People think finishing a door is difficult to do on their own. They worry that they could ruin the door. It''s clear that the new Classic Craft model was created to assuage that concern. The door comes with a red oak-styled grain pattern, detailed panels with shadow lines, solid oak square edges and an adjustable oak sill. The pre-finish is available in the two most popular wood stain colors today, according to Niderberg: natural oak and cherry. Maintenance is simplified, because fiberglass doesn''t have to be restained. All that''s required, he said, is a new polyurethane top-coat every three to five years. The pre-finished Classic Craft costs an additional at retail versus the unfinished installfrenchdoors model. Both models cost less than a comparable wood door and come with a lifetime warranty. This was intended for those accustomed to buying wood," Niderberg said. "But we wanted to add some extra features and benefits. Chosen for the entrance to the NAHB Show Village 2001 D.R. Horton home is an elegant Classic-Craft fiberglass Raised-Panel door from Theram-Tru. Available in nearly 150 raised installfrenchdoors or deeply embossed panel designs that produce dramatic shadow lines, Classic-Craft doors give you all the premium touches you''d expect to find in the finest wood doors, plus more.

Divided lites You can purchase true divided-lite (the industry term for multiple panes) doors from some manufacturers. Many doormakers offer snap-in, false muntins that do a fair job of mimicking the look of divided lites but are much less expensive and make glass easier to clean. Sliders that more closely resemble divided-lite doors have both snap-in grilles and matching false muntins sandwiched between the two panes of insulating glass. A pair of 6-foot-wide doors like these costs about. Another option is a miniblind or pleated shade encased between the two panes of insulated glass; the interior glass panel is removable so the installfrenchdoors binds can be easily cleaned. Listing at about, these are pricey, but they save the cost of window coverings.

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