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Construction Trade Damage

 Supply chain lead times for welded hollow metal doors, frames, and hardware have gone from weeks to months in the last two years. It is not unusual to hear about lead times for welded hollow metal frames running as long as six months. Most projects simply cannot tolerate those kinds of lead times. There are reasons for the long lead times. The pandemic is generally accepted as the start of the many supply chain issues companies face today. The shuttering of businesses to reduce the spread of Covid coupled with the length of the pandemic cause supply change shortages and extended lead times across all commodities. Additionally the pandemic highlighted the significant dependence the US economy has on imported goods, steel in particular. As steel production moved overseas, production capacity in the US fell off. When the effects of the pandemic began to loosen in the US, steel continued in short supply because US production capacity could not make up for the import shortages (that continued in other countries due to their Covid issues). In the near-term shortages of steel will continue. Analysts predict an easing of steel supply issues in 2022 but Covid continues to throw the predictions out the proverbial window. While there are projects underway to add steel production capacity in the US, shortage issues, and the related higher prices of steel, will continue to frustrate the markets. One way to alleviate the impact of long lead times is to order the doors, frames, and hardware later in the project. In theory that would allow other portions of the project to proceed in spite of the lack of the ready availability of welded frames. Sounds simple enough except welded frames are installed early in the project, i.e., when the walls are being framed. The alternative is to use knock down frames which are installed after the walls are completed. Knock down frames have been available as long as welded frames. The compromise however is they do not provide the same structural strength or longevity of the welded frames. Customers overwhelmingly prefer welded frames. There is another alternative. The Qwikinstall frame system is a two-piece interlocking welded hollow metal frame that installs after the walls are complete. It installs with 1 person, in 6 steps, in 6 minutes. No other welded frame installs faster than Qwikinstall and no other frame combines the strength and durability of welded frame with the benefits of installation after the walls are complete. If welded hollow metal frames are negatively impacting your project timeline, do yourself a favor and look into the Qwikinstall welded hollow metal frame solution.

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