Armored doors: how do they work and what makes them secure?

Armored doors are the first security barrier that any home has. After all, their purpose is to prevent a person who does not have a key from gaining access to the interior.

But what level of security do they offer exactly and how do they work? ParaTuReforma would like to tell you the main reasons that may lead you to choose them over other alternatives available on the market.

What are armored doors?

An armored door is a wooden door that has been reinforced with some metallic elements to make it more resistant to opening. Aesthetically and functionally it does not differ much from a basic door, but it does offer a higher level of security.

Main characteristics

Specifically, we are talking about security doors which consist of several specific features. Let’s take a look at them:

• Door construction material. Wood.
• Material of construction of the frame. It is also made of wood. However, it can have iron plates in order to reinforce the areas where the bolts are placed.
• Number of hinges and latches. Between 3 and 5, depending on the particular model.
• Interior reinforcement. Armored doors have one or two steel plates between 0.8 and 1.2 millimeters thick on the inside. Based on this, they are called single-plate or double-plate. Obviously, the latter are more secure than the former.
• Thickness. It ranges, as a general rule, between 5 and 8 centimeters.
• Security lock. It is prepared to withstand the most common attacks by thieves, such as the bumping method or the use of levers.

All this usually means that armored doors have a security grade of 2-3 on the scale of resistance to attacks. These levels are lower than those offered by armored doors, although it is true that they also have a lower price.

Operation of armored doors

The operation of an armored door is not very different from that of any other type of security door. At least, for the user, who only has to insert the key and turn it to close the door.

When it does, the 3 to 5 latches mentioned above are activated, so that the door is locked into the wooden frame.

What makes them so safe?

The security of armored doors is defined by the characteristics we have already shown you. In this sense, the steel plates housed inside the structure give them great solidity and resistance, so that it is almost impossible to perforate them.

The locks are embedded in the frame at the top, bottom and sides, making it impossible to open them without destroying this element as well. As if that were not enough, the locks are designed to repel the opening methods most commonly used by squatters and burglars.

Differences with armored vehicles

It is possible that, in some occasion, you have spoken of armored and armored doors as if they were the same thing. However, they have very different characteristics, as we will see below:

• Steel plates. Armored doors always have two of them. In addition, each of them has a thickness of between 1.2 and 2 millimeters.
• Frame manufacturing material. In the case of armored doors, they are made of a single piece of steel. Undoubtedly, a much more resistant and durable material than wood.
• Door thickness. In some cases, it can exceed 10 centimeters.
• Hinges and latches. They are welded and screwed to the metal frame using joints of no less than 2 millimeters. This increases their resistance to leverage compared to armored ones.
• Frame installation. It usually requires a small renovation, which increases the time required for installation.
• Door security level. On the above scale of resistance to attack, they reach grades 4 and 5. The highest is 6, which is only used in banks and similar businesses.

We can say, by way of summary, that an armored door is a steel door with wood finishes. On the contrary, an armored door is a wooden door reinforced with steel. This is the essential difference between the two.

Installation of armored doors

On other occasions we have talked about how to put doors in a series of convenient steps. However, armored doors, given their special characteristics, require a slightly more complex process. In addition, the intervention of at least two people is necessary. The process is as follows:

1. Remove the old door. This is the first step in the installation of the armored door. To do this, it is necessary to remove it from the hinges. You must also remove the old wooden frame, as it is probably weakened by the passage of time. Experts advise replacing this element and the pre-frame if it is more than 15 years old.
2. Place the new frame. First of all, you must present it to make sure it fits in the opening and then screw it to the pre-frame.
3. Putting on the hinges. You have to take measurements beforehand to ensure that the door will fit properly when you put it on.
4. Install the caps or jambs. For this you will only need some nails that have a similar tone to the wood. There are also very effective adhesives for this purpose.
5. The lock. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions in detail, since each lock has its own characteristics and must be connected in a specific way to the locks.
6. The rest of the elements. We are talking, in particular, about the knob and the peephole, which should be left for the end.

As you can see, armored doors are a very interesting option to protect your home, since their value for money is excellent and you can install them yourself without too much difficulty. Therefore, if you have decided to get one, we invite you to take a look at the ParaTuReforma catalog and to contact us in case you have any questions. We will be happy to help you.