THERMA-TRU® FIBERGLASS AND STEEL ENTRY DOORS APPROVED AND CERTIFIED BY NFRC AND QUALIFY FOR ENERGY STAR PARTNERSHIP
NOTE – While Therma-Tru® and Benchmark by Therma-Tru® residential entry door systems qualify for ENERGY STAR partnership, it may be a few months before you see the label on our products while our distributors register for the program.
MAUMEE, OH (March 24, 2006) – Therma-Tru® Doors, the nation’s leading
manufacturer of fiberglass and steel exterior door systems and an operating unit
of Fortune Brands (NYSE: FO), today announced that its residential fiberglass and steel entry door systems are National Fenestration Rating Council® (NFRC) Certified and qualify for ENERGY STAR partnership.
Therma-Tru® fiberglass doors offer five times the insulation of wood due to their solid polyurethane foam core, which is CFC-free. Since fiberglass doors don’t swell or shrink, they virtually eliminate air infiltration problems. This helps create an energy efficient envelope for the home, stabilizing the interior temperatures and decreasing energy costs.
“The American consumer wants products that look good and at the same time adds value to their home. Additionally, the style of the products in their homes must reflect their sense of style and way of life,” said James and Morris Carey, hosts of On the House, in their February 6 Associated Press column. “Manufacturers are responding to consumer demand for maintenance-free products that use environmentally friendly technology.”
Therma-Tru entry door systems are ENERGY STAR compliant, and actually exceed, these strict requirements, and are NFRC Certified. ENERGY STAR is a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. NFRC is a non-profit organization that administers the only uniform, independent rating and labeling system for the energy performance of windows, doors, skylights, and attachment products.
To qualify as an ENERGY STAR product, an entry door system, and its glazing, must meet specific minimum U-value and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient requirements. U-value is the rate of heat loss, or gain, through the door assembly. Solar Heat Gain is the amount of solar energy that is allowed through the door assembly, or how well the door blocks the heat from the sun.
“Ideally, you want a high-performance door slab with integrated high-quality components designed to work together, such as a Therma-Tru entry door system, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Fenestration Rating Council recognize this,” said Jim McElroy, General Manager, Products, for Therma-Tru Doors. “Fiberglass is the door material of the future, because it won’t split, shrink or swell as wood doors tend to do. They also do not dent, rust or corrode like steel doors.”
The ENERGY STAR program divides the country into four climate zones, with each climate zone having its own minimum U-value and Solar Heat Gain requirements. In the Northern zone, U-values are important for preventing heat loss during the winter, but Solar Heat Gain is not as important. In the Southern zones, Solar Heat Gain becomes much more important while the U-value requirements are lessened.
For an entry door to qualify as an ENERGY STAR product, it must also be tested and certified by the National Fenestration Rating Council. The U-values and Solar Heat Gain performance characteristics of the entry door system, with all of its different glazing options, are simulated by computer modeling. Actual door systems are then tested in the lab to verify the computer simulations. Virtually all Therma-Tru entry doors, even those with full glazing and without low-E glass, qualify as ENERGY STAR compliant in all four climate zones. In fact, Therma-Tru entry doors are so energy efficient that they also qualify for the new tax credits allowed by the Energy Policy Act the President recently signed into law. For even better energy-efficiency, low-E glass options are widely available.
Therma-Tru’s entry systems that meet the ENERGY STAR criteria for all four climate zones and all 50 states include:
- All fiberglass and steel doors with low-E glass
- All fiberglass and steel doors with any clear glass up to 22” x 36”
- All fiberglass and steel doors with any clear glass, including full lites with ¾-inch and 1-inch thick glazing
Energy Star Technical
Qualifications
“Skyrocketing energy costs have sent consumers scrambling for building products that will improve personal comfort while lowering their utility bills,” said the Careys. “In response, most manufacturers with products that affect comfort and energy use are putting their R&D pedal to the metal to come up with increasingly more fuel-efficient products that will keep consumers from going into hock to pay their utility bills.”
In 1992, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced ENERGY STAR as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 1996, EPA partnered with the US Department of Energy for particular product categories. ENERGY STAR has successfully delivered energy and cost savings across the country, saving businesses, organizations and consumers about $10 billion in 2004. ENERGY STAR provides a trustworthy label on over 40 product categories (and thousands of models) for the home and office. These products deliver the same or better performance as comparable models while using less energy and saving moneyi.
Therma-Tru entry systems can be found through a national network of distributors, lumberyards, home centers and at Lowe’s.
Therma-Tru Doors is the nation’s leading manufacturer and most preferred brand of fiberglass and steel exterior door systems. Founded in 1962, Therma-Tru pioneered the fiberglass entry door industry, and today offers a complete portfolio of entry and patio door system solutions, including decorative glass doorlites, sidelites and transoms, and door components. Therma-Tru, headquartered in Maumee, OH, is part of leading consumer brands company Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO). For more information on Therma-Tru Doors,
or call (800)537-8827.
iUS EPA
CONTACT: Therma-Tru, Sara Theis, 419-891-7400 ext. 7426.
