K-12 Schools Depend on Special-Lite
THE ORIGINAL “SCHOOL DOOR” COMPANY
Since 1971, architects, contractors, and facility professionals who specialize in the educational arena have relied on us for their projects. Our interior and exterior doors, frames, and bathroom partitions are specifically engineered for high-cycle, high-abuse applications and will always outlive the bond that funded their purchase.
Students are rough on doors. They are full of energy, in a hurry, and most times have their hands full of books, sporting equipment, or their phones. Furthermore, when students walk up to an entrance, one hard yank on the pull will throw the door open hard and wide open, so they can walk through without touching it again. But worse yet, when they leave the school, add speed to the scenario! School doors get hard forearm slams, swinging gym or book bags, and sometimes feet kicking the exit devices. What power! What force! You need a door that takes such punishment.
You likely know us for our most popular product, the SL-17 FRP Door— AKA the School Door— because it solves door maintenance and standard door replacement problems for educational facility managers— just like it was designed to do in 1983!
We Innovate to Keep Students Safe & Facilities Secure
You have undoubtedly employed increased security measures such as controlled access, security vestibules, intrusion-resistant entrances and glazing, and even ballistic- and blast-rated products. Don’t let a weak door bring the whole system down. We are committed to continued innovation to provide entrance solutions that keep your students safe and your facilities secure.
The same engineering technology and quality that you count on from Special-Lite to bring you a heavy-duty, low-maintenance entrance also has you covered with extreme performance entrances that can prevent intruders from gaining access, prevent bullets from making their way in, and even withstand a blast without failing you. Most of our doors have been tested to comply with hurricane zone standards. And, yes, they’ll also stand up to your students!
Did You Know?
Our one-of-a-kind Pultruded Fiberglass Ballistic door and frame won the Platinum New Product award in the Doors category for educational door and frame safety. We are passionate about school safety and security, and we will continue developing new products to meet these needs.
With Your Budget in Mind
The phrase “operations and maintenance costs” sends a chill down your spine. You give failing grades to products that won’t hold up to the test of time. And that’s where Special-Lite products move to the head of the class.
We designed our exterior and interior doors to withstand excessive use and abuse. Those same design criteria drove our engineering and production efforts for bathroom partitions. Where other doors and partitions fail, our’s stand firm. That means your associated maintenance costs will be significantly lowered or non-existent.
Further, the very construction of our products thwarts would-be graffiti artists and even vandals, saving you in cleanup time and labor.
The energy performance of your facility also has a direct and dramatic effect on your costs. You have optimized your mechanical equipment. You’ve installed an automation system. You may even be using the associated data to track issues for remediation. You’re on top of it. But don’t forget the doors.
Well-designed doors, like Special-Lite doors, have their own thermal efficiency characteristics that far exceed those of hollow metal doors. We’ve had our doors independently tested per NFRC specifications to illustrate our compliance with the top building-related energy standards in the world. These include the ASHRAE 90.1 energy standard and ICC’s International Energy Conservation Code. These tests illustrate that our doors exceed U-factor requirements for heat loss/gain:
Thermal Efficiency
A lower U-Factor is BETTER.
All of this means “lower operations and maintenance costs.” Now that’s a phrase you can live with.
Newark USD Discovers the High Cost of Inexpensive Hollow Metal Doors
The Newark, California, public school system near San Francisco struggled with chronic graffiti problems, high entrance maintenance costs, and frequent door replacements. They were searching for answers when Director of Facilities Larry Mara learned about Special-Lite® FRP Doors at a trade show.
Architectural Solutions for Education Facilities
Since 1971, architects, facility managers, and contractors who specialize in both K-12 and Higher Education facilities have relied on Special-Lite for their projects. Whether you have a K-12 school, community college, private college, or university, we know our doors will live and thrive in your environment better than others on the market today.