Vault room doors are often the most important aspect of any vault room or panic room. After all, it is the only element of the vault room that is designed to allow access, and it will be the number one thing targeted by intruders and thieves in the event of break-ins.
Vault room doors are typically made of steel, from as thin as 22-gauge steel to as thick as 10-gauge or less, and various door manufacturers might also use different technologies and features in their designs.
In this buying guide, we will discuss all you need to know when choosing between different vault room doors. By the end, you’ll be able to choose the right vault room door according to your security needs and budget.
Vault Room Doors: Key Principles
While as discussed, vault room doors can come in various different models and materials, all of them should be:
- Strong enough to withstand the highest level of impact, ideally including ballistic impact and can protect the room from extreme wind events, fire hazards, and other emergencies
- Can be concealed and/or camouflaged
- If the vault room is also used as a panic room, then the vault room door should feature an inner escape device to allow people to escape from inside of the room in the event of accidental lock-ins
Key Factors To Consider When Choosing and Installing Vault Room Doors
The most important thing when choosing between different vault room doors is to first identify your needs and especially the security needs of your vault room.
That is, consider how secure you’ll need your vault room to be.
If you live in an area with frequent break-ins, and/or if you are going to store very valuable items, then you’ll need a high-quality vault room door to ensure its security.
With that being said, here are some important key factors to consider when choosing between different vault room doors:
Purpose of The Room
How the room is going to be used will especially help us decide on the locking system of the vault room door.
If the room is only used to store valuables (a standard vault room), then we can get away with a locking system that can only be locked and unlocked from the outside.
However, if the room is going to be used as a panic room to secure people inside, then we should consider how the room should be securely locked from the inside while also ensuring people can leave the room (i.e. via emergency exit) in the event of accidental lock-ins.
Location
This is not solely about the vault room door, but also the vault room itself.
It’s important to have the vault room in a conveniently accessible location, and if it’s also going to be used as a panic room, make sure it’s located near the frequently occupied rooms in the property.
Too often property owners overthink the location of the vault room or panic room like camouflaging the room behind walls or false doors. This is fine, but shouldn’t compromise the overall convenience, or the room won’t serve its purpose well.
Also, remember that if your vault room door is really secure, then you don’t really need a camouflaged, well-hidden safe room.
Door Security
Many manufacturers advertise their doors as high-security vault room doors, but the claim might be weightless if the door isn’t properly tested and certified.
Since the door is going to be used to protect your valuables—and quite possibly, your life—, it’s best to purchase a certified, tested door from a reputable manufacturer. Vault room doors from Fortified Estate, for example, are certified by the US Bureau of Diplomatic Security, NTS Chesapeake, and more testing institutions for high-security doors.
A vault room door must have a continuous solid steel plate that is at least ½” in thickness. This will mean a relatively heavy and expensive door, but it will be worth it if security is really important for you.
Thus, when choosing your vault room door, check whether the door is made of solid steel. There are composite materials that might be sufficiently strong, but many of them are relatively weak.
Weight
A solid steel door will be heavy, and in fact, you should consider the strength of the vault room door by its weight. A true solid steel vault room door with concrete amalgamate-based fire cladding can be three times heavier than a door featuring sheet metal wrapped around drywall or wood.
However, just because the vault door is heavy, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s 100% solid steel. Again, confirm with the manufacturer about the material and get as many details as possible.
Locking System
You should get a locking system that has UL-approved Group 2 standard or better.
If you get a vault room door without a UL-approved lock, not only you risk jeopardizing the room’s security, but the locking system might be prone to failures. Opening a malfunctioning lock can be extremely expensive and time-consuming, and there’s a possibility of being permanently locked out of your vault room/safe by a malfunctioning lock.
Relocking System
The vault room should have a relocking system in place to ensure the door remains locked in the case of break-ins and burglary attempts. Relockers are pins that will be hardened in the event of an attack and cannot be retracted without manual drilling. The more relockers you have, the more secure the vault room door will be. However, keep in mind that relocker pins will only be useful when the vault has an adequately thick steel door.
Conclusion
When choosing between different vault room doors, always consider entry convenience besides security features.
A door that is too difficult and/or slow to open might result in the vault room being neglected over time, which will beat the purpose of the vault room door itself. Make sure it has a locking system that can allow quick and easy opening of the door without sacrificing security.
