When we talk to potential clients about security doors, they seem to get stuck on two concepts:
- That design is unencumbered. You can literally have anything you want, provided it fits within your budget. Stained hardwood, backlit marble, hand-stitched leather, or even a map of your favorite beach town carved in metal.
- That security door installation is not the same as a regular door installation — not by a long shot.
There are a number of factors that go into security door installation. They’re similar to the ones you’ll encounter with every door installation, but our doors are unlike any other kind of doors you’ve ever seen, which complicates things.
In the past, our clients have become frustrated with this aspect of our business, so we’ve been looking for ways to improve installation. Of course, having clients literally all over the world makes this prospect more difficult.
Many of our clients want us to be present before and during installation, but it’s just not possible. We might have more than one security door being installed during the same week on opposite sides of the world.
And even if we were present the whole time, we can’t do the manual labor because we’re not licensed and certified for construction in each state or country.
Of course, knowing the logistical complications here doesn’t make the security door installation process go any smoother. We had to find a way to change it.
And that’s when it struck us: the Perfect Frame™.
How FBS is Revolutionizing Security Door Installation
We’ve discussed in the past that the installation of our security doors is complicated. While any contractor should be able to install a door, we’re not dealing with your run-of-the-mill big-box store door.
Installing FBS security doors is more difficult exactly because of the security measurements in play. Here’s what makes the installation more complex — and how we’re fixing that problem.
What Makes FBS Security Doors Different?
First of all, there is nothing else like an FBS security door, which is something you may not be able to properly grasp unless you see one in person. Unless you get to touch it, open it, and watch it move, you probably won’t ever get it. But we’ll try and explain it anyway.
FBS security doors begin with a steel frame.
These frames can be customized in any way that you want, whether that includes a window cut-out or a hidden compartment. Any design elements you wish to add to your security door can be accommodated right from the very beginning.
After your steel security door frame is complete, hidden compartments can be added, in addition to specific adjustments that need to be made for other inserts.
While the door is being made, the coverings are already underway. Some of the coverings are more simple — perhaps a wood veneer. These coverings won’t weigh very much.
But other more extravagant coverings include backlit stone, precious stones, and hand-stitched Italian leather.
We’ve even partnered with Austrailian-based covering experts Axolotl to bring you the most incredible door surfaces you’ve ever seen. (Check out their options — it’s mind blowing.)
The point is that FBS security doors are heavy. A team of two contractors won’t be able to get the door into place, let alone off the truck at delivery. In fact, we typically recommend clients hire piano movers to get the door off the truck, into the house, and into position.
And none of this is taking into consideration the electricity or network capabilities that you may have built into your security door.
So, FBS Doesn’t Install My Security Door?
In the past, we’ve offered concierge services for security door installation, knowing that the process could be intimidating for people who’d never done it before. There may be multiple contractors at play and organizing it all may seem daunting.
We can help people find electricians, piano movers, delivery services, and contractors who we’ve vetted and trust to install your security door.
But because that’s not what all of our clients want (especially if it’s a new build — they probably already have all of these people in place, anyway), we don’t offer it as part of our regular fees. It’s an added service we can provide if the client wishes.
We’ve also allowed for basic services, which essentially means the client can choose all their own contractors and we’ll make sure the door gets to port, where the client’s delivery truck can pick it up.
Truly, that’s the easy part. It’s the physical installation that causes the most trouble.
Why is the Process so Complex?
You can listen to Jonathan explain the idiosyncrasies himself in the video above, but the bottom line is this: there are critical points where your security door needs to be perfectly aligned, or it literally won’t go into place.
We’re talking about multiple deadbolts, a single pivot point, and possibly electrical connections. It’s just not a simple matter, regardless of how you look at it. And adding to all of that is the absolute need for even weight distribution.
Before your custom security door arrives on-site, your contractors need to make sure the opening is plumb and level and that the necessary supports are in place (i.e. the minimum amount of concrete under the opening so the weight is supported).
This is typically where installation goes awry. If the opening has not been perfectly prepared, if the electrician hasn’t run their lines, or if the network cables aren’t ready, everything gets put on hold.
Of course, the most frustrating part about this kind of scenario is that you might not know the opening isn’t properly prepared until the door arrives. If it’s not, you now have contractors all standing around staring at each other, blaming everyone else while the meter runs.
And that’s where the Perfect Frame™ comes in.
What is the FBS Perfect Frame™?
