One of the perks of being a window and door dealer, is that we get to learn all about how doors and windows are made at the factory, and, pre-COVID19 we were able to share that experience with interested buyers by taking them on factory tours. With the absence of this option over the past two years, this article shares a little bit about what we learned at the JELD-WEN® IWP and Aurora Fiberglass door factories, and explains that it is not always the technology, but also the craftsmanship of a skilled labor force, that enables sustained quality and leadership in the marketplace.
JELD-WEN® International Wood Products (IWP) operates two factories in Tijuana, Mexico; IWP Wood is dedicated to fabricating handcrafted interior and exterior wood doors, and the IWP Aurora Fiberglass manufactures front entry doors and gates. Along with a Limited Lifetime warranty and 10 year finish warranty, JELD-WEN®s IWP doors have been leading the high-end, custom entry door and interior door markets due to their limitless capabilities, extraordinary quality, and high level of performance.
Between these two factories there is no limit to the term custom. It is hard to ignore the sheer quantity of options: 8 wood surface options (antiquing, blacken antiquing, chiseled, worm holes, wire brushed, hand hewn, and hammering with a light, medium and heavy options); 42 glass types with customized caming, countless hinge options, including decorative tips (steeple, urn, ball); decorative metal work (grills, clavos, straps), all coupled with a variety of wood species, myriad prefinish (stain and paint), and prehang included.
In today’s era, it is incredibly difficult to find the level of craftsmanship that is present at the IWP wood factory to implement a truly one-of-a-kind door. They can handle any type of operation: pivot, swing, French, bypass, bifold, and pocket doors. They house an archive of carving shape tools, gouges-chisels, clamps, knives, saws, and templates. From the hand-carved wood to the hand-beveled glass, the IWP wood factory combines old-world craftsmanship with current engineered wood core technology and tongue and groove panel assembly, to improve the lifetime of the door and manage its movement over time.
Every JELD-WEN® IWP Aurora fiberglass door begins as two detailed fiberglass skins, which are created in molds made from a library of IWP® custom wood doors. Exclusive to IWP Aurora fiberglass is their Strata™ technology, “which incorporates multiple layers of resins, tinted resins, base colors and reinforcing materials for greater structural strength. Next, the skins are adhered to engineered wood frames with our exclusive core materials and bonding agents that permanently lock the skin to the frame. The skins are not only durable but also authentic in appearance” (Jeld-Wen, Aurora Fiberglass Exterior Doors, 31). Attaching these skins to a stable core and providing trimmable wood stiles and rails makes for easy adjustment in the field, should you choose to have the door conventionally hung.
There are a handful of collections to help visualize the more popular types of doors: Contemporary, Estate, Craftsman, Classic, French or Custom. However, the manufacturing capabilities are so incredibly rare, that JELD-WEN® IWP Wood and Aurora fiberglass can match any architects’, designers’, and homeowners’ vision.
Want to know more check out our “How it’s Made: Jeld-Wen IWP Factory Tour” video or contact us about upcoming factory tours. If you are local and an industry professional and would like to schedule Continuing Education Units, or a product knowledge session please email info@designerwindowsupply.com. Want a free custom quote or help designing your entry door call 858-793-0339. Or, click on this form to get some general information on entry door systems that are currently trending.
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