permits dropped 8.2Vo to a rate of 1.924 million

Formica Co. has emerged from Chapter II bankruptcy ...

Simpson Strong-Tie, San Leandro. Ca.. has launched Structural Report, a quarterly newsletter on structural systems and safety

US Plastic Lumber Corp. has filed for Chapter 1 I bankruptcy protection

Port Townsend Lumber Co.'s vacated 15,000-sq. ft. building in Port Townsend. Wa.. was sold to No Wine Left, Kirkland, Wa., July I for $1 million

Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, Wa., agreed to sell 304,000 acres of Georgia timberland for $404 million to Virginia Forest Investment LLC, Hogansville and Macon. Ga.: Southern Timber Consultants LLC, Perry, Ga.; Georgia Fall Line Properties LLC, Greensboro, Ga. , and Copper Station Holdings No.3, Beaufort, s.c. ...

Weyerhaeuser is offering preemployment ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) training to help improve speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in English, plus interviewing and leadership skills, GED test preparation, and an introduction to working in the sawmill environment ... Weyco is partnering with Oregon 4-H to run a forest science program at a Salem, Or., summer camp for young Latinos

Lanoga Corp., Redmond, Wa., was named the top private company in the state by Washington CEO magazlne

Jeld-Wen, Bend, Or., led this year's list of Oregon Business magazine's top 150 private corporations in Oregon

Universal Forest Products, Inc. was named one of the top 50 U.S. manufacturers by Industry Week magazrne...

Trex Co. was ranked 9l in Fortune Small Business magazine's annual list of the 100 fastest srowing small companies in the U.-S. ...

New Web sites: Fontana Wholesale Lumber, Fontana, Ca., www. fontanawholesalelumber. com ... Brite Manufacturing Inc., www.britemfg.com ...

Anniversaries: Westridge Forest Products, Beaverton, Or., 10th.

Activists Protest Timber Sale

Four protesters were arrested July 28 for blocking a road that led to a Biscuit fire salvage sale on the west side of the Siskiyou National Forest in Oregon. The protesters were opposed to the Indi Salvage sale in the Gold Beach Ranger district.

The sale contains 6.3 million bd. ft. of timber on 153 acres and is part of three sales sold earlier in July as part of the U.S. Forest Service's plan to harvest 370 million bd. ft. of timber destroyed by a 2002 fire.

The activists, who built roadblocks and hung a platform above the road, were charged with interfering with agricultural operations.

The activists claimed to be part of the Wild Siskiyou Action Team, and said they would not cause damage to private property.

East Fork Lumber Co. bought the Indi sale for $1.9 million, but logging has yet to begin on the unit.

Two more Biscuit fire salvage sales were scheduled to be offered for auction July 30.

GRADUATI0N DAY: Eighteen students learned the application of hardwood lumber grading rules during a recent three-day hardwood grading course

We specialize in hardwood plywood, hardwood lumber, MDF, particleboard, hardboard, micore, high-pressure laminated panels, roofing, siding, housewrap, shutters, trim, decking, railing and fencing. Fire-retardant particleboard & MDF is also available.