These days, you can find doors made of many different materials. These vary widely, and some are better than others at fortifying your home security. Be sure to do your research and consider your options before purchasing one.
Steel (Metal Doors)
Steel doors are commonly used in dry climates. Having steel doors in wet climates make rusting more likely, so take that into consideration as well. Steel doors that are hollow, even those with deadbolts, can be compromised with a crowbar. Your best bet is a steel door with a core of at least 1 ¾ inches paired with a quality deadbolt. Make sure that the strike plate is screwed deeply into the door jamb as well. Steel doors are at their peak when combined with a steel door frame. Just know that steel is easily scratched, dented and is susceptible to rust. Also, a steel door that is paired with a non-steel frame can be pried with a crowbar.
Wood (Wooden Doors)
Wood doors are often the material of choice when it comes to style. There are many different kinds of wood doors – it may be time to upgrade yours to one that offers better security. Wood doors can rot and dent easily, so pay attention to maintenance.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass offers the best of both worlds: it can look nice like wood with the strength of steel. The trade-off with this is the price as fiberglass can be more expensive. Another pro to fiberglass doors is that they are easy to maintain. These doors can withstand any weather conditions, and they won’t contract or expand with temperature fluctuations. Fiberglass can also be customized with paint and the like to match your exterior. Many folks assume that steel is stronger than fiberglass, but a fiberglass door can be reinforced with a steel frame and offer maximum support.
Glass
Glass doors might be difficult to operate. Overall, you’ll want to choose a glass thickness that can withstand pressure and has an opacity that allows you to see through it as needed. Glass door privacy ratings range from 1 to 10, so you can choose what works best for you (10 being the most opaque). When picking the panels that will go on your door, keep in mind that glass is also graded in terms of how shatterproof it is.
Aspects such as energy efficiency should not be disregarded when choosing a door. Overall, steel and wood doors insulate better than wood doors. The structure, as well as the door itself, play a role in the energy efficiency rating of a door.
Security Leave of each doors
When solid doors were battery tested, it was discovered that the door jamb near the lock was the most important aspect of door security. This area always splits on fiberglass, wood, and steel doors. It was discovered that reinforced locks and fastened strike points go a long way toward making a door more kick-resistant. The key to good home security is having the correct combination of door, lock, and reinforcement. Many homeowners ignore the garage door, so make sure that all of the doors going into your home are adequately reinforced.
There are some doors that really take the cake when it comes to being, well, everything-resistant. Master Security manufactures doors that withstand not only intruders, but fires, hurricanes and even bullets. This company started making super strong doors in 1974, when an Italian engineer realized there was a hole in the market. Today, you can find Master security doors sold everywhere. The door even comes with four deadbolts and an anti-pick lock for maximum security. These doors are constructed with reinforced, galvanized 12 gauge steel. Which means, they’re ultra-strong. These doors can withstand our men beating it with a sledgehammer for ten minutes straight. Whether its gunshots or cannonballs, nothing gets through Master security steel doors.
Main Door Mahogany doors are another brand with proven resiliency. When put to a sledgehammer test with another, cheaper steel door, Main Door Mahogany blew the competition out of the water. The cheaper door gave way after nineteen hits, whereas on the Main Door Mahogany, the test stopped at 933 hits due to the crew’s fatigue. Talk about protection.
All of this boasting just goes to show you that a solid door will serve you better than a hollow one every time. Make sure that when you’re upgrading your door, you make sure that it has been tested by a company credited to doing so. These tests contribute to a door’s overall effectiveness rating. It also says a lot when a company is willing to stand behind their door with a warranty, some even going so far as promising to reimburse customers in the event of a break in.
