On Value Series doors, a slimline lockset with your choice of two finishes is used and cannot be changed or replaced. You cannot supply your own lockset on Value Series doors.

On Classic or Premier Series doors, standard locksets are used. We offer them in 4 finishes and 2 handle styles. If you wish, you can supply your own locks to more closely match those that you already have on the rest of your home. The locks must be available to our installer on the day your door is installed and must have a 2 3/8” backset to fit the door.

You will get a wide range of opinions on this issue, but you need to make the choice that you feel is best for your application. A double deadbolt is activated by a key only on both sides of the door. Without a key, the lock cannot be unlocked. A single deadbolt is unlocked by a key on the outside, but has a thumb turn on the inside of the door. Many fire departments feel that double deadbolts are unsafe to use because a key is not always available for a rapid exit and someone could get trapped in case of a fire. For this reason, there may even be a law in your community requiring single deadbolts and you should check to see if there is such a requirement in your area. On the other hand, for a security door, a double deadbolt is most desirable because an intruder could cut through a vinyl screen and unlock a single deadbolt to gain access to your home, but without a key, they cannot unlock a double deadbolt. If a single deadbolt is used and you desire a more secure door, we recommend using a perforated metal screen that would be difficult for an intruder to penetrate.

Yes, we offer tempered glass as a chargeable option.

Door closers are included on Premier Series doors if you choose to have one for convenience. Door closers are very inexpensive options which you may want to consider adding to your door. A door closer will somewhat limit the swing of the door so that the door will not hit possible obstructions such as outside walls, lights or bushes. In addition, the door closer will help the door close smoothly and prevent slamming. Door closers are not made to fight strong winds and can be damaged if the door is caught by a strong wind, so wind chains are also included with every door. A wind chain is used to limit the swing of the door to avoid obstructions and will fight windy conditions better than a door closer. If needed, wind chains are included in the price of your door.

Deluxe Insect Screen: Supplied by Twitchell Corporation, Super Screen™ is standard on all of our doors because it is the preferred type of screen used throughout the USA. The deluxe grade we use is far superior to standard insect screen and is made of vinyl coated polyester which makes it very durable. The manufacturer guarantees this screen for 10 years. Although very durable, insect screen is not as tightly woven as our other screens, so it will allow more air flow and better vision when looking through the screen to the outside. Insect screen is available in black only and is generally used in most areas of the country that do not have strong, desert like sunshine. This screen is easily removable for cleaning, or to replace it with glass as the seasons change.

Sun/Pet Screen: Also Supplied by Twitchell Corporation, Textilene® 80 screen is available at no extra charge on both our Classic and Premier Series doors, or as an option with a small up-charge on our Value Series doors. Sun/Pet screen is a thicker material and is woven more tightly than insect screen to block out 80% of the sun’s harmful UV rays that damage furniture and carpets. This is especially advantageous in heavy sun areas. In addition, the screen is made of vinyl coated polyester and is extremely durable against damage from pet claws and kids toys. The manufacturer offers a limited lifetime warranty on this product. Because Sun/Pet screen is more tightly woven, it is more difficult to see through and allows less air to pass through. Sun/Pet screen is available in 5 colors and when choosing a screen for your door it is generally best to choose a color that contrasts well with your door color to show off your beautiful door design. For example, choose a black screen with a light colored door or choose a light screen with a dark door color. Again, this screen is easily removable for cleaning or to replace it with glass when the seasons change.

Perforated Metal Screen: Perforated metal screen is a chargeable upgrade on all of our doors. For security, it is mounted behind frame insets so that it cannot be easily removed and should be considered permanent. While the screen is in place, glass can be added inside the frame as the seasons change. Like Sun/Pet screen, this screen has small holes which will cut down on vision and air flow. The powder coat paint finish can be scratched by animals or children and metal screen can be dented. If you are using a double deadbolt, it should not be necessary to use metal screening for security. If you are using a single deadbolt with an inside thumb turn for the latch, a perforated metal screen should be used for security. Again, 5 colors are offered in this screening and a contrasting color to your door color is recommended so that your door design is fully appreciated.

