As the first thing visitors notice when coming to your home, the entry door is both a symbol of invitation and a bastion against intrusion, so choosing the right one is critical to the appearance of your home as well as its security and privacy.

Entry doors, unlike their inside cousins, must be sturdy enough to withstand the elements and maintain their welcoming good looks. Generally, there are three choices in entry door materials, each with benefits and limits: wood, metal, and composite.

Solid wood doors are among the most coveted for entries because of their timeless beauty and historic authenticity. Hardwoods such as maple, oak, and walnut are used to make some of the most elegant and unique doors imaginable. However, wood doors require a good deal of upkeep, are prone to warping and splitting, and are not especially good insulators. Hollow-core doors should never be used for exterior purposes.

Metal doors, especially steel, may be a better choice in the long run as they boast high R-values, are highly fire resistant, and usually cost about half as much as solid wood. Aesthetically, metal doors don’t stack up to wood, but manufacturers have made great strides in the past few years to make them look less industrial. And their paintable surface makes matching siding simple. Steel doors may rust or corrode and, if not good quality, are prone to dents. Choose a door made from thick-gauge steel for beauty and longevity.

Composite doors, either wood or fiberglass, are an appealing choice as they combine all the best properties of wood and metal. They have the rich, warm look and feel of wood and provide the insulation properties of steel without the maintenance requirements. Fiberglass composite doors usually include a polyurethane core making them among the best insulators. They are the perfect choice for extreme climates and weather, as temperature differentials do not affect them. They are a bit pricier than steel doors, however, and much heavier. Wood composite doors may be formed of fiberboard, particleboard, oriented strand board, plywood, or combinations of these. They also include foam cores for insulation.

To help protect the surfaces of their doors, many manufacturers add vinyl cladding, which also adds a layer of insulation. Look for this feature on both steel and composite doors.

Options for Entry Doors

To glamorize the entry door, manufacturers offer enhancements such as glass inserts, raised panels, transoms, and sidelights. In addition, it is now possible to find doors in a huge range of widths and heights to create an entryway that is truly spectacular.

When checking out the various choices in entry doors, remember to stick with a reputable manufacturer that offers a solid warranty. Once your door is in place, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for maintenance to keep your entry looking it’s very best.

Do you know what a “PA door” is?

It’s a question we get often because the term is so common in the door industry and because there seem to be so many definitions.

If you look around at various websites, you’ll see that some companies refer to PA doors as “public access doors”.  That’s not the definition we would choose because doors are often meant to keep out the public.

Another common definition you see on other sites seems to say that PA doors are “personal access doors”.  I don’t think this is necessarily correct either.  The access you are trying to create isn’t “personal” to one particular person but rather for any individual who has been granted access.

In my opinion, the real meaning of PA door is “personnel access door”.  These doors are meant to allow personnel ie. people to access a particular enclosed space.  These doors are made the size of people, as opposed to garage-sized doors which are meant for vehicular access.

Spartan Doors makes a wide range of PA doors or “personnel access doors” that will suit almost any purpose.  We make pre-hung shed door systems that will keep your shed and equipment secure.  We manufacture steel container door systems that will stand the test of time. Our substation doors are used in electrical and industrial projects around Australia.

Not because they are made to be more sturdy than private or residential doors doesn’t mean commercial or industrial doors are indestructible. They too can be worn out with the frequency of use or as much as we hate to admit, the frequency of abuse. A good quality commercial door is not cheap and facility managers/ officers don’t always have the budget to replace such at hand. Most of the time, an approval and budget request needs to be made first and it can take from several days to a few weeks to be processed, can be a pain in the neck right? Unfortunately, not all wounds can be treated with just a band-aid, repairs aren’t always good enough. So how do we determine when to replace a damaged industrial door? We have put together a list of the most common types of damage that requires door replacement.

When To Replace a Damaged Industrial Door: Identifying The Damage

 

# 1 Compromised Core

It is already a given fact that commercial doors can’t be hollow-core as they wouldn’t be strong enough for its intended use. That being said, if a commercial door’s core was damaged in any way,  the integrity of your first line of protection is already compromised.  Any repair done to a door with the core already ruined is futile. A repair might extend the life of the door for a while but it will still eventually give in to busy traffic. The costs will just be doubled if you repair because it will not take long and you would need to do another repair.

 

 

 

# 2 Delamination

Delamination is when a composite material starts to fail and layers start to get separated.  This can be caused by cyclic stress and impact or long exposure to elements among other things. The thing is, any multi-layer binding when it is unbound, there is no way it can be placed back as it was. It is better to replace the door as opposed to frequent repairs.

