Wood vs fiberglass patio sliders, please someone answer?

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Lorenky
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 5:47 pm
Location: California

Wood vs fiberglass patio sliders, please someone answer?

#1 Post by Lorenky »

We are trying to get some clad wood patio sliders, and getting very confused between all the types out there. We want something that looks and stains like oak, because we have oak floors and oak base board and chair rail. We think stained pine would not look good right next to oak, (is that correct?) We have looked at Anderson oak patio slider, and also at Milguard Fiberglass with a wood veneer. My understanding though, is that even though Anderson is a wood clad door, it is only an oak veneer anyway, with some other wood underneath. If that is the case, why go through the expense of getting wood when it's an oak veneer anyway, would oak veneer fiberglass work as well?. What is the quality difference between fiberglass and wood patio sliders?

Trencher
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2005 8:30 pm
Location: Seattle

#2 Post by Trencher »

I have a Milgard fiberglass woodclad door. The door is substantial, has good hardware and is very tight -- so tight that you have to pull hard to get it past the weatherstripping at the side where it latches. The wood veneer is a fine-grained fir. From several feet away the grain is so close together you really can't see it, so it looks very different from oak. Our window and door casings are also fir, so the wood veneer on the door goes well with the woodwork. Fir looks nice when finished with a light stain, but tends to look blotchy if stained dark.

Wood doors typically have a core of laminated wood pieces. This gives the door strength and makes it less likely to crack, since the grain of the laminated pieces runs in different directions. A solid wood door is much more likely to split or crack.

Lorenky
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 5:47 pm
Location: California

#3 Post by Lorenky »

Thanks for the response, I haven't really gotten any responses until now. I wouldn't mind getting fiberglass if it's a good quality door, but haven't heard of any in the oak veneer, just the Milguard with the doug fir veneer. Anyone know of a good quality fiberglass door with a oak veneer? Otherwise I guess it's the Anderson oak clad patio slider, can't afford Marvin(we were quoted $2000 more for Marvin than the equivilant Anderson, can barely afford the Anderson) and haven't been shown any other brands that do oak.

Cheryl
Posts: 74
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 9:20 am
Location: Michigan

#4 Post by Cheryl »

Check out www.fiberframe.com Comfortline fiberglass patio doors and windows. Available with stainable real oak finish interior. I recently purchased the patio door and I really like it. However, I did not get the Oak, but I have seen it and it is nice too. The door is solid and also available with triple pane/krypton if desired. It's worth checking out if you are shopping fiberglass.

Lorenky
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 5:47 pm
Location: California

#5 Post by Lorenky »

Thanks, that's really helpful. Any thoughts on whether going for the Anderson wood clad patio slider is worth it compared to the fiberglass type mentioned above?

TommyHo
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Joined: Sun May 07, 2006 2:50 am
Location: Home Centers Sales

#6 Post by TommyHo »

Check ot the CARADCO aluminum-clad wood doors at www.jeld-wen.com. You can get a brochure at most Home Depots. Jeld-Wen has a new, patented treatment process for all of it's wood window and door components that warranties the wood for 20 yrs. Auralast.

Guy
Posts: 552
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:41 pm
Location: Minnesota

#7 Post by Guy »

I know these guys have been doing very well. We've been installing them lately and they are very nice. Check them out
http://www.vetterwindows.com/detail_pag ... ageType=22

tru_blue
Posts: 223
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:02 am

Re: Wood vs fiberglass patio sliders, please someone answer?

#8 Post by tru_blue »

Lorenky wrote:. . .why go through the expense of getting wood when it's an oak veneer anyway, would oak veneer fiberglass work as well?
Oak is not a good choice for use as an exterior building product. It swells more than softwoods and warps easier. If you're going to get an oak interior, you WANT one that is veneered. Same look, but less problems.

As for fiberglass, they're very nice. Usually. The reason I say that is because some of the simulated oak grains look very realistic and some do not. It's advisable to look at the oak grain of the fiberglass door you're considering before purchasing. I like them. Consumers Reports Magazine compared wood, steel, and fiberglass doors recently and rated fiberglass VERY favorably.

One last thought - the Andersen Frenchwood patio slider is nice - but it is not aluminum nor vinyl clad. It is only painted on the exterior, although it is not normal paint; it will last much much longer than normal. The door frame is clad but not the door itself.

