The most popular materials for a residential door are wood and fibreglass. Steel doors are usually found in commercial buildings, but they also offer plenty of benefits as a residential door.
What are Steel Doors Made of?
Believe it or not, steel doors are not solid steel. They are actually made of a polyurethane or polystyrene core with a steel skin over the top. While a solid steel door would be too heavy and would most likely tear out the hinges, the steel skin provides the necessary strength and durability. A wood frame, called a stile, surrounds the perimeter of the door. None of the polyurethane or polystyrene is visible on the edges of the door. Steel and most metals are great conductors of heat and cold, so the steel skin helps to keep the interior of the door at a comfortable temperature. In addition, steel doors are highly resistant to fire and impact, making them a safe choice for both commercial and residential applications.
Factors to Consider Before Purchasing a Steel Door
Cut-Outs
Make sure that the door you purchase has all the cut-outs you want. It is very difficult to cut through the door, so if you decide to include a pet door or a windsor after you purchase a solid door, it may not be so easy. If you want to add cut-outs to a steel door, your best option is to hire a professional door installer.
Coating
Steel doors are already equipped with a factory-applied primer ready for paint by brush or spray gun. Others come with an additional PVC vinyl layer adhered to steel skin that gives the door a particular colour or look like wood grain. PVC vinyl layers are tough to paint if you later decide to paint your door a different colour.
Door Installation and Replacement
My Custom Doors is happy to assist retailers, dealers, builders and homeowners to provide professional installation services warranted by us. Feel free to contact our installation department.
Weather
Steel doors are fairly resistant to inclement weather, and are on the same level as fibreglass and wood. If you’re worried if your door is weather resistant, it’s best to install a storm door in front of your new steel door.
Scratching
Steel doors will definitely scratch, especially when it comes to metal scratches. It’s also difficult to remove these types of scratches. The only solution for a scratched steel door is usually repainting it.
Pros and Cons of Steel Doors
Pros
The biggest benefit to having a steel door is its strong outer shell. It would be incredibly difficult for an intruder to try and break through the door itself.
The majority of steel doors are fire-rated. Steel doors with a 20-gauge skin are said to have a 20-minute fire rating. Most building codes require a fire-rated door to be installed between the house and garage.
Cons
Because of their weight, steel doors can be very difficult to install on your own, but it can be done.
The outer shell of a steel door does not allow sanding and filling with wood putty if your door has dents or scratches.
Steel doors might seem like the strongest option against any intruders, but in fact, they are no better against intruders than high-quality wood and fibreglass doors.