The U.S. market can be an attractive growth direction for Polish door manufacturers. However, having a good product, European test reports and a competitive price is not enough to start selling safely.
In the USA, doors are usually assessed in a specific product configuration and in the context of the requirements of a specific project. What matters is not only the leaf construction, but also the threshold system, glazing, drainage, hardware, installation method and the documentation provided to the architect, distributor and contractor.
Before you send the first quotation or order costly testing, it is worth going through ten areas.
1. Define exactly where the doors will be sold
The United States does not have one universally binding building code for the entire country. In practice, model codes such as the IBC and IRC are used, but they are adopted, amended and enforced by states and local jurisdictions. In addition, some projects are subject to federal requirements, such as ADA accessibility requirements. This means that a door accepted for use in one state will not automatically meet the requirements in another.
That is why different requirements may apply to a single-family house in Texas, a hotel in Florida and a multifamily building in California.
Practical tip: before preparing a quotation, first identify the state, local jurisdiction, building type, door application and the code edition adopted for the project. Only then should you check the technical requirements, testing scope and documentation needed for the specific project.
2. Do not treat European tests as automatic approval in the USA
European test reports show how a construction performs and help plan testing for U.S. market requirements. However, they are not an approval. They are a starting point.
In the USA, different standards are used for testing and classifying fenestration products. One of the most important reference points is NAFS, the North American standard for windows, doors and skylights. Among other things, it defines how constructions are evaluated for water, air, wind and load performance. It is important, however, to distinguish the latest edition of the standard from the edition referenced in a particular code: according to FGIA, NAFS 2022 is referenced in the 2024 IBC and IRC, while NAFS 2026 is expected to be included in the 2027 IBC and IRC editions.
A test report applies to a specific product version. If the door size, number of leaves, opening type, threshold, glazing, hardware, seals, drainage or fastening method changes, the previous result may no longer be sufficient.
Practical tip: before ordering tests, define the base door configuration and the variants that should be covered by the documentation. This reduces the risk of repeating costly tests after a design change.
Source: FGIA, NAFS 2022/2026 and information on references in the IBC/IRC.
3. Evaluate the complete door, not a single component
In the USA, the entire door construction is assessed: profile, frame, leaf, gaskets, hardware, glazing, drainage, fastening and connection to the building.
That is why at Alumaster we do not talk about the threshold as a single element, but as a threshold system selected for a specific profile and door type: exterior, balcony, terrace or sliding doors. The offer includes, among others, 0.0 mm barrier-free systems, drainage elements, base profiles and renovation variants.
In the context of the U.S. market, COMBI PLAN 0.0 mm and magnetic thresholds may be important in certain projects because they address requirements where a flat transition, tightness, water control and user comfort matter. Renovation versions of magnetic thresholds may also be relevant where the project involves modernization or replacement of existing joinery.
Practical tip: prepare a matrix of the complete solution so that you can show a U.S. partner a well-thought-out system ready to be assessed in a specific construction.
4. Check the actual threshold height after installation
In projects accessible to people with disabilities, what matters is not only the catalogue height of the profile, but the actual transition height after installation: between the finished floor and the surface on the other side of the door.
For doorways that must comply with ADA requirements, the threshold height in new construction is generally limited to 1/2 inch, or about 12.7 mm. Level changes up to 1/4 inch, or about 6.4 mm, may have a vertical edge. A change above 1/4 inch and up to 1/2 inch should be beveled at a maximum slope of 1:2.
The model 2024 IBC permits a threshold of up to 3/4 inch, or 19.1 mm, for sliding doors serving dwelling units, but this does not mean that such a threshold can be used everywhere. If the doorway is subject to ADA, local accessibility regulations or specific project requirements, the applicable code edition and the requirements of the relevant jurisdiction must be checked.
This mistake — giving the catalogue profile height instead of the actual transition height after installation — is one of the most common reasons why an inspector or designer questions the documentation.
This is why 0.0 mm solutions such as COMBI PLAN and magnetic thresholds are particularly important in projects where a barrier-free transition matters. They can support the design of a flat transition, provided that the complete door construction, drainage and installation are properly selected.
Sources: U.S. Access Board, ADA Standards/Guide; ICC, IBC 2024.
5. Design drainage before lowering the threshold
The lower the threshold, the smaller the margin for design and installation errors. A flat transition is convenient for the user, but it must work together with well-planned water drainage.
That is why the manufacturer should show not only the door section, but also all elements of the connection between the threshold and the building: drainage method, connection to waterproofing, sealing, slope of the exterior surface and the possibility of cleaning the drains.
In this context, system solutions available for specific COMBI PLAN and magnetic threshold variants are important: a developed drainage system, a transition profile or a system doormat. This allows the threshold zone to be designed comprehensively, rather than as a set of randomly selected components.
