Primed PVC composite frames are a great option for your door and offer a vast improvement on the basic prime finger-jointed frame and are even superior to the Framesaver jamb everyone has adopted as the standard in our coastal environment. Imagine spending your hard earned timed agonizing over the selection of you or your clients new front door, waiting for it to come in, and then finally installed, only to have the door frame rot out rendering the entry to the home a liability and need to be replaced several years down the road? Over the past 10 years there has been an evolution in the actual frame that the door sits in. The jamb legs of a door are highly susceptible to wicking up moisture from the ground as they are located at the bottom of the door. We went from the industry standard of a primed-finger jointed frame which offered stability, accessibility, and lower costs over the solid wood options of the past. Then we moved to the Framesaver jamb which offers a composite or weather-resistant material at the bottom 6” of the jamb legs as an added layer of protection. This option offers better protection but still has a finger-joint as a point of weakness and presents some aesthetic issues over time with the joints moving. The best option available on the market today is the PVC Composite Door Frame. This frame provides all the strength and convenience of wood door frames with the enhanced properties that make it moisture and insect resistant.
PVC Composite Door Frames are:
- Made from closed cellular structure: will not absorb or wick moisture, preventing warping, decay and splitting
- Rigid poly-fiber formulation: eliminates need for aluminum support channel
- Twice the screw holding power of wood
- Easily machined
- Pre-primed, ready to paint
The best part about Primed PVC Composite Frames is that you don’t have to break the bank to add this option to your door order. The cost of the PVC Composite Door frames are roughly $25-30* more than a Framesaver jamb that had become the industry standard over the past decade. This is a small price to pay for the peace of mind that frame surrounding your entry door will last long after other wood options have deteriorated and need to be replaced.
Please speak to your Shepley sales representative for more information regarding door frames and any other questions regarding building materials for your next project.
*Price based on single unit, 2x6 wall construction