When Jonathan Hamilton joined our team, he came to us with a wealth of knowledge that we simply didn’t have before. When he visited the factory in Italy, he was able to talk to the artisans about some of the complaints clients have and how that impacts their process.
The installation questions and concerns that the artisans relayed — in addition to our own experiences with clients’ frustration — pointed out a glaring issue in Jonathan’s eyes. It wasn’t that we didn’t know the frustration existed… we just didn’t know how to solve it in a way that made sense yet.
With Jonathan’s experience and expertise, he was able to see a solution none of us were able to see — a prefabricated frame that would be installed before the door arrives at the residence.
That’s how the PerfectFrame™ was born.
No more waiting for the door to arrive before you found issues with the opening.
No more unexpected costs when installation finally came around.
No more delays to your timeline.
Just the perfect pre-frame for your security door.
How Does the Perfect Frame™ Work with the Door?
When you order your custom security door, you can opt to add a Perfect Frame™ to your order. If you choose this option, the factory in Italy will create a Perfect Frame™ at the same time they’re beginning your door.
Because every security door we make is different (unless, of course, there are multiple specifically designed to be the same), every Perfect Frame™ is different. Each Perfect Frame™ is custom-built to go with a specific door.
However, because the Perfect Frame™ is much less involved, it will be done much faster. When it’s finished, it will be shipped to the location of your residence — wherever that may be. (Yes, we ship worldwide!)
The beauty of this arrangement is that your contractors — whether this is a new build or a renovation — can install the Perfect Frame™ whenever it suits their schedules.
Because the Perfect Frame™ is so much lighter than the actual security door, your contractors won’t have a problem moving it around on their own. You won’t need any specialists to install it (save for electricity and network, of course).
And even more importantly — if the contractors go to install the Perfect Frame™ and realize that they made a mistake, they have time to fix it before the actual door arrives.
In many cases, the flooring is the piece that ends up being cut or sanded to accommodate the door, regardless of whether it’s a security door or not. Chances are, the flooring can be modified, but the door itself may not be.
So let’s say your contractors go to install the Perfect Frame™, but quickly realize that the flooring isn’t cut back far enough to allow for the door frame.
Instead of putting absolutely everything on hold and multiple contractors standing around doing nothing while the flooring is finished, it’s just one or two contractors making the correction and trying again.
They can do this as many times as necessary until the Perfect Frame ™ is installed perfectly.
As Jonathan puts it, “the Perfect Frame™ preserves the rough opening.” Once it’s installed, none of the construction around it will alter the opening, allowing for a perfectly plumb and level space when the security door arrives onsite.
Nothing is Really Perfect Though… Right?
Nothing is ever perfect — especially when it comes to building a home. Even when you’re spending millions to build a luxury residence, you’re bound to come across some imperfections that need to be dealt with.
As Jonathan puts it, architects work in “very tight tolerances.” They don’t expect perfection because they know it’s not realistic. Their drawings may be perfect and their calculations precise, but when you get down to it and people start building it, mistakes are made. Even the most talented contractors make mistakes sometimes.
So as Jonathan says, architects expect that they’ll have to make some adjustments — and that those adjustments will be very tight.
But the Perfect Frame™ is made for your exact security door, so your contractors will be able to accommodate the “very tight tolerances” in a more timely (and cost-effective) manner.
The Perfect Frame™ will perfectly prepare your residence for the arrival of your security door. When your door arrives, the installation will be dramatically easier.
What About the Piano Movers?
The Perfect Frame™ doesn’t negate the need for specialty contractors. You still need the electricians to run wiring and the audiovisual crews to run your network cables and the piano movers to get the security door off the truck and into position.
However, once the security door has been moved into position, the rest should go very smoothly.
The Perfect Frame™ was designed to make the entire security door installation process less intimidating for everyone — contractors included.
Are You Ready to Discuss Your Custom Security Door?
We know it’s tough to wait for the things you really want, but with FBS, you don’t have to. Give us a call today to discuss your security needs and design preferences.
We can help guide you through your options and help you determine exactly what you need to achieve a fully secure entry that will sustain both brute force and gale force.
Alternatively, we can talk to you about your bedroom door, why you (probably) don’t need a panic room, biometric security measures, and put you in touch with experts who can help assess any holes in your security.
We have one goal at FBS: to make you feel safe and secure in your residence. It’s supposed to be a place where you can relax and unwind. Everything we do is to achieve that goal. We’d love to help you get there.
If you’re ready to learn more about how FBS can help you, give us a call at (561) 409-6300 or contact us online.
