Comparing Performance
of Fiberglass, Steel and
Wood Entry Doors
1 LU/HSW Hour
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
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Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
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Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Learning Objectives
•
Compare and contrast structural and performance features of
fiberglass, steel and wood entry doors.
•
Identify safety features of fiberglass, steel and wood entry doors
and their testing procedures.
•
Describe where fiberglass entry doors may contribute to LEED
points in LEED for Homes and LEED V3.

Describe how to specify an entry system based on your project
requirements.
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Learning Objectives

Compare structural and performance features of fiberglass,
steel and wood entry doors.

Identify performance and safety features of fiberglass, steel and
wood entry doors and their testing procedures.




ENERGY STAR & NFRC
ASTM performance testing
Fire ratings
Impact resistance

Describe where fiberglass entry doors may contribute to LEED
points in LEED for Homes and LEED V3.

Describe how to specify an entry system based on your project
requirements.
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Structural and Performance Features
•
Doors can impact a home or building’s energy performance, safety,
security, accessibility and durability depending on…
- Insulation values
- Fire ratings
- Recycled material content
- Frame strength
- ADA guidelines
- Impact Resistance
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Structural and Performance Features
•
Determine which features and performance characteristics are most
important to each project
•
Environment & Safety
- ENERGY STAR, “green,” fire ratings, lock-position
•
Performance Features
- Durability, weather resistance
•
Aesthetics
- Aesthetics: color, profile, style
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Structural and Performance Features: Steel vs. Wood vs. Fiberglass
Environment and Safety
6
5
Best
4
3
Better
Good
Steel
2
Wood
1
Fiberglass
0
ENERGY "Green" Fire U-factor Lock
STAR Qualities Ratings & RSafety
Values
* General Product Comparison
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Structural and Performance Features: Steel vs. Wood vs. Fiberglass
Performance
Best
Better
Good
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Steel
Wood
Fiberglass
* General Product Comparison
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Structural and Performance Features: Steel vs. Wood vs. Fiberglass
6
Best
Aesthetics
5
4
Better
3
Good
Steel
Wood
2
Fiberglass
1
0
Design
Finishing Options Maintenance
Configurations
* General Product Comparison
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Fiberglass Entry Doors

The door and frame must perform together
- Wood, steel and fiberglass doors are hung primarily in wood or
steel frames
- Frames are susceptible to the same problems as the door
material unless the frames are made of composite frames.
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Learning Objectives

Compare structural and performance features of fiberglass, steel
and wood entry doors.

Identify performance and safety features of fiberglass, steel
and wood entry doors and their testing procedures.




ENERGY STAR & NFRC
ASTM performance testing
Fire ratings
Impact resistance

Describe where fiberglass entry doors may contribute to LEED
points in LEED for Homes and LEED V3.

Describe how to specify an entry system based on your project
requirements.
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Performance Features: NFRC

Labels identify products that meet stringent energy performance
requirements

Labeled with their performance measure
- U-factor
- R-Value
- Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC)
- Visible Transmittance (VT)
- Air Leakage (AL)
- Condensation Resistance (CR)
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Performance Features: ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR doors
- Lower energy bills
- Reduce air leakage
- Keep interior environment comfortable

ENERGY STAR Performance Ratings are based on climate zone
- U-Factor
- R-Value
- SHGC
www.energystar.gov
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Performance Features: ENERGY STAR
•
ENERGY STAR Climate Zone Requirements
www.energystar.gov
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Performance Features: Air & Water Infiltration
Blower Door Tests
- Help identify where air leaks into a home
- Typically leaks occur at fenestration, plumbing and lighting
fixtures
- Insulating or effectively filling these penetrations can result in
energy and cost savings
Strong Walls / Blower door results analyis
ANNUAL ENERGY COST
Ref erence Case
High ELA
0.5
0.441
0.419
0.4
0.3
$ / ft²

0.225
0.2
0.205
0.194 0.196
0.1
0.020 0.020
0
f uel
kW h
Demand
Total
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
 When specifying a door
for your projects, there
are several important
ASTM test results to
consider.











