Steel Access Door Features and Benefits

1) All of MIFAB's access doors are painted white. All other manufacturers paint their doors grey. White is an advantage because most access doors are painted over during installation. White is easier to paint over than grey because fewer coats of paint are required to cover the prime finish. If the contractor wishes to use the prime factory finish, our white is more applicable because most walls and ceilings are white or a light colour. (vs. grey).

2) MIFAB's UA access doors (the most common model) have a four piece frame construction. All other manufacturer=s have a frame that is one piece of steel. Usually the door is stamped out of the same piece of steel that produces the frame. MIFAB=s frame construction is unique and results in a more rigid frame because there is overlap with the four pieces interlocked together. The door panel is more rigid than most because there is a 1/4" turnback around all four sides of the panel. This provides extra strength to the door panel - especially on the larger sized doors. The frame made of one piece of steel is not as rigid as MIFAB=s four piece frame.

3) MIFAB=s UA, MPFR and MFRU access doors have rounded outside corners. All other manufacturers have square edged outside corners. The rounded corners are easier for the contractor to handle because scratching and tearing is reduced. Often, the square edged corners catch on contractor=s clothes and/or hands.

4) MIFAB=s UA access doors are 14 gage steel and have a door panel that has a 1/4" turnback around the four sides. This turnback strengthens the door panel. This is especially important on the larger sizes of access doors installed in ceiling applications where there tends to be more flexibility in the door panel.

Plastic access door features and benefits

1) MIFAB=s PA Series of plastic access doors have a door and a frame vs. the single panel that is typical of others. The single panel door can only be attached to the wall or the ceiling with the aid of a flimsy spring on the back of the door. When this spring breaks, the door is useless. The MIFAB PA door has a frame which has locator holes on the back of it to aid the contractor in drilling holes through the four corners of the frame for screwing or nailing into the wall/ceiling. The door=s frame could also be glued to the wall/ceiling.

2) The frame is 1 1/2" wide around all four sides, which provides extra forgiveness for the contractor when installing the door. It is easier with the MIFAB door to cover a rough opening cut made by the contractor, than it is with our competitor=s doors which have a narrower frame around the door.

3) The plastic door has two pull back tabs on the back of the door that a contractor can grip onto to pull the door back into the frame. No other plastic door offers this feature.