The Texas Department of Insurance has granted approval for A.J. Manufacturing Inc’s aluminum and steel-framed Partner and Responder door models to be used in designated catastrophe areas along the Texas Gulf Coast.

When installed in accordance with our instructions, the 21A Partner Door has achieved a Label Rating of +50, -43 psf, while the 41A Responder Door is rated +/- 50 psf.

TDI’s product evaluations can be found on their website at http://www.tdi.texas.gov/wind/prod/dr/dr497.pdf (Partner Door), and http://www.tdi.texas.gov/wind/prod/dr/dr498.pdf (Responder Door).

Are you having problems sliding your window sash up and down?
Do you want to install your screen at the top of your storm door?
Do you have water leaking to the inside of your door after a heavy rain?

Problem:  Operating sash won’t close/open all the way.
Solution: Measure the window opening if not square contact customer service @ 800.328.9448

Problem: Operating sash installed on the top.
Solution:: The sash in the self-storing storm door models is designed for screen installation in the lower half of the window opening.  See page 6 of the installation instructions.
Tip: For maximum energy efficiency, it is recommended that the screen be placed in the lower position.

Problem: Mitered corners allowing air/water in.
Solution: Use clear caulk to fill corners. If clear caulk was not used, touch up paint may be purchased by calling customer service @ 800.328.9448

Problem: Leaking water under operating sash draining to the interior.
Solution: A Sash Seal Kit (foam tape) to force rain to drain to the outside of the door. Contact customer service for Sash Seal Kit @ 800.328.9448

For our more information on Storm Door troubleshooting,
download our Storm Door  troubleshooting guide.

Need another rain sweep?
Sweep is twisted?

Problem: Need a second sweep for my green, brown or sand door.
Solution: Contact customer service for another rain sweep @ 800.328.9448

Problem: Need sweep positioned closer to the prime door on my white storm door.
Solution: Contact customer service for an unpunched vinyl white expander with sweep @ 800.328.9448

Problem: Sweep is twisted.
Solution: Warm the vinyl sweep in hot water. Carefully remove the sweep and rub until it is smooth.

For our more information on Storm Door troubleshooting,
download our Storm Door  troubleshooting guide.

If your door surface looks cloudy and yellow and you can’t get it clean?

Problem:  Door surface is cloudy or dirty looking.
Solution: To clean, use a dish washing soap or rubbing alcohol to remove any residue or dirt.

Problem:  Yellow material is found around the edge of the window.
Solution: AJ has a cleaning agent that can remove the stain caused by our foaming process.  Please contact customer service @ 800.328.9448

For our more information on Storm Door troubleshooting,
download our Storm Door  troubleshooting guide.

Your stormdoor latch doesn’t stay latched or the thumb button won’t push in?

Problem:  Storm door latch doesn’t remain tight to door.
Solution: You may need some additional shims. Contact AJ customer service @ 800.328.9448

Problem:  Thumb button mechanism doesn’t push in.
Solution: Your inside spring may be out of position. To position it, remove the inside latch mechanishm See parts identification sheet for proper positioning of the spring.

For our more information on Storm Door troubleshooting,
download our Storm Door  troubleshooting guide.

Does your closer slam your storm door shut?
Your door won’t open a full 90 degrees? or opens and closes slowly?

Problem: Storm door closer slams door shut.
Solution: You may have a defective closer, contact customer service @ 800.328.9448

Problem:  Storm door won’t open up a full 90 degrees.
Solution: Jamb bracket or door may not be positioned properly. Review Jamb Bracket reversal instructions.

Problem:  Storm door doesn’t close all the way or very slowly.
Solution: Raise the expander on the bottom of the door or leave window open slightly to relieve air pressure between the prime door and storm door. Turning the closer adjusting screw at the end of the cylinder can produce desired results and may require some seasonal adjustments.

For our more information on Storm Door troubleshooting,
download our Storm Door  troubleshooting guide.

