Security Door Buying Guide

If you want to improve your home’s security without compromising ventilation and fresh air, a security door is just what you need. With home invasions still a reality, it’s crucial homeowners put security methods in place to protect their property, possessions and families. Knowing what you should look for when you start the buying journey goes a long way if you are not sure which door to buy. Read our handy guide to buying the best security door for your home.

Choosing The Best Kind Of Door

When it comes to choosing your door type, you first need to think about the amount of security you need, the look you want, and the amount you’re willing to spend.

Homes in areas with higher crime rates and more break-ins could benefit from a higher-end security door that offers superior protection. These doors often come with high-grade steel mesh and a three-point locking system.

If you don’t need such a heavy-duty door, but you’d still like a visual deterrent and a secure product, a standard aluminium diamond grille door will be perfect for your needs.

The Right Material

Most security doors are made with aluminium frames. While some steel-framed security doors are still available, these aren’t as popular as steel does tend to rust and aluminium-frame doors come with high-standard stainless steel mesh. Steel-framed doors are more likely to be sold as “steel gates” or “steel security gates/doors”. They tend to be of a more dated, heavy and bulky design, meaning that homeowners need to take greater care when closing the door to prevent injury.

With aluminium-framed doors by far the more popular choice, there’s a lot of range to choose from. Ultimately, you want a product that has a high-quality frame and screen infill to give you the best chance of security.

Knowing What To Look For

Each type of security door comes with a different look, style and security level.

Materials

Unless your security door is manufactured according to Australian Standards, it won’t offer any real protection. These Standards require doors to be tested for quality assurance. Locks are crucial to any door, and you want to make sure the lock you choose meets regulations. You might choose a standard lock, which resists forced entry, a hook lock, which makes it difficult for the door to be pried away from the frame, or a three-point lock that comes with three latches for ultimate protection.

Security doors are also corrosion-resistant, to hold up against rust and deterioration.

The frame of your door is the most fundamental aspect. The quality of your door is determined by its frame strength and how well the infill is secured to the frame. Most infills are secured using rivets and pressure retention systems, with rivets tending to be more commonly used. Also, don’t neglect your hinges. Security doors should always have three fixed hinges for guaranteed quality.

Infills are usually made of stainless steel mesh, aluminium perforated sheets, and aluminium grilles. Mesh is the most popular option – it looks modern, is unobtrusive, and doesn’t compromise on security.

Cost

The main cost difference regarding doors is the type of frame. Standard and heavy-duty frames are priced differently and different suppliers carry their own particular standards which may affect how much you’ll pay. Size is also a factor, with larger doors costing more.

Need A Quality Security Door? Choose Althaus Security Screens & Doors

For security screens Townsville homeowners know and trust, there’s no one better than Althaus Security Screens & Doors. We’ve been serving the local area since 1996 with quality screen installations you can rely on. We also partner with Crimsafe, offering Crimsafe iQ and Ultimate mesh for even better security. Contact us today on (07) 4637 9111 to learn more or to arrange a quote.