Protecting your business, home, or workplace is crucial for your and your employees’ safety. An often overlooked security measure is the installation of hollow metal doors. Hollow metal doors can provide additional protection from burglary and are especially useful in commercial settings where multiple people have access to the building. This guide will outline the various types of hollow metal doors and their advantages and disadvantages.
Are Hollow Metal Doors Secure: The 101 on Commercial Steel Doors
Are you pondering the idea of fortifying your property with a security door? And perhaps you’re musing – why not opt for a hollow metal door instead?
Hollow metal steel doors are specially designed commercial doors made from steel sheets that are formed into a hollow core structure. They offer superior strength, durability, and security compared to traditional wooden or fiberglass doors. For several reasons, these doors have become the number one choice for security-conscious businesses and organizations.
Enhanced Security
Commercial steel doors come in various thicknesses; the thicker the door, the more secure they are. Most companies generally find hollow metal steel doors incredibly strong and resistant to forced entry attempts.
Their robust construction makes them difficult to break, kick in, or pry open, providing an added layer of protection to the premises.
Fire Resistance
Commercial and industrial steel doors need to be secure and fire-resistant, ensuring their occupants’ safety.
We are pleased to say that our commercial metal steel doors come with fire ratings, which means they can withstand high temperatures and slow the spread of fire. This feature helps protect valuable assets and allows occupants more time to evacuate safely during emergencies.
Customization
Hollow metal steel doors can be tailored to meet specific requirements like size, thickness, and hardware compatibility. This flexibility ensures they can be installed in various settings while maintaining optimal security levels.
Commercial Hollow Metal Door Gauge & Thickness
Let’s take a closer look at what makes commercial metal doors secure by covering the steel metal gauging system.
Metal gauging for security doors involves measuring the thickness of the steel sheets used in their construction. The strength, durability, and overall security of the door are all determined by its thickness. The gauge number is inversely proportional to the thickness of the metal sheet; smaller gauge numbers indicate thicker sheets, while larger gauge numbers indicate thinner sheets.
For example, a 16-gauge steel sheet is thicker and more robust than an 18-gauge one. As a result of their thicker material, steel sheets are more resistant to forced entry attempts, making them more secure. It is important to consider the gauge and thickness of the steel when selecting a hollow metal door for your commercial property. This will ensure that it meets your specific security requirements.
20 Gauge and 16 Gauge Commercial Hollow Metal Doors for Forced Entry
The applications of 20-gauge and 16-gauge commercial hollow metal doors vary in terms of their resistance to forced entry.
A 16-gauge hollow metal door is thicker and more robust than a 20-gauge door, providing enhanced protection against break-ins, kick-ins, or prying attempts. This makes the 16-gauge door ideal for high-security areas, such as banks, government buildings, and other facilities requiring advanced security measures.
On the other hand, a 20-gauge hollow metal door, while offering a decent level of security, is better suited for locations with moderate security requirements, such as offices, retail stores, or warehouses. In summary, when it comes to resisting forced entry, a 16-gauge commercial hollow metal door is stronger and better equipped to withstand force, making it the preferred option for businesses and establishments that prioritize security.
Polystyrene Core Hollow Metal Doors
Hollow metal polystyrene core doors are commercial doors that incorporate a polystyrene core within their construction. Compared to traditional hollow metal doors, this design feature offers several advantages.
- The polystyrene core, a lightweight yet rigid foam material, is sandwiched between the steel sheets, providing excellent insulation properties and enhancing the door’s overall energy efficiency. This makes these doors an eco-friendly option for businesses looking to reduce their energy consumption and lower utility costs.
- The polystyrene core helps to dampen sound transmission, making these doors an ideal choice for environments where noise reduction is crucial, such as schools, hospitals, or office buildings.
- Lastly, the presence of the polystyrene core adds structural integrity to the door, improving its resistance to impact and forced entry attempts.
Polyurethane Core vs. Polystyrene Core in Hollow Metal Doors
Both polyurethane and polystyrene cores are used in hollow metal doors to enhance their performance and provide additional benefits. Here is a comparison of the two cores in terms of insulation, sound dampening, structural integrity, and environmental impact.
- Insulation Properties:
Polyurethane core: Polyurethane is known for its excellent thermal insulation properties. Hollow metal doors with a polyurethane core have a higher R-value (a measure of thermal resistance) compared to those with a polystyrene core. This results in better energy efficiency and reduced heat transfer through the door.
Polystyrene core: While polystyrene also provides good insulation, it generally has a lower R-value than polyurethane. However, it still offers better insulation than traditional hollow metal doors without any insulation material.
- Sound Dampening:
Polyurethane core: Polyurethane core doors offer moderate sound dampening capabilities, helping to reduce noise transmission between spaces.
Polystyrene core: Polystyrene core doors typically provide better sound dampening than polyurethane core doors. They are more effective at reducing noise transmission, making them an ideal choice for environments where noise reduction is crucial, such as schools, hospitals, or office buildings.
- Structural Integrity:
Polyurethane core: Hollow metal doors with a polyurethane core exhibit increased structural integrity due to the rigid nature of the foam material. This improves the door’s resistance to impact and forced entry attempts.
Polystyrene core: Like polyurethane, polystyrene core doors also have enhanced structural integrity. However, they may be slightly less resistant to impact and forced entry than their polyurethane counterparts.
- Environmental Impact:
Polyurethane core: The production process of polyurethane involves using chemicals that can have negative environmental effects. However, polyurethane core doors can contribute to energy savings once installed due to their superior insulation properties.
Polystyrene core: Polystyrene is an eco-friendlier option compared to polyurethane, as its production process has a lower environmental impact. Polystyrene core doors also contribute to energy savings, although not as effectively as polyurethane core doors.
Steel Stiffened Core in Standard Hollow Metal Doors
Another popular core choice for hollow metal steel doors includes steel stiffened.
Steel-stiffened core doors utilize vertical steel reinforcements within the hollow metal door, adding strength and durability. These doors are ideal for high-traffic areas and situations where extra security is needed, as they offer increased resistance to impact and forced entry attempts.
However, steel-stiffened core doors may not provide the same level of insulation or sound dampening as other core materials.
Comparing Steel Stiffened Doors to Mineral Core Doors
On the other side of the spectrum, we have mineral cores! Mineral core doors feature a dense, fire-resistant material that provides excellent fire protection and insulation.
These doors are commonly used in buildings where fire safety is a top priority, such as schools, hospitals, and commercial establishments.
While mineral core doors may not be as resistant to impact as steel-stiffened core doors, they offer superior sound dampening capabilities and better thermal performance.
In terms of environmental impact, mineral core doors are generally considered more eco-friendly than steel-stiffened core doors due to their lower energy consumption during production and use.
Ultimately, the choice between steel-stiffened core and mineral core doors will depend on the project’s specific requirements, including factors such as security, fire protection, insulation, and noise reduction.
Choose a Heavy Duty Hollow Metal Door to Enhance Security and Safety
Hollow metal doors are an often overlooked but crucial security measure that can provide additional protection from burglary. They come in a variety of styles, sizes, and materials to suit different needs and budgets and provide a cost-effective way to increase the security of your business, home, or workplace. If you’re looking for additional protection for your building, consider investing in hollow metal doors today.
