Aug 26 2008
With the help of over 4,000 online votes of Americans coast to coast, Therma-Tru Doors has awarded glamorous entry door transformations valued at up to $5,000 to the two winners of its fourth annual "Ugliest Door in America" contest.
Scott and Cat Eidness of Auburn, Wash., won in the essay category for their home's disgustingly decrepit entry door, and Gina Nelson of Burleson, Ill., won in the video category for her pathetically poor patio door. Both will receive Therma-Tru door makeovers in a door style to complement their homes' architectural styles.
This year Therma-Tru invited homeowners to submit their entries for "America's Ugliest Door" in a choice of two formats -- either a written essay with door photos or a one-minute video describing why they deserved to win a new entry or patio door system from Therma-Tru. Visitors were then offered the opportunity to view the 10 contest finalists online at myuglydoor.com, post their comments and vote for their top picks in each category. Winners were determined from more than 200 entries, 4,100 votes and 809 comments.
"A beautiful door says a lot about the owners' pride in their home and creates a welcoming first impression for all who enter," says Sara Theis Alcroft, public relations manager, Therma-Tru Doors. "Every year the winners just can't get over the difference a new door makes in the functionality, appearance and curb appeal of their home."
Research shows that besides remodeling a kitchen or bath, few other upgrades can increase the perceived value of a home as much as a new entry door. According to a national home valuation study conducted by TNS, an independent research organization, simply installing a new Therma-Tru entryway door has been shown to increase the perceived value of a home by more than $24,000 on average.
No Longer Will "The Ants Come Marching In"
In her video entry, Gina Nelson provided a point-by-point demonstration of each malfunctioning aspect of her ugly patio door. In addition to showing how she has to use vice grips to open the door (because the latch fell off) she showed its cloudy, damaged glass and the holes below where the ants come marching in. In addition, the door is in such bad shape that the kids have to go out the front door to get to the backyard so they can play. "Thank you, thank you Therma-Tru -- I'm so excited," Nelson said upon learning she'd won.
Say Goodbye to Broken Windows and Screens
Scott and Cat Eidness provided a written plea along with photos of their incredibly ugly original door, the top of which is so cracked that they can see light and feel a draft, even when the door is closed. They had started to refinish the door in 2004 (when one window broke) but Scott developed Leukemia mid-project. Meanwhile, the door's broken windows caused incidents of flying keys and shoes, plus a broken screen. Today the couple, in addition to being thankful that Scott is in now remission, looks forward to receiving their door makeover.
Cat Eidness said she had tried not to get her hopes up too much, but was "stunned" to learn she and Scott had won the contest. In addition to looking forward to a better-looking door, they were happy to learn that its energy- efficient construction will help them save on heating bills in their Washington state climate.
Therma-Tru's fiberglass doors offer five times the insulation of a wood door -- something all of the winners will likely appreciate, especially with winter coming. Therma-Tru door systems are ENERGY STAR qualified and certified by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC), helping homeowners save money on energy costs and protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. In fact the average R-value (http://www.thermatru.com/SpecsEntryPerformance.aspx) (measure of thermal resistance) of a Therma-Tru fiberglass door is almost as insulating as the wall of an average home.
Makeover Magic
All winning homeowners will soon enjoy beautiful new entry and patio doors that welcome, not frighten their guests. In the coming months, Therma-Tru will work with the homeowners to replace their ugly doors with low-maintenance fiberglass entry door systems. The new fiberglass doors won't rot, swell or peel like their current doors and will increase the curb appeal of each home.
To see the entries online and view the posted comments, visit myuglydoor.com.