The Best Security Door - What Material is Safest?

What material is best to use in construction when designing a new security door? The three most common materials are wood, steel and fiberglass. You may have heard various explanations as to which one is stronger. Here are the comparisons.

Wood: Not all wooden doors are made completely of wood. Many actually have a thin piece of wood on the outside and then a thick piece of backer material behind it such as polyurethane. Wood is strong in general, but requires regular maintenance. It is not very strong when facing Mother Nature.

Steel: When buying steel be sure to focus on the gauge as this will be important in determining overall quality. The higher the number, generally, the thinner and less effective the steel. Steel is often considered the strongest material you can buy, but since fiberglass is a composite, it has the potential to be just as strong.

Fiberglass: Fiberglass is strong and secure, comparable to steel, and easier to paint or “skin”, than steel. Just be sure to buy higher quality brands from a brand name door manufacturer; cheap fiberglass is not that strong and will crack in cold weather. Fiberglass is also highly resistant to mold, deterioration and rust, giving it some power advantages over ordinary steel and wood.

As for as overall quality, it really depends on a lot of factors, including the type of door you plan on building. Quality-wise, most of these materials end up tied for first place, as long as you buy quality materials from trusted door manufacturers.

As far as a security door goes, you can get by with any one of these. The primary difference is in the aesthetic, not the durability.