 

 

# 3 Rusting

Contrary to popular belief, rusting generally starts inside a metal door. If you see a door starting to rust on the surface, there’s a good chance that more rusting can be found inside. Rusted metals can no longer be repaired. Painting it will only slow the process but it rust will continue to eat the metal.

Note: Prevention is better than cure. Use a galvanneal coated door from the get-go and you can have an assurance that your industrial door is more rust resistant as opposed to non-coated doors.

 

# 4 Vandalism/ Forced Entry

If a damage is due to forced entry, chances are the locks have been dismantled and possibly the area where it is installed is damaged as well. This can prove to be a bigger security threat since you can no longer install another lock securely on that damaged area. Even if you are able to, It will be more susceptible to vandalism attempts.

Note: If your security has been compromised by forced entry, consider using a different locking mechanism/ hardware when you replace your door since you already know that the last one you used has weak points that can be taken advantage of.

 

# 5 Type of Damage: Door Frame

If the door frame is already askew and no longer level, the tendency is a poorly fitting or not fitting at all door. Trying to or forcing a door to fit a deformed frame might just cause further damage to both the frame and the door. There is also the case of hinges no longer securely attached or misfitting door hardware and compromised locks.

 

Note:

If the deformity of the frame can still be straightened back up for the door to fit perfectly again, repair the frame.

If the damage is too much and couldn’t be corrected anymore, replace the frame.

The door only needs replacement if the frame damage has been existing for a while and it already propagated to the door.

 

The following types of damage can still be corrected and repaired:

 

• Minor hinges issues – Ensure that only the hinge itself is damaged and not the door stiles. Damaged stiles mean you can no longer re-attach a new hinge securely and will present a high-security risk.

 

• Shallow dents – First, ensure that the damage is just on the surface and it did not penetrate to the core. If that is the case, you can apply some steel putty to fill in the dent, let it dry. Once dry, sand until smooth and leveled with the door surface. Paint/ coat.

If you are in the industrial line of business like manufacturing or if you own a warehouse and/ or commercial building, there is a big possibility that you have a loading/ unloading dock or any type of large entrance. Although this is a necessary part of the structure and running your business, the fact still remains that a larger entrance also means a higher risk of security breach.  So how do you ensure that your facilities, merchandise, and employees are safe? Check out Spartan Doors’ tips on ways to improve building security for entrance and loading docks.

Ways To Improve Building Security Tip# 1: Closed Door Policy

 

Implement a closed-door policy on your loading docks and employee entrances. Since most loading docks have roll-up doors not for them to get in the way of large cargos going in and out, the tendency is they are left open during the whole working day with or without deliveries. Do not let this be a common practice in your facilities. Closing and opening roll-up or any type of wide doors for that matter may look like an extra work to do for your employees but the added security of a closed door cannot be underestimated.

Tip# 2: Regular Inspection and Maintenance

Shattered windows, dented doors, partially unhinged doors, holes in the ceiling and other types of what seems to be a minor damage to your facilities may present an opportunity to those who have a devious motive. Make sure you conduct regular inspections and immediately have any minor damage repaired. Replace whatever needs replacing.  

Tip# 3: Take Advantage of the Available Technologies

 

Make use of CCTV and surveillance cameras and/ or advanced alarm systems apart from having security guards in your area.  This is handy for any unforeseen incident. Sometimes, even just the site of them (CCTV cameras) make threats be wary of what they are planning to do.

Tip# 4: Use The Right Security Doors

Identify the security threats based on your line of business and/ or the location of your structure and right door to keep it secured. Are you in an area that is a frequent path of tornadoes or storms? Then use a tried and tested cyclone rated door. Are you at risk of theft and burglary, possibly armed robbery? Then a bulletproof door might be more appropriate. Again, based on nature or your business, you will be able to identify which security door will be best suited.

Tip# 5: Hardware

To seal off the deal, make sure that you use the right hardware to go with your security door. Hinges, locks, and handles can be vulnerable parts of an entrance/ door installation. Even if you are using a very durable and well-engineered security door, if you have the flimsy hardware it just might defeat the purpose. Costs are usually considered more often than we’d like, just think about the savings in the long run by preventing unwanted intrusion in your business.

 

Make use of these basic and simple ways to improve building security and lower the risk of any type of intrusion. For more information on various types of specialized and security doors, contact Spartan Doors and let us know your requirements.