Fire-Resistant Doors: What You Should Know About Steel Doors

When it comes to protecting your home from fire, you should concentrate on different parts of your home, including your roof and the overall structure. You should also have a front door that is resistant to fire. One such door is one made of steel, but is this the right option for you? Here is more information about steel doors to help you decide if this is the right option.

Where to Install a Steel Door

Steel doors should only be installed between exterior and interior areas, such as your front door, back door, or a side door in your home. There is no reason to install them going into bedrooms or bathrooms. It can be done for security or fire-resistant purposes indoors, but due to their high cost, it isn't very convenient. However, many people decide to install steel doors that go out to their basement or garage. This would help if a fire broke out in your garage due to an oil spill coming into contact with a heat source, and you want to keep it from entering your home through the door.

The Best Buildings for Steel Doors

All types of buildings can have steel doors, though they tend to be more common in industrial buildings and corporate buildings. They are often used in schools and stores since they provide excellent security in addition to fire protection. However, a lot of homeowners are now choosing steel doors due to their various benefits.

What Steel Doors Are Made Of

Despite the name of steel doors, they aren't actually made of solid steel. Instead, the base of the door is made of polystyrene and polyurethane, while the skin over the top of the door is made of a steel material. If it was a solid steel door, it would be too heavy for regular hinges, and very difficult to open and close. There are limited gauges of skins used for steel doors so that they provide fire protection and security, but can still be installed on typical hinges.

Steel Doors as Fire Doors

There are many different types of fire doors, even ones made of wood. It should also be noted that not all steel doors are rated as a fire door. They must have a certain gauge of skin of steel around the core part of the door to be fire-resistant. You should look at the fire rating sticker that is on the door to be sure it is a good fire door for your home. There are also some building codes that require the door to only be used in certain areas, though this is usually for commercial building.

Share