Security Door Buying Guide

Spring is here, it’s starting to get hot and stuffy and you want to leave the door open to get a breeze. The problem is that leaving the door open makes it easier for intruders to get into your home. You can fix this by buying a security door to let the air in while preventing someone from sneaking in.

All security doors provide some level of protection, but given enough time and the proper tools, all doors are penetrable. The trick is finding the right door for your needs.

What kind of security door do I need?

It all depends on how much security you’re after and the look you want for your home. If you live in an area with a lot of break-ins, you might want to get a steel door with steel mesh – this is our Invisi-gard range. If you just want the appearance of security while still looking good, we offer a range of aluminium doors with steel mesh. Maybe you don’t mind the look of the industry standard aluminium door with the ‘diamond’ pattern grille. Or you might just want something cheap and easy to keep the bugs out – these are called screen doors, flyscreen doors, or mesh doors.

What to look for

There are lots of different types of doors out there with many different combinations of features and styles. You must be aware that sometimes a product will be advertised as a “security screen door” when in fact it will only secure you against flies. Also, you might encounter claims that a door is equivalent to a better-known brand, such as Invisi-gard. These claims are difficult to verify and if in doubt, check with the company being used as a comparison.

One clear indicator of a quality door is that it is custom made. This is because to secure a door correctly it must fit tightly into a unique doorway with only millimeters to spare.

Door Frames

Most doors are made from either steel or aluminium.

• Experts agree that a steel door – properly made and installed – is the best way to secure your home. And if your door meets the Australian Standards – as Invisi-gard does – you’ll be protected against coastal corrosion as well.
• Aluminium is the other most common door frame but offers slightly less strength than its counterpart.
• The strongest door frames should have a deep receiver channel for the grille or mesh to be inserted into. As a rule of thumb, the larger the channel means a stronger door.

Grille or Mesh

The next part of the door is the infill, this goes into the receiver channel. These are made from steel, aluminium, or cast aluminium decorative grilles.

• Steel doors use plastic clamps or screws to hold the steel mesh in place. Plastic clamps reduce the risk of galvanic corrosion from the frame coming into contact with the mesh. Although doors that use screw clamps claim the mesh is held better, however there is no independent evidence to support this. People within 5km of coastal areas are better served with plastic clamps – like those used in making Invisi-gard products – as corrosion will destroy the door long before it is kicked in by an intruder.

Locks and Hinges

Key locks should operate with a five-pin cylinder or equivalent. A three-point lock – commonly referred to as a triple-lock – adds extra security by preventing the bottom and top of the door from being wrenched back by an intruder. Triple-locks also spread the force of an attack.

Doors either have two, three, or four hinges depending on the size and need of the door. Standard aluminium doors and screen doors all come equipped with two hinges, while stainless steel doors (such as Invisi-gard) and doors with triple-locking systems all come with three hinges. Four hinges are often used when a door is taller than the standard 2 metre height.