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Advertising supplement provided The Window & Door Manufacturers Association

Performance vs. Prescriptive

The significance to the architect has to do with the performance emphasis, rather than a prescriptive design specification and here’s the major difference. In the past, standards told manufacturers what materials and dimensions to use. I.S. 1A is flexible and recognizes innovation in materials and technology and gives manufacturers the ability to use different materials as long as they meet the performance criteria for compliance outlined by the standard.

 

Performance, beauty and aesthetics characterize architectural wood flush doors. Source: Eggers Industries, Neenah, Wis.

Overall, the standard allows the architect and designer to specify the door for the end-goal or use for the owner of the facility, says Steve Hubert, inside sales manager for The Maiman Co. Hubert works with architects in the field to aid in their door specifications and also holds a degree in architecture. Hubert adds that there’s a move in the design-build community to follow these types of standards, as they can streamline a job submittal by providing exact performance attributes rather than construction-material-mandates alone.

 

Highlights of I.S. 1A Performance-based, rather than prescriptive Specific performance duty levels and values spelled out Revised species for veneer grading tables Positive-pressure fire door wording added Completely revised and expanded finishing section Installation specification checklist Aesthetics focus on appearance of faces and edges and performance, on functionality

“This is an extremely significant document to the design specification community,” says Brian Buckles, vice president of Manufacturing Operations, Algoma Hardwoods, Algoma, Wis., and vice chair of the I.S. 1A Task Force. “The architectural wood flush door is an important part of the building envelope. The standard allows the architect to tailor the type of door to the type of building. It will significantly improve the level of product specification available to the architect for the building,” he says. “Now, with the WDMA standard, both aesthetic and performance aspects of the door can be specified. This change will allow the architect to relate a door’s construction to anticipated frequency and severity of use in the building, helping to provide a better value and longer life cycle of flush wood doors to the owner as well,” he adds.

In retrospect, I.S. 1A epitomizes WDMA’s move to total performance-based standards wherever and whenever possible. “When products are manufactured to specific guidelines for their use in the field, everyone benefits from the outcome — including the buyer, specifier, architect, designer and consumer,” comments Alan J. Campbell, CAE and president, WDMA. “The design professional can specify with confidence using I.S. 1A guidelines. Other new standards, such as the latest version of the North American Fenestration Standard, take this tack as well. In the end, the result will be a complete compendium of standards that may provide, ultimately, the perfect product for the job, because they are based on true-to-life application scenarios,” Campbell says. WDMA wants to make the document an important reference point for the architect in his day-to-day specification duties.

I.S. 1A is the culmination of intensive work by WDMA’s I.S. 1A Task Force, an Industry User Group and many other individuals and organizations. For example, the task force worked with the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI), Reston, Va., to include input from that organization. In addition, the Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association (HPVA), Reston, Va., created new face veneer charts that apply specifically to architectural and commercial wood flush doors. WDMA adopted these charts for use in I.S. 1A with permission from HPVA.