The pandemic and the resulting lockdown, the massive rise in positive cases and the unprecedented health crisis that the country is dealing with right now have impacted the real-estate sector, bringing various projects to a standstill. Even as RERA and the Central Government have announced a relaxation in project completion timelines citing the current crisis, the delay is set to have financial ramifications for the real-estate sector. Under such circumstances, the use of pre-hung doors in potentially reducing timelines for project completion is gaining popularity among developers. The benefits Apart from helping to manage timelines and drive faster completion rates, pre-hung doors have also been helpful to bring uniformity and international standards of product quality and longevity, an easy and efficient installation process and a range of aesthetic enhancements for doors. Additionally, conventional construction methods also meant developers had to deal with multiple vendors for doors, doorframes, hardware, polishing, etc. With pre-hung doors, the entire responsibility for service of doors and frames remains with one vendor, which is easier and more convenient for builders as they are officially liable to take responsibility for the construction for five years as per RERA norms. For an industry that suffered with managing unorganised and unskilled labour for construction, dealing with delays and often unchecked quality processes, pre-hung doors come as a timely solution. Here are four key benefits of pre-hung doors that could help developers to not only complete their projects faster but get quality checked and reliable products and skilled and well-trained installation experts. Ready-to-install solution: Pre-hung doors, manufactured in a 100 per cent controlled, factory setup, are designed for effective, speedy and efficient installation. Often handled by dedicated installation supervisors, pre-hung doors are delivered to the site and installed, keeping in mind all standard operating procedures (SOPs) through trained and certified door installation contractors. The basic principle followed allows de-skilling of all site operations and getting the product ready from the factory in such a way that the doors, frames and architraves set can be installed easily in less than one hour on site. Internationally approved quality: Some leading pre-hung door manufacturers gaining popularity in India offer doors that comply with all the quality requirements of IS-2202. From use of the highest quality of engineered wood material to imported, finest finishing materials like Olefine foils that guard against UV light damage for five years and HPL laminating procedures using high-frequency press, all raw materials are consistent in terms of quality and performance. Further, use of strong adhesives, mostly imported from countries like Japan and Germany (countries leading the pre-hung doors design and concept), allows for longer durability of doors, such that they can withstand the demanding usage conditions of Indian homes. Uniform and aesthetic product: As doors are manufactured in a factory environment, they go through rigorous quality checks for durability and performance. With uniform and superior quality raw materials, trained and skilled staff and an assortment of designs and aesthetic finishes, pre-hung doors offer a vast variety. Further, the well-organised and streamlined manufacturing process ensures that every product is of a superior, uniform quality that adds to the overall value of a real-estate project. Customisation: One of the biggest benefits of pre-hung doors is the range of customisation available to developers. With factory-made precision, developers can choose from an existing product range or request for bulk customisation depending on project requirements, which can be manufactured, delivered and installed in record time with the utmost quality control and efficiency, leading to a perfectly finished project. While most of the above are significant aspects when choosing pre-hung doors over doors made from scratch at the construction site, the key is empanelling the right brand and installation partner. There are currently several Japanese and German brands in the market that have gained a good reputation and popularity for their products, finish and durability. It is not long before these will become an integral part of all quality real-estate projects across the country.About the author: Kirit Joshi, Co-Founder and Director, Spacewood Furnishers, graduated in mechanical engineering from VNIT in Nagpur. He co-founded Spacewood in 1996 as an engineer and first-generation entrepreneur. He leads the design and marketing team of the brand.