ASTM D 1761
ASTM D 1666
ASTM E 283
ASTM E 231
ASTM E 230
ASTM E 547
ASTM E 1886
ASTM E 1996
ASTM E 1425
ASTM F 1455
TAS 201-94
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Performance Features: Material Strength

ASTM D 1761
- Standard test for mechanical fasteners in wood
- Fiberglass has shown to have nearly twice the screw-holding
power of wood
www.astm.org/Standards/D1761.htm

ASTM D 1666
- Standard procedure for wood-working (machining) properties
- Fiberglass doors have met requirements for sawing, planning,
routing, boring, drilling and chiseling.
www.astm.org/Standards/D1666.htm
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Performance Features: Air & Water Infiltration

ASTM E 283
- Determines air leakage through a wall assembly under specified
air pressure differences at ambient conditions
- Identifies doors that can improve energy efficiency of the home
www.astm.org/Standards/E283.htm

ASTM E 331
- Determines water penetration resistance under uniform static
pressure
- Identifies doors that will minimize water damage to the door
assembly and surrounding wall.
www.astm.org/Standards/E331.htm
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Performance Features: Air & Water Infiltration

ASTM E 330
- Determines structural performance of doors by uniform static air
pressure difference
- Look for a door that has passed this test
www.astm.org/Standards/E330.htm
 ASTM E 547
- Determines resistance to water penetration under cyclic
static air pressure differences
- Performance results will depend on the construction
quality and proper installation of the wall and its
components
www.astm.org/Standards/E547.htm
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Performance Features: Strength & Durability

ASTM F 1450
- Test for hollow metal, swinging doors in detention facilities –
helps determine how much abuse a door can handle.
- Helps improve safety measures in detention facilities
www.astm.org/Stndards/F1450.htm

ASTM E 1886
- Tests impact resistance of exterior fenestration products
- Identifies products that can withstand impact of large and small
objects that would be similar to wind-borne debris during
severe weather
www.astm.org/Standards/E1886.htm
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Performance Features: Strength & Durability

ASTM E 1996
- Tests impact resistance of exterior fenestration products
- Identifies products that are able to withstand hurricane-like forces
www.astm.org/Standards/E1996.htm

TAS 201-94
- Tests impact resistance of exterior
cladding and fenestration products
- Identifies products that will comply with
the strict requirements of the Florida
Building Code, Section 1626.
www.2.iccsafe.org/states/Florida2001/FL_TestProtocols.htm
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Performance Features: Acoustics

ASTM E1425
- Determines air leakage relative to sound transmission for
exterior fenestration
www.astm.org/Standards/E1425.htm
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Performance Features: Acoustics
Best
Better
Good
* General Product Comparison
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Performance and Safety Features: Fire Ratings
 Warnock Hersey
- Fire-retardant core
 Fire Rated Doors
- Light commercial & multi family
- Compliance to safety & performance
- Ratings show time to withstand
flame of fire
- Wood, steel fiberglass
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Performance and Safety Features: ADA & Accessibility

4.13.5 - Doorways requiring
full user passage shall have a
minimum clear opening of 32inches with the door open at
90 degrees, large enough for a
wheelchair to pass through

A 10” bottom rail is required by
the ADA
www.ada.gov/stdspdf.html
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Performance and Safety Features: ADA & Accessibility


4.13.9 - Handles,
pulls, latches, locks
and other operating
devices should be
easy to grasp with
one hand and should
not require tight
grasping, or twisting
to operate.
Lever-operating or
push-type
mechanisms and
U-shaped handles
are acceptable.
www.ada.gov/stdspdf.html
* General Product Comparison
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Learning Objectives

Compare structural and performance features of fiberglass, steel
and wood entry doors.

Identify performance and safety features of fiberglass, steel and
wood entry doors and their testing procedures.




ENERGY STAR & NFRC
ASTM performance testing
Fire ratings
Impact resistance

Describe where fiberglass entry doors may contribute to LEED
points in LEED for Homes and LEED V3.

