AMERICA’S UGLIEST DOORS TRANSFORMED IN NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA
Therma-Tru Completes Entry and Patio Makeovers for 2006 Contest
Winners
MAUMEE, OH (August 30, 2006) — When the door experts at Therma-Tru’ Doors set out to find the ugliest entry and patio doors in America for the second year in a row, they found even more homes in need of door makeovers then ever before. They encountered double doors plastered in hot pink, single doors that looked like they were hacked with a chainsaw and patio doors hanging off their hinges. Now, the specialists have remedied the situation!
The two winners received Therma-Tru door systems worth approximately $3,000 to $5,000, along with spruced up entryways that include decorative lights, potted plants, trimmed shrubbery and much more. The makeovers took place earlier this month.
Before
Grand prize winners Darrell and Marie Dunnewold of Clymer, N.Y., really charmed our judges with their unusual entry door. The previous owner was an art teacher and had painted the entire door (including windows) a combination of "blue-grey and old-barn red." In addition to the unique color pattern, the owner had attached a lion’s head knocker, "Hawaiian-style" window shutters and pineapple decorations. Besides the lack of light due to painted windows, the paint was chipping and rickety storm door was a size too small, which provided for very cold winters. The sticker in the upper left corner of the door stating "Please Use Other Door" said it best!
Therma-Tru
Style Solution
The Dunnewold’s received a 6'8" door from the Classic-Craft® Oak Collection™ with Cambridge glass, brass caming, and 12-inch matching sidelites, a multi-point locking system and Fypon® trim. This door offers the beauty, look and feel of an authentic wood door with the performance benefits of fiberglass. The Oak door system is more than just a beautiful door — it delivers thermal performance and lasting durability that won’t crack, rot or split like real wood.
The door was installed by a local construction company, Mike Roush Contracting, based in Spartensburg, Penn. "I was really happy to be involved with this job," said Roush. "Therma-Tru doors are always very good quality, and the company is easy to work with. I think the Dunnewold’s front door and entire home looks a lot better now." The spruce and flower pots were provided by Brigiotta’s Farmland Produce in Jamestown, N.Y.
"We are so amazed at how beautiful our new door looks! Sometimes we just drive by the house and stare at it because it looks so different now," said Marie Dunnewold.
Before
Second place winners Jerry and Gloria Schwartz of Matthews, N.C., had a security risk on their hands with doors that could easily be picked "with a butter knife or credit card." Because the doors and frame were made of wood, they were excessively rotted and constantly needed to be re-painted. The window seals broke during the last hurricane and the windows all had a cloudy hue. The doors leaked cold and hot air based on the season due to poor weatherstripping.
The Schwartz’s couldn’t be happier with their new Smooth-Star® Hinged Patio Door System from Therma-Tru, which offers the ultimate in style, performance and durability. Therma-Tru conducts extensive research and testing to develop door systems that perform in harsh weather conditions and have the potential to create greater safety for residents in hurricane and tornado-prone areas of the country.
Therma-Tru
Style Solution
Jeff B. Duncan, president of JJ's Construction, based in Granite Quarry, N.C. installed the new door. "The Therma-Tru door was easy to install and made a nice retro-fit. The Schwartzes went from having the ugliest door — and it was really ugly — to having a real showcase home. I'm sure they will enjoy years of satisfaction," said Duncan.
"One thing we were really concerned about was security," said Jerry Schwartz. "Most doors just lock in the center, but this one locks at the top and bottom, too. Once you close the door and raise the handle, all those pins go into place."
In the national "Ugliest Door in America Contest" with the Carey Brothers,
hosts of "On the House" home improvement radio show, Therma-Tru invited homeowners to submit a photo and brief essay declaring why they deserved a new entry or patio door system from Therma-Tru.
An elite panel of expert judges from the home improvement industry was comprised of Morris Carey and James Carey (the Carey Brothers); Sal Alfano, Editor-in-Chief,
Remodeling/Replacement Contractor; Colette Ortiz, Building and Design Editor,
This Old House; Steve Lawler, Producer,
DIY to the Rescue; and Bernie Ferrari, Product Manager — Exterior Doors, Huttig Building Products. They waded through more than 100 qualified entries.
Recent research by Therma-Tru and TNS found that replacing an old entry door with a new fiberglass entry system increases the perceived value of a home by as much as $24,000 — up to six percent of the home’s value.
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, visit www.thermatru.com or call (800)537-8827.
CONTACT: Therma-Tru, Sara
Theis, 419-891-7400 ext. 7426.