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What is a Double Steel Door?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

A double steel door is a door made from two panels of steel separated by a layer of insulation. There are a number of applications for double steel doors, with these doors typically being seen in commercial and industrial settings, although people can also install them at home. Many manufacturers make double steel doors along with matching frames, and the doors can be installed by any competent contractor. Manufacturers can also provide customers with detailed specifications which provide information about the size of a door and frame, the environments where it can be used, and how to install the door properly.

One of the primary purposes for installing a double steel door is fire safety. In a structure which is designed to be fire resistant, double steel doors provide a method of passage through a fire-resistant wall without impairing fire safety. The doors are typically given a rating which indicates how many hours of high temperatures they can withstand, and they may be required by law in many structures, such as schools. The double layered design paired with insulation makes it very difficult for a fire to penetrate the door unless temperatures climb extremely high or the fire burns for many hours.

Man with hands on his hips
Man with hands on his hips

Double steel doors also provide sound resistance, thanks to the layer of insulation. Some manufacturers stock doors which are unfilled, allowing customers to order the insulation product they want, and several companies offer insulation brands which are designed to provide acoustic baffling. Usually soundproofing is not the only reason to install a double steel door, but it can be a pleasant benefit in noisy environments where fire safety is a concern.

These doors are also used as security doors. It is difficult to penetrate a double steel door which has been hung correctly and outfitted with an appropriate lock. Using such doors can reduce security concerns for a structure, making it safer to work in. In high security environments, double steel doors may be legally required to protect data or other sensitive material.

A double steel door may be solid or equipped with a viewing window. The security and fire ratings of the door will be altered by the window, with the size, thickness, and level of reinforcement in the window all playing a role in how the door can be rated. These doors may be installed indoors to provide fire resistance and separation between rooms and corridors in a building, and they can also be installed at entrances.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a AboutMechanics researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a AboutMechanics researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

Drentel

@Feryll - Thieves will try to choose a house that they can get into and out of quickly so there is less chance that they will be spotted by a neighbor or someone passing by. With this in mind, what you want to do is make getting into your house take as long as possible.

Adding a good secure storm door is a way to make your home less attractive to thieves. A good storm door means the thieves have to go through two doors instead of only one to get into your house. If the second door is a double steel door that is properly installed then that it even better.

Animandel

@Feryll - I'm guessing that a double steel door is not cheap. Something else you might want to consider to make your current door more secure is to add a protective film over the glass. This is a relatively new product that makes it virtually impossible for anyone to break the glass that the film is attached to.

Feryll

Recently, there have been several break-ins and robberies in houses in a community near where I live. Last night I took a close look at our back door and realized that it has little value in terms of security. The door was installed before we moved into the house, and the owners were more concerned with the look of the door than how secure it was.

The door has glass windows that could be easily broken. With the glass gone, a person could easily reach in and unlock the door. I think I would like to have a double steel door. This article does say steel doors are sometimes used in homes.

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      Man with hands on his hips