National Guard Products

Since 1935, National Guard Products (NGP) has manufactured weather stripping and threshold products. They have added a lite kit and louver line for steel and wood doors, and offer over 20,000 products including traditional door seals, thresholds, gasketing, sound seals and door bottoms.

A History of Quality…

Founded in Memphis, Tennessee by Charles F. Smith, Sr., National Guard Products initially focused on residential window and door products. With modernization came challenges to this industry, which was met with products such as smoke and acoustical gaskets. In the 1970’s, with the world’s shift in mindset to conserve energy, National Guard Products began to manufacture products to help use less energy in the home and office without sacrificing comfort. They still do this today with innovative products like their automatic door bottoms and nylon brush gasket product lines. ‘Going green’ continues to be foremost on their mind with all new product innovations and investments.

During this time of focusing on cleaner energy conservation, National Guard Products was asked to assist the Architectural Hardware Institute in the development of a curriculum to teach the importance of weather stripping as an effective energy conservation method. To this day, the NGP program is still taught at the Institute. In cooperation with Underwriters Laboratories, NGP conducted the first fire door testing using their fireproof gaskets. Their fireproof gaskets proved to be one of the best methods of saving lives by inhibiting smoke and fire infiltration around the fire door.

Products and Brands

National Guard Products has quickly become an innovation leader. Their product listing includes the following:
‘Weatherstripping: Gasketing and Edge Sealing Systems for fire doors, including positive pressure fire doors and smoke and draft control door assemblies is U.L. Classified and identified with the appropriate symbols to indicate these classifications. Gasket materials are available in Neoprene, Silicone, Polyurethane, Nylon Brush, Pile, and Vinyl. Weatherstripping is available in Anodized Aluminum, Dark Bronze Anodized, Gold Anodized, Solid Brass or Stainless Steel. Gasketing with the BHMA Certified symbol meet ANSI/BHMA A156.22-1996.

‘Thresholds‘: Aluminum Thresholds are of alloy 6063, hardness T5. Also available in Dark Bronze Anodized (DKB) finish. Brass/Bronze Thresholds (BR) are of Extruded Architectural Bronze material and are available polished or oxidized dark and oil rubbed. Stainless Steel Thresholds are of type 304 material, #4 finish and are available polished or brushed. Thermal Barrier Thresholds have a PVC insert that prevents cold from transferring to the inside section. Ramps are available in Aluminum or Rubber interlocking design. Thresholds with the BHMA Certified symbol meet ANSI/BHMA A156.21-2001. Custom Fabricated Thresholds made from assembly plates and ends are available.

‘Door Louvers‘: NGP Louvers feature an inverted “V” design blade with hemmed edges providing a clean appearance and allowing 70% free area for maximum ventilation. Designed for use on Commercial Wood and Metal doors. Louver frames have reinforced welded corners. Louvers are available for 1-3/8” to 2-1/4” thick doors. NGP Louvers are available in a variety of powder coat finishes including Dark Bronze, Tan, White, Gray Primer, Beige Primer, Black and Aluminum. Anodized Aluminum material is also available.

‘Door Lites‘: Designed for use on Commercial Wood and Metal doors. NGP offers Door Lites in Low-Profile Beveled, Square, Square with False Mullion Bars, and Several Security Lite configurations with Lattice security grids, privacy flaps, and Burglar Resistant glazing materials. Lite kit frames have reinforced theylded corners. Door Lites for fire doors, including positive pressure fire doors are U.L. Listed. Lites kits are available in a variety of powder coat finishes including Dark Bronze, Tan, White, Gray Primer, Beige Primer, Black and Aluminum. Polished Stainless Steel is available in certain profiles. NGP Door Lite Kits are designed with screws visible only on the inside that attach through the door cut out to the outside lite kit frame. Thru-Bolts are an available option on some designs. NGP offers a variety of glass for use in their Lite Kits including Pilkington Wire Glass, FireLite, FireLite NT, FireLite Plus, Pilkington Pyrostop, Tempered, Insulated Tempered and Polycarbonate Tuffax A.

‘Astragals‘: Astragals are available in Anodized Aluminum, Dark Bronze Anodized, Gold Anodized, Solid Brass, and Stainless Steel finishes with Neoprene, Silicone, Polyurethane, Nylon Brush, Pile and Vinyl gaskets. Astragals with the BHMA Certified symbol meet ANSI/BHMA A156.22-1996. Astragals for fire doors, including positive pressure fire doors and smoke and draft control door assemblies are U.L. Classified and identified with the appropriate symbols to indicate these classifications.

‘Fingerguard‘: Fingerguard is a unique product designed to prevent injury to children who may place their fingers behind the hinge edge of a door when it is open and then are injured when the door is closed by a person or door closer. This item features a non-flammable polyethylene fabric that is pulled across the hinge edge of the door and remains tight by a spring-loaded mechanism that it retracts into when the door is closed. This is available in Aluminum with white fabric, or Dark Bronze with Black fabric. Fingerguard is UL classified for use on fire doors.

‘Door Bottoms‘: Automatic Door Bottoms, Door Sweeps and Door Shoes are available in Anodized Aluminum, Dark Bronze Anodized, Gold Anodized, Solid Brass, and Stainless Steel finishes with Neoprene, Silicone, Polyurethane, Nylon Brush, Pile and Vinyl gaskets. Door Bottoms with the BHMA Certified symbol meet ANSI/BHMA A156.22-1996. Door Bottoms for fire doors, including positive pressure fire doors are U.L. Classified and identified with the appropriate symbols to indicate these classifications.

Corporate Responsibility and Citizenship

Scholarship Program
National Guard Products sponsors the DHI Scholarship program. The DHI Education Foundation rewards qualified individuals with scholarships that can be used for DHI technical programs.

NGP is Focused on Green
Recycled content is a prime contributor under the Materials and Resources credits 4.1 and 4.2. Many of National Guard Products items contribute between 70 to 80% of the aluminum and brass/bronze alloys contained in their thresholds and metal gasketing retainers comes. A lot of focus is on building design and major systems in buildings (like the HVAC and lighting systems) which consume energy. The Indoor Environmental Quality is another major segment where points can be achieved. National Guard Products commits to work hard in complying with LEED® , etc. to produce products to help use less energy in the home and office without sacrificing comfort.

Warranty

National Guard Products are guaranteed to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of five years from date of manufacture.
This warranty is limited to defective materials only. National Guard Products has a history in both saving lives and conserving energy, and strive to remain the industry’s innovation leader.