Group releases new wood door standards

The Window & Door Manufacturers Association released two updated editions of its architectural wood flush door standards, WDMA I.S. 1A-11, Industry Standard for Architectural Wood Flush Doors, and WDMA I.S. 6A-11, Industry Standard for Architectural Stile and Rail Doors.

A major overhaul and rewrite of two existing, well-known industry interior architectural door standards, the rules are synchronized with each other for both content and organization, with their focus on performance-driven specification.

"It's a win-win for the manufacturer and specifier, but especially for the end-user who can rely on the tested architectural wood doors to serve the facility well over the long haul," WDMA president Michael O'Brien said in a statement. "WDMA will be mounting an aggressive educational program to inform architects and specifiers about the updated standards and encourage their use."

While the performance section of the standards is the major focus, other revisions were made to both standards to harmonize with the 2009 Architectural Woodwork Standards, published by the Architectural Woodwork Institute, Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada and the Woodwork Institute.

Additional changes were also incorporated to update and improve the standards, including updated face veneer charts, factory finishing guidance, and an expanded specification checklist cross-referenced to the applicable standards sections.

"The updated standards are the culmination of several years' hard work by our architectural door manufacturer members," added Jeff Lowinski, WDMA vice president of technical services. "The trick has been on crafting the standards to allow for product innovation and environmental sustainability while at the same time preserving the high-quality and performance that architects and specifiers demand. These standards accomplish that."

Electronic copies of WDMA I.S 1A-11 and WDMA I.S. 6A-11 as well as all other WDMA standards, technical information and statistical reports can be obtained online at www.wdma.com.