Static force tests are performed with a specific set of parameters established in advance, such as size of door, distance of pull from a door, how quickly force was applied and others. Unless one knows the exact way a test was performed a direct comparison to other tests is impossible. Unique had our doors, as well as others, tested by an independent testing lab to establish minimum requirements for our doors. Our main objective was to prove that the rust free 6063-T6 alloy that we use is engineered to make our frames at least as strong as the 16 gauge steel frames used by other competitors.
Testing to the elastic limits, the independent lab tests showed that our Value Series frames withstood a minimum of 1000 pounds of static force, our Classic Series was more than 1500 pounds and our Premier Series was a minimum of 2000 pounds. These results are clearly superior to others published results.

Most doors are a standard size that is 34” to 36” wide X 80” high, therefore, our designs are based on those dimensions. When a door is thinner or wider than usual, or taller like the 96” high oversized doors, the design has to be stretched or altered to make up for the different dimensions. In barred doors, we may take away some bars in thinner doors or add them to wider doors to keep the integrity of the door and design. In laser cut doors, the design must be changed to fit the height or width and will look different than shown in our catalog due to the size variations. We strive to keep the design as close as possible to the original pattern, but the look may change by door size.

Please refer to our item numbers. The letters in the item number indicate which series the door can be produced in. V = Value Series, C = Classic Series and P = Premier Series. If a number has all 3 letters V,C & P (VCP1009 for example), that pattern is available in all 3 series. If the number has only the C & P (CP2030 for example), that pattern is only available in the Classic or Premier Series. If the number has only the P (P3032 for example) that pattern is only available in the Premier Series. It is important to note which series is wanted with the prefix letter because that dictates your cost of the door. For example, if you want a #VCP1009 style door in a Classic Series, you would order it as #C1009, Dolphins (C = Classic, 1009 = pattern and you should also specify the pattern name, 1009 = Dolphins). Gates that carry a design similar to the doors carry the same number as the door, but the prefix letter changes to a G for gate. So a gate that would match up with the C1009 door would carry the number G1009.

Double Doors or Arcadia Doors can be produced in any Classic or Premier Series door design by either repeating the pattern or reversing the pattern. Any design including those in the Value Series, can be upgraded to a Classic or Premier door.
Double doors have an astragal (center post) that is attached to one of the doors so that when both doors are opened, there is no obstruction. Arcadia doors are hinged in the middle with a set of locks on each end so the customer has easy access to clean the stationary glass.

We currently have an average 35-42 day order completion timeline:
All doors are custom made to your specific measurements and therefore are produced from scratch. The following is a basic chronology of events in the production and installation process. Due to seasonality, the lead time could be extended beyond the 42 days. You would be notified at the time of your order during our first contact if our average lead time is extended.

Day 0 – Order is written at The Home Depot store
Day 1-3 - You are phoned to confirm and review order details
Day 2-3 – Request is sent to installer to measure door opening
Day 3-10 – Site inspection and measure is performed by installer
Day 4-11 – Fax of inspection and final measurements received. Order is generated for production
Day 17-27 Notice of door completion faxed to installer and door is scheduled for shipment to our installer to be delivered within one week of notice
Day 27-35 Installer schedules installation with customer
Day 35-42 Door is installed.

Print your order recap, take it to your local Home Depot store and turn it in to an Associate in the Millworks Department (doors and windows), the Special Order desk, or the Pro Desk, or you can call us toll free at 1-866-497-3667 (Phoenix area 480-988-5000) and we will take your order over the phone and forward it to your local Home Depot store for you.

Because all doors are custom made, orders cannot be cancelled after 3 days from date of order receipt.

Often yes, but it would have to be specially designed and will take longer than our usual timeframe. In addition, to cover the art and computer input charges, it is likely that the door will cost more than the usual series price. Please call our toll free number to discuss the project or send us an e-mail outlining what you wish to have us design for you. After reviewing your request, we can get get back to you with a cost for the project.

Your local Home Depot store will have price lists on their in-store display, generally found in the Millworks (door & window) department.

Generally, No. Unique door prices include the door, measure, screen, threshold, bug sweep, lockset (handle and lock), weather-stripping, and installation. A few selected chargeable options like glass are available.

We will take down the door at no charge. Haul away of the door is your responsibility. We will not re-hang the removed door on another location on the house.