We are committed to the industry’s highest standards of ACCESS door and wall panel performance and we recognize our products are part of a larger system of components that must work together for optimum results.  Click here for a trouble shooting guide and checklist.

Proper latch installation is critical for door performance.  We’ve prepared a handy guide to properly install Allegis Latches on AJ HVAC Doors in PDF format.

Outswing Latch Install Guide

Inswing Latch Install Guide

Hey… what are you doing in there?

• Exterior entry doors used in high velocity coastal building zones must withstand a force of 140 mph.
• The entrance door on a typical small commercial building opens and closes an average of 150,000 times a year.
• An HVAC wall panel must not deflect more than 1/240^th of its width.

Huh?

Door Slammer

How can we be sure that our products will conform to building code requirements…or meet

customer expectations…or hold up under the wear and tear of extended use?

Fortunately, we have a lot of tools in our engineering workshop that allow us to do just that.

The Slammer… rapid cycle machine:

• If we bolt an aluminum parting stop to a steel jamb, will it stay in place when the door gets blown shut by wind 100,000 times?
• How about if we use self adhesive tape instead of bolts?

We’ve tested for both of those things and much more.

The cycle machine slams so violently that we usually have to shut it down for repairs several times during the test.

Slammer Slow Cycle

The slow cycle machine:

• How much will our commercial door hinge wear after 1,000,000 cycles?
• Can we get 100,000 cycles out of a storm door closer?

Just slow the slammer down to a crawl and we can find out.

The Shower Stall:

Need a place to experiment with different installation techniques in order to develop a weather-tight inswing door?  Just mount the door in the shower stall and get to work.  The nozzles meter out the equivalent of an 8” per hour rainstorm, and we can pressurize the

Pressure Wall Sprayer

booth to simulate a 34 mph wind to meet AAMA (American Architectural Manufacturers Association) specifications.

The Pressure Wall:

The pressure wall is a miniature replica of The Big One at Architectural Testing, Inc, an independent test lab in Saint Paul.  We don’t know of any other access door manufacturer that has one of these, and we have two!

• How will leakage performance change if we switch from a perimeter style panel to a cakepan panel?
• Will the self-adhesive access door gasket still seal against water leakage if it’s torn in the corner?

With the pressure wall, we can answer those questions.  We can generate positive or negative pressures more than twice as high as any air handler uses, and we can subject the door to the equivalent of an 8” hourly rainfall.  In essence, we can see how our door will perform under hurricane conditions!

What else?

Impact Test

When we can’t test it ourselves, or when we

need independent verification of our test results, we go to Architectural Testing.  Their pressure wall measures 33’ x 13’, and they have a lot of other test equipment.  For example, ATI has a cannon that fires a 10-foot 2×4 at 150 feet per second to

meet the “windborne debris” test criteria for the Florida Building Commission.  Here’s a picture

of one bouncing off our cakepan door.

ATI Deflection Test

Rack tests, sag tests, deflection tests, leak tests, cycle tests…it really goes on and on, and we do most of it right here.

• How many latches should we put on an access door?  How many hinges?

Our customers look to us for the answers, and we can tell them!

Are you aware of the strength and versatility of injected polyurethane foam wall panels from A.J. Manufacturing?

Independent tests confirm resistance to deflection of 24g foamed steel panels manufactured by A.J. Manufacturing as follows:

• For a 1″ panel with 48″ span, deflection is less than L/240 up to 15″ w.g.
• For a 2″ panel with 48″ span, deflection is less than L/240 up to 31″ w.g.

Foamed panels are a lightweight alternative to mechanically fastened steel sheets.  A 2″ x 48″ x 96″ wall panel of 24g steel weighs just 92 lbs and supports a distributed load of over 5,000 lbs without exceeding L/240  deflection requirements.

We build panels to your size requirements with a choice of exterior skins, and interior reinforcements to meet your needs.  We even produce panels with a full thermal break

For more information, contact bkortbein@ajdoor.com.