Lorenky
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 5:47 pm
Location: California

wood vs fiberglass patio slider and dealing with salespeople

#9 Post by Lorenky »

Thanks for all the replies. I understand the need for Oak veneer now. We're really concluding that we need to go with oak veneer for the look we want, but they are much harder to find than pine or fir. We checked out the Jeldwen and Vetter web sites, Jeldwen seems to only offer pine, Vetter offers oak but only one distributer is listed as selling Vetter here in Sacramento. We'll call them tomorrow. Any other suggestions on brands that make good oak veneer fiberglass doors would be appreciated. The only other question I have is why do the companies we are in contact with focus almost exclusively on our patio door purchase, we are also trying to buy and install interior French doors in oak for the same room, and they always minimize that purchase, say they don't know the price and will have to get back to me, most of them never get back with that figure, some of them don't even do interior French doors. Should I be working with a whole different company for interior doors? If so, what kind of company do I call? It will be a fairly large job because we have an 8 foot opening and need to build it down to a 5 or 6 foot space to fit the doors, the companies say they will do the job but then are very offhand about the job. What's up with that?

tru_blue
Posts: 223
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:02 am

Reply

#10 Post by tru_blue »

The reason you're experiencing difficulty getting prices on interior doors from an exterior door company is because you're looking at two different types of companies. For the interior doors, you need doors from a WOOD DOOR MANUFACTURER. Wood door manufacturers make interior and exterior doors, in oak and other wood species. However, from your previous posts it appears you do not want an exterior door from a wood door manufacturer, instead you seem to want one from a FIBERGLASS DOOR MANUFACTURER or from a WINDOW MANUFACTURER (such as Andersen). A fiberglass door manufacturer does not make interior doors. And a window manufacturer usually makes products for the exterior of the building - windows and EXTERIOR doors, with or without the oak veneer you want, but not interior doors. If you want the interior and exterior doors from the same manufacturer, a wood door manufacturer could provide both, but it would not be clad on the exterior and would not be fiberglass, and as I mentioned in an earlier post oak is not good to use as an exterior building product. I would suggest to not even try to get them from the same manufacturer - they're two different animals!

Incidently, the biggest name in fiberglass doors, with a dandy oak profile, is Therma Tru, the grandfather of them all.
http://www.thermatru.com/PatioDoors.aspx
They are the very first major manufacturer I believe to offer fiberglass doors and are still one of the best. They are offered by many millwork distributors and lumber yards, and worth taking a look at.

Lorenky
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 5:47 pm
Location: California

#11 Post by Lorenky »

That explains it. Thanks. So even though I want the doors to complement each other and they are in the same room, I should consider it two different projects, two different contractors? Or could one contractor do the job with different manufactors for the products? Should I steer away from a contractor who says he can do the whole thing?

TommyHo
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun May 07, 2006 2:50 am
Location: Home Centers Sales

#12 Post by TommyHo »

actyalluy JELD-WEN is a door and window manfacturer. They produce quite a large selection of interior and exterior doors. Availability is a regional problem. check out the Special Order Programs with Lowe's and Home Depot. Both boxes are carrying more and more selections dependant on the region. ask for a product by name brand, or check with the commercial sales specialists if the millworks (door and window) guys cannot help. sometimes the commercial or contractor sales guys have contacts for finding speciality products. The problems with oak range from weight to movement (swelling and warpage) I would consider a light clear fir with an oak stain. The selection of finishes today are almost endless. I tell you this from a door salesman piont of view. not a door-to-door salesman :lol:

Taylor
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 9:31 am

fiberglass doors

#13 Post by Taylor »

I hear Thermathru quality has gone into the toilet since the bean counters took over. Take a look at Peachtree.

Take a look at NFRC ratings for doors as well. Peachtree's Newport door has excellent U-rating, much better than Thermathru, and way way better than wood. This last part breaks my heart, I have had my heart set on a Simpson door....

I wouldn't bother with a wood grain on a manufactured surface, be it fiberglass or vinyl. It just looks cheesy. Paint it and don't pretend it's anything but what it is.

Guy
Posts: 552
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:41 pm
Location: Minnesota

#14 Post by Guy »

Tru_blue, if I'm not mistaken, I think Stanley Doors came out with their Prodigy fiberglass before anyone else did. Not sure but I know there's was the first one I ever hung. Now that they've been bought out I'm sure we'll never know.

As for inside and outside doors I agree with Tru_blue that you really have to split them apart. I know the cost is a huge factor in dealing with veneered doors verses solid. If your trying to match the six panel look through your house then go to the big box stores to get solid oak interior doors. You can also choose a composite door with a veneered surface. These tend to be a bit cheaper. Your exterior door should be fiberglass if you live in an area that sees tramatic wheather change or a ton of rain. Solid wood doors just aren't made the same as they were 50 years ago. They warp and delaminate over night. The fiberglass door won't do this. Going with a name like Therma-Tru is a good choice to make. They are by far one of the biggest around. Good Luck!!!

Lorenky
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 5:47 pm
Location: California

#15 Post by Lorenky »

Thanks for theh feedback. Just so I understand, are you saying that fiberglass with an oak veneer is a better product than the Anderson oak patio slider, because the Anderson has oak veneer over wood? I called a contractor who deals with Thermathru and Vetter, he immediately talked down the Thermathru and said Anderson is better than both Thermathru and Vetter for the patio slider. Also, TommyHo, for the inside door, are you saying that solid oak has warping and other problems for interior doors, or just exterior? And you didn't mean oak veneer, did you?

New can of worms, any suggestions on windows, we need 3 horizontal sliding windows, retrofit, I think in vinyl. Was looking at the Milguard price range but may go a little higher. Any suggestions?

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