A security door is the second door in front of your main door: a steel gate or door that stays locked while the inner door is open for light and air. In South Africa it is usually the first thing a homeowner, landlord or shop owner fits after moving in. Tell us the size of the opening, the style you like and where you are, and security door manufacturers and installers who work in your area send you a quote directly.
Types of security door
Most security doors fall into a few families, and each suits a different opening:
- Hinged steel security doors: a welded frame with bars or mesh and often a solid kick panel at the bottom. See steel security doors.
- Trellis doors: a diamond lattice that folds to the side, popular for front doors and patio openings. See trellis doors.
- Slamlock gates: hinged gates of round or square bars that lock as you pull them closed.
- Sliding and retractable gates: for wide sliding doors and stackers where a hinged door would not fit.
A good installer will tell you which type the opening and wall can take before quoting.
What makes a security door strong
Strength comes from the details, not the look. Ask about the steel: a frame of 25 x 25 mm or heavier square tube, bars of 16 mm or thicker, and welds all round rather than tack welds. Hinges should be welded on with pins that cannot be lifted out from outside. The lock should sit in a steel box with a bolt that throws deep into the frame, and the frame must be fixed into brick or concrete with long anchor bolts every 400 to 500 mm, not just plugs and screws.
On the coast, ask for a galvanised frame under the powder coat. Bare painted steel rusts quickly within a few kilometres of the sea.
Measuring for a security door
Measure the width and height of the opening at three points and use the smallest figure, in millimetres. Say whether the door will fit inside the reveal or be fixed to the face of the wall, which side it should hinge, and which way it must open. Most installers measure again before making the door, but your sizes let them price it now. A standard house door opening is about 813 to 900 mm wide and 2,032 to 2,100 mm high.
What affects the price
Price rises with size, steel thickness, the lock, the finish and the work on site. A double door or an extra-high entrance costs more than a single standard opening, and a door made to fit an old, out-of-square frame takes longer. Travel, removing an old gate and making good the plaster add to the quote. Compare quotes on the same basis: steel sizes, lock type, finish, installation and guarantee. See security door prices for typical ranges, and security door installation for what a proper fitting includes.
What to include in your request
- Width and height of each opening in mm, smallest of three measurements
- Style: hinged steel, trellis, slamlock or sliding
- Inside the reveal or fixed to the face of the wall
- Colour and finish, and whether you are near the sea
- Wall type and whether an old gate must be removed
Security Doors for different properties
- Houses: a steel security door at the front and kitchen doors, matched to the window bars
- Townhouses and complexes: a door in the colour the body corporate allows, often with a kick panel
- Flats and apartments: a single security gate at the front door that does not block the passage
- Farms and smallholdings: heavy steel doors on the house, the store room and the workers' quarters
- Shops and restaurants: a steel back door and a gate over the front door for after hours
- Offices and practices: a neat steel door at reception and a solid door for the server or cash room
- Factories and warehouses: double steel doors for loading areas and heavy gates for stores
- Schools, clinics and churches: bulk doors for classrooms and clinics, built to a tender specification
Frequently asked questions
How much does a security door cost?
Should a security door open in or out?
Is a trellis door or a hinged security door better?
Can I fit a security door myself?
Security Doors by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg