Sustainability and design come together in biobased front door 

Production always customized

With the Weekamp BioComfort insulating front door from the Earth series, door manufacturer Weekamp Deuren presents the ultimate in sustainability, quality and design. The flat front door is made from recycled wood combined with a bio-based (wood fiber) insulation core. "Just like the rest of our door range, each BioComfort insulating front door is produced exactly to size," says Hans Mascini, general manager of Weekamp Deuren. "This allows architects and homeowners to implement specific wishes. From wood type to size, style and finish. Even hardware can be fully customized. Each new door incorporates the hardwood from four to five old doors. This closes the raw material chain as much as possible, without sacrificing the quality, high insulation values and design freedom one is accustomed to from Weekamp Deuren."

The Weekamp BioComfort insulating front door was grandly presented at the Renovation & Transformation Fair in May in Den Bosch, where it was also nominated for the Sustainable Innovation Awards 2024. The first reactions to the sustainable and biobased door are laudatory, says Mascini, who has great expectations. 

"As a result of high energy prices and the 2050 climate goals, housing corporations are accelerating the insulation and sustainability of their homes. Our BioComfort insulating front door fits perfectly into their strategy towards a sustainable and gas-free housing stock. Moreover, the application of this front door provides architects and contractors with valuable points in tender processes." 

The use of biobased and recycled materials contributes significantly to government goals regarding sustainable material use.

Second life for old doors

At the heart of the BioComfort insulating front door is recycled hardwood, harvested mainly from old housing projects. "The old doors released from renovation projects are actively collected by our recycling partners, sorted by type of wood by us and offered to a social workshop," says Mascini. "Here, people with a distance to the labor market (Social Return) take great pleasure in disassembling the doors. All the wood is cut into small blocks by them, separating the good from the obsolete pieces. Hinges, nails and glass are separated for further recycling. And old paint residue is also removed from the wood, after which the wood is transported to our factories. Here the wood is finger-joined and laminated."

In the fingering technique, pieces of wood interlock via special wedge-shaped teeth, allowing the wood to be made to the desired length and removing defects and stresses from the wood, he says. "This results in perfectly straight and stronger wood, less shrinkage and swelling, less residual waste and excellent insulation value. Several discussions are currently taking place with recyclers to keep the flow of recycled hardwood from old doors up to speed."

Sustainable insulation

The finger-joined sections are utilized as the edge timber for the BioComfort insulating front door, says Mascini. "Between these comes an organic wood fiber board that serves for thermal insulation and achieves significantly higher sustainability scores than standard XPS or EPS insulation. The whole thing is finished with Tricoya wood from Ireland, which comes from sustainably managed FSC forests." 

New step in sustainability

With the BioComfort insulating front door, Weekamp Deuren is taking another step in sustainability, Mascini emphasizes. "A next step may be to also apply bio-based paint and recycled glass. In addition, we are following the possibilities for recycled hardware." 

The BioComfort insulated front door is now available. Many different models are available, such as fully closed or glazed doors with a square, rectangular, round or oval window and possible sills. All doors can be delivered fully painted, allowing them to be assembled and hung immediately.

Weekamp Deuren has been the specialist in wooden doors for 45 years. Since 2019, the company has been part of Deli Home, which also markets structural and decorative home products from Skantrae, Bruynzeel, CanDo and Lundia.