Describe how to specify an entry system based on your project
requirements.
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
LEED for Homes

EA Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance
- Insulated fiberglass doors can contribute to the building envelope
for overall insulating performance, which is required to meet or
exceed and ENERGY STAR rating of an exterior door

EA Prerequisite 2.1:
- Door configuration tested in standard NFRC frames with or
without glass should exceed IECC 2009, 402.4.4 Fenestration
air leakage of <0.5 cfm per ft2 or <2.6L/s/m2) for swing doors
- Doors with opaque or insulated glass should exceed the same
standard
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
LEED for Homes

EA Credits 4.1, 4.2 & 4.3
Windows and Glass Doors: Windows and Glass Doors
LEED Referenced Energy Performance
Requirements
ENERGY STAR ZONE
4.1
Good Windows
(prerequisite)
4.2
Northern
North Central
South Central
Southern
U-factor
0.35
0.4
0.4
0.55
SHGC
Any
0.45
0.4
0.35
0.31
0.35
0.35
0.55
SHGC
Any
0.4
0.35
0.33
U-factor
0.28
0.32
0.32
0.55
Enhanced Windows U-factor
Optional, 2pts
4.3
Metric
Exceptional
Windows
Optional, 3pts SHGC
Any
0.4
0.3
0.3
Table 1. LEED for homes references the above windows and doors requirements from the ENERGY STAR for Homes national builder
option package
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
LEED V3 for New Construction & Major Renovations

MR Credits 4.1 and 4.2: Recycled Content
- Percent of recycled content must be converted to cost of the
product
- Projects with 10% of total materials cost with recycled
content contribute 1 point
- Projects with 20% of total materials cost with recycled
content contribute 2 points

Example:
 Door has 10.4% pre-consumer recycled content
 Door costs $680
 680 x .104 = $70.72 per door
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
LEED V3 for New Construction & Major Renovations

MR Credit 6: Rapidly renewable materials
- Projects with 2.5% of total materials costs from rapidly renewable
materials contribute 1 point
 Example
- Door has 0.9% rapidly renewable
materials
- Door costs $680
- 680 x .009 = $6.12 per door
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Learning Objectives

Compare structural and performance features of fiberglass, steel
and wood entry doors.

Identify performance and safety features of fiberglass, steel and
wood entry doors and their testing procedures.




ENERGY STAR & NFRC
ASTM performance testing
Fire ratings
Impact resistance

Describe where fiberglass entry doors may contribute to LEED
points in LEED for Homes and LEED V3.

Describe how to specify an entry system based on your
project requirements.
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Structural and Performance Features: Entry Systems

To have a complete entry system, you must also consider the
door frame
- Wood frames rot, warp, crack, etc.
- Steel frames rust, dent, and transmit heat
and cold
- Composite frames along with fiberglass
doors resist rot, warp, crack, dent, heat
or cold air transmission

Closed Cell Technology
- Used to build door frames
- Creates stronger dimensions than wood door
frames
- Will not absorb moisture
- Resists splitting and molding
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Structural and Performance Features: Composite Entry Systems

Full length composite top and bottom rails and stiles of non-porous
protection
- Prevents water from leaking into the door
- Stops build up of mold
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass Door
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass Door
Structural and Performance Features:: Composite Entry Systems
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Summary: Fiberglass Entry Doors
Environment & Safety…
- More energy efficient
- Less environmental hazard
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Summary: Fiberglass Entry Doors
Aesthetic …
- As appealing as wood
- Easily painted, stained or machined
- Available in many panel profiles
- Available with many configurations
- Low maintenance required
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Summary: Fiberglass Entry Doors
Performance…
- May be impact resistant
- Have higher insulation values
- Have higher strength and durability
than wood or steel
Comparing Door Performance: Fiberglass, Steel and Wood
Thank You!
This concludes the AIA-portion of the learning unit. Please contact us
with questions:
Peini Spinazzola
peinispinazzola@plastproinc.com
310-693-8600 x5411
www.plastproinc.com