The metal security screen is designed to be permanent and it cannot be easily removed. When the optional metal screen is ordered, it replaces the polyester screen. The polyester screen is then not included with your door. If you still want two screens, there would be an additional charge of $50 for the polyester screen

On surface mount, the 4” lag bolts go through the wood trim into the house framing to assure security. If, for example, the house has stucco roll, we need to do an inside mount which is more difficult, but we still need at least 1” of wood surface to mount to.

Your Unique Home Designs product is constructed from the highest quality materials which will provide you with years of trouble free service and pleasure. As with all fine quality products, correct care and maintenance will help your door or gate last longer and retain its beauty and functionality.

Cleaning and lubrication:
Your door, gate or metal screen product has been painted with the most durable powder coat finish available at this time*. These poly based coatings are very durable and offer far superior resistance to wear and tear over liquid paint. Powder coat paints can be effectively cleaned with a soap and water solution using a mild detergent.

Your vinyl screens can also be cleaned with a mild soap and water solution and must be rinsed well. Screens can be hosed off and dried as well.

Harsh detergents should never be used to clean any part of the door, screen or hardware.

Your locks can be lubricated with graphite periodically to help retard wear and tear and keep the lock operating properly.

Composite woods used in specialty gates can be painted if you wish but will require periodic re-painting as the paint wears. Composite wood cannot be stained.


*As with all painted surfaces, powder coat paints should be protected from objects that can cause scratching or removal of the finish such as bushes, pets, and constant water applications like automatic sprinklers which will void your warranty.

Yes, pet doors are an available option, but only in our Classic and Premier Series doors. Value Series doors are too thin to accept a pet door. Sizes available and prices are shown on our price list / order form. When a pet door is ordered, we must insert a cross bar into the door to mount the pet door against. Solid metal plates are then inserted to the left and right of the pet door to complete the lower portion of the door. The metal plates are painted the same color as the door frame. Depending on the size of the pet door, the design or art on the door is reduced by the height of the pet door. In laser designs, a pet door could somewhat distort the design pattern and must be considered seriously as the beauty of the door will be altered. Further, our frame size is a minimum of 5” at the bottom and depending on your application and the distance from the bottom of the door to the ground, the distance can be as much as 8” to 9”. If you have a small pet with short legs, you need to consider clearance to the ground.

Yes, but additional costs are incurred after the fact. For example, if glass were ordered after the initial installation, you would of course have to pay for the optional glass, but also, we now have to process and ship an additional order and pay an installer to deliver and install the glass. So you would have to pay an approximate $50 for order processing, packing and shipping and $75 for the installer to deliver and install, on top of the optional cost for the glass. Every effort should be made to be sure you are ordering everything you want on the initial order so you do not incur these additional charges later.

The art orientation that is shown in our brochures, in the Home Depot Associate Handbook, or on our web site is exactly the orientation that the door will be shipped in. The swing of the door does not effect the art orientation. If you want a door design modified or reversed, you must advise us when the order is placed.

Not any longer. We've learned that because the posts or walls that the gates are attached to often move with weather conditions or settling, the throw of the latches or deadbolts is often not long enough to work well as the reveal changes. The standard, lockable gate latch works very well in most every application.

Generally yes, however virtually every city, state and individual community have different codes and often different inspector interpretation of codes for pool gates. We cannot possibly keep ourselves versed on all of the codes across the U.S.A. and the constant changes in them. It is your responsibility to make sure the gates that you order conform to your local code, pool code, or Homeowners Association requirements.

We stopped making doors from steel because steel rusts. Just like the other companies that make steel doors and only offer a year or two for a warranty, we could not offer our customes a long enough warranty to protect their investment. With our new architectural grade aluminum alloy materials, strength engineering and multi million dollar state of the art production facility, we can now offer the best product and back that up with the best warranties in the business. To further prove the strength and superiority of our doors, we also include an additional Home Protection Warranty on our Classic and Premier series doors.

We have 2 types of mounting for our doors, a surface mount and a recess mount. Most doors are mounted with a surface mount. The determination of which type of mount best suits your home or your application is made by our installer at the time the site inspection and measure is completed A number of items need to be viewed and considered to determine which type of mount is best or most practical in each application. It is often not possible for you to have a choice of mounting types.