Why You Should Use Steel Exterior Doors on Your Projects

A variety of commercial building projects, entryways and exterior doors need special consideration when it comes to doors. You need to factor in how they function, the level of security that’s required, how each door will hold up against the elements, and more. All these factors are directly impacted by the type of external door material that’s going to be used on the project.

Three of the most popular exterior door materials for entryways are steel, aluminum, and fiberglass. Join us as we explain why steel is one the best exterior door options for your next project.

Steel Exterior Doors Stand Up to Heavy Use 

Whether it’s a school, hospital, government building, or another type of commercial building, the exterior doors see a lot of use. People are consistently using them, adding to the wear and tear of all the components including the door, frame, and hinge assembly. When it comes to frequent use, steel exterior doors are proven to hold up for the longest in a cycle test.

A cycle test mirrors the opening and closing of an exterior door many times in the usual way it would operate when installed. Steel doors on average need to meet the standard of being able to complete 1 million cycles. In fact, some steel exterior doors have successfully reached 10 million cycles in testing. In comparison, wood and fiberglass doors average only 250,000 to 500,000 cycles.

Steel exterior doors hold up for longer periods of time in high-use applications. That means fewer repairs, saving commercial building managers time and money.

Fewer Repairs at a Low Cost

While there’s no standard measurement for the cost of repairs for exterior doors, steel is one of the most durable materials. Steel doesn’t dent easily, even when it’s hit by common objects like backpacks or pieces of equipment. If a steel door does need to be repaired, it can be fixed in the field unlike aluminum or fiberglass doors. The repair process for steel exterior doors can often be reworked or even re-welded at a low cost.

If an exterior door on a commercial building is damaged, it often causes a variety of issues for the property to deal with. Aside from the cost of repairs, the building needs to schedule the work to be done. For example, an exterior entry door being repaired at a hospital could impede foot traffic into the facility with the added security concern. By choosing steel as the material for exterior doors, you won’t have to run into these issues nearly as often.

Steel Exterior Doors Provide Essential Protection

Almost every commercial building needs to have protection against forced entry. The issue that many exterior door materials like wood run into is the customization that comes with the increased need for security. For example, government buildings hospitals want exterior doors that meet the new ASTM forced entry standards of being able to hold up against as many as six attackers for an hour.

Any commercial building that wants a higher level of safety and security should consider using steel exterior doors. Steel doors have a variety of special applications such as hurricane, tornado, intruder attack, blast, and flood resistance. This speaks to the superior durability of steel and explains why it’s preferred material for many commercial building projects.

Use Steel Exterior Doors for Your Next Project

Don’t compromise on safety or durability for your next commercial building project. HMMA has a wide variety of hollow metal doors and frames specifications to help you choose the right material with confidence. If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of steel doors, explore the continuing education courses on our website.