The front entryway including the door, jambs, and threshold is the focal point of your client’s home. It sets the tone and expectation for the rest of the home, and it can add or detract curb appeal. Entryways have been important dating as far back to the Greeks. According to Jesse Nevins of Coastal Carolina University, “To ancient Greeks doors were considered sacred and surrounded with superstition. So much so that doors and the comprising parts had their own deities. For the Greeks a door was not simply a way to enter a building, but a holy place itself worthy of the highest respect.”
Keeping doors, jambs and thresholds looking great while a home is under construction or remodeling is important, and is now easier than ever. During construction, contractors will pass through the doorway with materials and equipment needed for the construction project. Each pass risks scratching or denting the home entryway. Temporary protection should be in place prior to the start of construction and should include protection for all the aspects of the entryway.
Doors can be protected with temporary cardboard door protectors available from a variety of manufacturers. Several protectors are not only made from recycled cardboard, but can be reused and recycled entirely again, making these protectors truly green. The first protector to market and most popular is DoorGuard. It is a truly green product that uses recycled cardboard for the door protection with natural rubber bands for attachment. Another popular protector is the 1-2-3 Doorshield product. This protector is not recyclable as it uses plastic Velcro for the door attachment. These large protectors are most often purchased in pallet quantities for use on many commercial projects however they are also available in smaller quantities as well.
Doorjambs are quite often dented or scratched during construction. There are several types of protection available that snap onto the door casing and protect the jamb. These protectors can be made from molded plastic or cardboard. Pre-molded plastic protection works well for jambs with standard door casing widths. For larger jambs there are several wrap-around jamb protectors that work similarly but are not molded to an exact casing size. These reusable protectors provide excellent protection, however they are the most expensive jamb protectors in the market. Less expensive, cardboard protectors wrap around jambs in a similar fashion and cost considerably less than their plastic counterparts. These are available from a wide range of manufacturers, can be purchased online or in construction supply stores as well.
Most entry door thresholds are manufactured from metal or a combination of metal and wood. Metal thresholds often have black anodized coatings that are easily scratched or dented. Wood thresholds can be stained, scratched and dented as well. Some manufacturers have now manufactured plastic covers to protect their exact thresholds dimensions and include the covers with the complete door unit. There are other pre-molded protectors available from online suppliers of temporary protection products. There are also a variety of tapes that can be used for threshold protection. Currently, the best tape on the market, T-X268, is a specialty tape that combines UV chemicals in both the tape and adhesive so it won’t break down with ultra violet light. There are additional tapes available for sill protection as well, including those made with blue polyvinylchloride.
The cost to protecting doors, jambs, and thresholds are well worth the small investment. The average cost for a cardboard door protector, one cardboard jamb protector and tape for the threshold is less than 25.00 The cost to replace just a door alone can range from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. In addition, many door protectors and jamb protectors are reusable so the long term cost for protection is even less.
Experienced contractors recognize the importance of protecting the entry doors, jambs and thresholds. Doing so is a great way to increase customer satisfaction and keep job site damage to a minimum. Keeping an entryway looking great during construction and remodeling is now easier and more cost effective than ever.