6. Plan the tests
Testing should not be left until the end of the project. First, it must be established exactly what is to be tested.
In the USA, testing may cover, among other things, air leakage, water resistance, structural performance under wind load, operating durability and impact resistance. In regions exposed to hurricanes or windborne debris, additional tests may be required, such as ASTM E1886 and ASTM E1996. In Florida, especially in demanding jurisdictions, TAS procedures may also appear.
That is why testing complete constructions is highly valuable. Alumaster has more than 100 tested constructions with threshold systems; however, when communicating with a U.S. partner, it is always worth specifying which configurations, sizes, profiles and scope of application the documentation covers. This helps manufacturers prepare the door configuration more effectively, reduce the risk of selecting the wrong threshold and plan the next testing path faster.
Sources: ASTM E1886, ASTM E1996; local requirements, including TAS procedures where applicable.
7. Separate structural requirements from energy requirements
Energy requirements in the USA should be treated as a separate area of product preparation. Two important reference points in this market are NFRC and ENERGY STAR. NFRC is an independent rating system for the energy performance of windows, doors and skylights, covering among other things U-factor, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), Visible Transmittance (VT), Air Leakage (AL) and Condensation Resistance (CR), depending on the product and label.
ENERGY STAR, in turn, is a voluntary labeling program for products that meet specific energy-efficiency criteria. Criteria for windows, doors and skylights depend, among other things, on the climate zone and, for doors, also on the glazing level. In practice, this means that a specific complete door configuration is assessed, not the threshold, profile or single component alone.
A well-selected threshold technology can support the air tightness and thermal performance of the construction, but it should not be communicated as independent confirmation of NFRC or ENERGY STAR compliance.
In this context, Alumaster threshold systems can be an important element in preparing doors for energy requirements. Their construction, material selection, connectors, insulating elements, thermal-bridge reduction and compatibility with different profile systems allow them to be treated as system solutions rather than single installation accessories. Selected magnetic thresholds may be especially relevant because their construction was developed with energy-efficient building in mind and, in specific variants, may be supported by Passive House certification if the manufacturer has a current certificate for the given configuration.
Sources: NFRC, ENERGY STAR.
Want to learn more about thermal bridges? Read the article in our blog section.
8. Prepare documentation that a U.S. partner can understand
In the USA, documentation must show not only the product, but also its scope of application. The partner should immediately know which door configuration the threshold is intended for, which tests cover it, where the limitations are, and how to carry out fastening, drainage and the connection to the building.
For Alumaster solutions, it is worth basing the documentation package on a specific threshold system: the threshold variant, compatible profile, under-threshold elements, seals, drainage and recommended installation method. This makes discussions with the distributor, designer, contractor and laboratory easier because everyone sees the same configuration.
Practical action: prepare in English a product data sheet, sections in inches and millimetres, testing scope, application limitations, installation and drainage details, maintenance rules and warranty conditions.
9. Check operational readiness
Before entering the market, it is worth determining who is responsible for technical support in the USA, who interprets the documentation for the designer, how complaints will be handled, which spare parts must be available locally and how conformity of serial production with the tested sample will be controlled.
A good solution is to create a list of configurations approved for sale. Any deviation should go through internal technical verification before an offer is presented to the customer.
Practical action: before starting sales, prepare an internal approval process for non-standard configurations.
10. Do not promise more than the documentation confirms
The greatest marketing risk arises when a property of a single component is presented as confirmation of compliance for the whole door or the whole project.
That is why declarations such as “doors compliant with U.S. regulations”, “ADA-compliant threshold”, “European class 9A corresponds to the U.S. water-resistance class” or “system intended for hurricane zones” should be avoided unless they have been confirmed by appropriate tests, approvals and scope of application for the specific configuration.
Safer communication should clearly indicate which construction was tested, according to which standard, in what size, with which threshold and fastening method, what limitations are covered by the report and what requires additional verification in the specific project.
Key takeaway
Preparing doors for export to the U.S. market should start with defining the target market, project requirements and testing scope, not with creating an English-language catalogue.
A barrier-free 0.0 mm threshold can be a competitive advantage if the manufacturer can show how the entire transition zone has been solved: accessibility, drainage, tightness, thermal performance, fastening and the connection between the door and the building. Repeatability of production is just as important, because mistakes in constructions exported from Poland can mean high logistics, service and reputational costs.
That is why the threshold system should be selected at the very beginning of work on the export construction. If you are planning to prepare doors for the U.S. market, send us the construction type, profile system and opening method. We will analyse the possibilities for using the appropriate threshold system and indicate the elements worth verifying before consulting a U.S. partner, laboratory or local building-code specialist.
Want to know more? Check out our offer and see what we can do for you.
