When updating the security of your business, it’s essential to scrutinize the effectiveness of your current doors. Perhaps now is the opportune moment to explore upgraded options. You can choose commercial doors that can provide enhanced safeguarding for both entry and exit points. You can elevate the security measures at these crucial access points ensuring a safer environment for your business.
When most people think of a secure door, they think first of steel. A strong steel security door is indeed tougher to break through than a door made of fiberglass or wood. But any type of door can be made stronger with a reinforced door frame and jamb, and stronger hardware. Reinforced strike plates, sheet steel plates wrapping under the dead bolt, longer hinge screws, metal blocks and bars, internal locks and laminated glass in window openings all help to make a door harder for an intruder to get through. Naturally, any secure entryway also includes an automated alarm system that alerts you and the police that a break-in is occurring, as well as cameras and motion sensors.
It’s actually more helpful to think of the entryway with all these secure components as an entire security system.
Internal Security Doors are Effective for Protecting Important Assets
While the term “security door” often conjures images of robust exterior commercial doors, it’s important to recognize its broader application within business premises. In certain contexts, a security door can also signify an interior door designed to resist unauthorized entry and protect critical areas. These security doors are essential for protecting important spaces and assets within a commercial building.
Interior security doors play a vital role in protecting areas such as confidential inner offices, server rooms, and locations containing hazardous materials or explosive chemicals. These doors provide an additional layer of security. They ensure that only authorized personnel can access these sensitive areas. By securing these critical spaces, businesses can prevent unauthorized access, theft, and potential hazards, thereby protecting both assets and employees.
Internal Commercial Security Doors Commonly Made of Steel
Typically crafted from steel, these interior security doors are equipped with many of the secure features found in their exterior counterparts. Reinforced door frames and jambs, robust locks, and advanced hardware such as reinforced strike plates and sheet steel plates wrapping under the deadbolt are common features. Longer hinge screws, metal blocks, and bars further enhance the door’s strength, making it resistant to forced entry.
Interior security doors are an excellent upgrade for any commercial building that needs to protect its assets or employees. Whether it’s a door safeguarding a room with sensitive documents, a secure area for valuable inventory, or a room with dangerous substances, these doors provide protection.
Exterior Security Doors Aren’t Much Different
Interior security doors are not so different from their exterior counterparts in terms of their construction and security features. Both types of doors are built to withstand significant force and deter potential intruders. However, interior security doors are tailored to the unique needs of indoor environments. Spaces where aesthetics may also play a role in addition to functionality.
Fire Doors Can Also Be Effective Security Doors
In the realm of security doors, fire doors stand as a distinct and critical category. Their primary function is to contain and prevent the spread of fire, providing a crucial safety feature in any building. However, fire doors also serve a secondary, but equally important, role as security doors, thanks to their robust construction and materials.
Fire Doors Come with a Fire Rating to Protect Your Property
The fire rating of a door is a crucial metric, indicating the duration for which it can effectively contain a fire. This rating is essential for ensuring that the door can hold back flames and smoke long enough for occupants to evacuate and for emergency responders to control the fire. Steel doors are often hailed as the top choice for impeding the spread of fire due to their inherent strength and durability. However, it’s noteworthy that fiberglass and even wood doors can also be engineered to exhibit fire-retardant properties.
Take, for example, wooden doors designed with a mineral core encased in a wooden veneer – a configuration that enhances their ability to resist and contain fire. These materials are chosen for their ability to withstand high temperatures and prevent the spread of flames. Fiberglass doors, similarly, can be manufactured to meet stringent fire safety standards, offering a lighter alternative to steel without compromising on safety.
Fire Security Doors Can Take Advantage of Panic Bars and Other Hardware
In addition to their fire-resistant capabilities, fire doors can be equipped with panic bars and panic hardware to further enhance safety and security. Panic bars are horizontal bars installed on the inside of a door that allow occupants to open the door quickly and easily in an emergency by pushing the bar. This feature is essential for ensuring swift and safe evacuation during a fire or other emergencies. Panic hardware, which includes panic bars, is designed to comply with safety regulations and building codes. They ensure that exit doors function correctly and reliably under stress.
These commercial fire doors can be used both internally and externally in any building. Internally, they are commonly installed in corridors, stairwells, and other critical points to create fire-resistant barriers. Externally, they can provide secure entry points while also ensuring fire protection. Their dual functionality makes them an invaluable asset in comprehensive building safety plans.
Your Security Upgrade Can Also Comply with Building Regulations
In many cases, the installation of commercial fire doors is not just a matter of safety but also a legal requirement. Local building regulations often mandate the use of fire-rated doors in specific areas of commercial buildings to ensure occupant safety and compliance with fire safety codes. These regulations ensure that buildings are equipped with the necessary features to contain fires and protect lives and property.
Beyond their fire-resistant capabilities, fire doors also contribute to the overall security of a building. Their robust construction makes them more resistant to forced entry compared to standard doors. When fitted with appropriate locks and security features, such as panic hardware, fire doors can serve as an effective barrier against unauthorized access. This dual functionality provides peace of mind. The door not only safeguards against fire but also enhances the building security.
Give Sacs Doors and Gate Corp. a call and a consultant can help you put together a system that will make your entryways, interior doors and fire doors more secure.