Keeping your home is secure is always a top priority, but what type of security solutions are most effective?
Security screen doors are the first-choice solution for most homeowners, but it’s vital to
ensure you choose an appropriate model and style. With numerous brands and styles out there, finding the right door for your property can enhance its aesthetic appeal, as well as maximising your home security.
Do You Need Security Screen Doors?
For some homeowners, it may be tempting to forego additional security in favour of lower-cost
solutions, such as light aluminium doors or insect screens. Sadly, this decision can have devastating consequences if your property is targeted by trespassers.
In the last 12 months, 238,100 households in Australia experienced a break-in, while 448,800
experienced malicious property damage. Amid rising crime rates in Queensland, there were more
than 4,200 reports of unlawful entry in the Gold Coast district alone in 2020.
Due to this, it’s essential to take a proactive approach to your home security. As well as deterring
would-be trespassers from targeting your property, the right security screen doors can also provide
you with peace of mind.
Choosing the Right Security Screen Doors
If you want to ensure your doors provide the right level security, it’s important to select the right
make and model. To help you determine which security screen doors are best for your priority, take a look at these critical factors you should consider:
1. Industry Standards
Many companies manufacture security screen doors but, unfortunately, they’re not all of equal
quality. Australian Standard AS5039-2008 requires that security screen doors pass a series of tests
prior to gaining their stamp of approval, which means this can be a good way to ensure that your
preferred doors will provide an adequate level of security.
When you choose Crimsafe security screen doors, for example, you can be confident that your doors meet or exceed Australian Standard AS5039-2008. Custom-made to suit your exact specifications, Crimsafe’s patented Screw-Clamp technology actually surpasses this industry standard, which means you’ll benefit from enhanced security.
2. Door Frame
The frame of a security screen door plays an important role in keeping your home protected.
Typically, manufacturers use either steel or aluminium to create a robust frame but be sure to
choose a frame with added corrosion protection to increase the durability of your doors.
Crucially, the door frame should provide a deep receiver channel for the infill. Otherwise, potential
trespassers will simply separate the infill from the frame to gain entry into your property, thus
defeating the purpose of the door and putting your safety at risk.
Fortunately, this isn’t something you’ll have to worry about if you opt for Crimsafe security screen doors. Their patented Screw-Clamp fastening system uses tamper-resistant screws and clamps to
prevent the infill from being separated from the frame.
Additionally, Crimsafe’s Screw-Clamp technology ensures that any force placed against the door is
absorbed and dispersed throughout the frame. As a result, security screen doors from the Crimsafe
Classic range are 5 times stronger than the Australian standard, while doors from the Crimsafe
Ultimate and iQ ranges are 7 times stronger than the Australian standard.
3. Infill
The infill of your door should prevent anyone from getting through it, as well as stopping would-be
trespassers from breaching the door and opening it from the inside.
Traditionally, many security doors relied on steel bars or grilles as an infill. While this can certainly be secure, they can also negatively impact your enjoyment of your home. Steel bars can dramatically affect the view from your property, as well as disrupting the flow of light into your home. What’s more – they may not enhance the visual appeal of your property.
Fortunately, other options are available. Structural-grade aluminium perforated sheets are a new
concept when it comes to security screen doors. While they’re expected to perform well, their
design does inhibit your view and may leave you feeling a little ‘closed in’. While aluminium mesh
screens are sometimes used, they don’t offer an adequate level of security and are best avoided.
In contrast, stainless-steel mesh provides the strength and security you need, without compromising your view or enjoyment of your home. In fact, looking through a stainless-steel mesh infill is exactly like looking through an insect screen.
Not only does Crimsafe use stainless-steel mesh in all of its security screen doors, but its unique
Tensile-Tuff mesh is 26.5% than typical stainless-steel mesh. Manufactured from 304 structural-
grade stainless-steel, you can rely on it to keep unwanted guests out of your home – whether
they’re insects or human!
4. Grilles
If you choose a security screen door with a relatively weak infill, you’ll need to incorporate grilles
into the design in order to ensure your home is adequately protected. However, many homeowners
want to avoid the unwelcoming appearance that grilles tend to portray.
By selecting a security screen door design that uses advanced technology to create a super-strength
infill, like the Crimsafe range, you can avoid having grilles installed altogether. As well as enhancing the appearance of your doors, this will also ensure that your security screen doors don’t negatively impact the view from your property.
5. Hinges
When you’re looking for new security screen doors, don’t overlook the importance of the hinges.
After all, a security door is of little use if it can simply be unscrewed and removed from the property!
Ideally, you’ll want to ensure that your chosen doors are fitted with at least three separate hinges or a single hinge that runs from top to bottom. Furthermore, hinges should be fixed into place, so that they can’t be removed. Similarly, the space between the door and the hinge should be filled or the hinges should be recessed into the door, so that it can’t be jemmied open.
6. Locks
As you might expect, the locking mechanism on your door can be a weak point, so pay close
attention to the quality and style of the locks used in security screen doors. Multiple locks make the
door more secure, as they prevent anyone from being able to open the door by putting pressure on
the top or bottom of it.
With a Crimsafe custom-made security screen door, you’ll benefit from a three-point locking
mechanism when you select a model from their Classic or Ultimate range, while the iQ range offer
six and 10-point locking mechanisms for maximum security and peace of mind.
7. Ease of Use
Complex controls and difficult opening systems can be hassle for homeowners, which means they’re less likely to utilise all of the features of their security doors. In addition to this, a security door that’s tricky to open could put your safety at risk if you need to make a swift exit from your property in the event of an emergency.
As well as assessing the level of security a screen door offers, be sure to consider how user-friendly it is and whether you’ll be comfortable operating it. If you want to enjoy the convenience of electronic locks and smart technology, for example, the Crimsafe iQ range might be exactly what you’re looking for. Alternatively, if you prefer the ease of a mechanical lock and value seamless yet straight forward functionality, Crimsafe Classic and Ultimate security screen doors certainly fit the bill.
8. Design and Style
Doors and windows are an integral element of your property and they should enhance its exterior
design. While security is always a top priority, you needn’t forego style in order to protect your
home. With a wide range of options, you can access top-quality Crimsafe security screen doors in a
variety of styles, including hinged doors, sliding doors, stacking doors, French doors and bi-fold
doors.
What’s more – custom colour options and powder-coated frames ensure you can enhance the visual impact of your security screen doors and create a bespoke exterior design for your home.
9. Thermal Efficiency
Keeping intruders and insects out of your property may be your aim, but the thermal efficiency of
your doors is also worth considering. A significant amount of heat can be lost via doors and windows in the winter, while homes can quickly get overheated in the summer due to poor thermal efficiency of doors and windows.
Given the Australian climate, this is something you’ll certainly want to take into account when you’re choosing new security screen doors. Fortunately, the Crimsafe range offers up to 62% UV protection and up to 53% solar heat gain prevention. By upgrading to Crimsafe doors, you can optimise your home security and increase the thermal efficiency of your property.
10. Custom-Made
If a security screen door isn’t custom-made, then it probably isn’t worth having. Even standard-sized door frames have unique specifications, which means doors should be tailor-made to deliver
enhanced security. With a custom-made security solution, you can ensure that doors are perfectly
aligned with the surrounding framework, which will increase the level of security they offer and
ensure advanced insect protection.
At XL Security & Blinds, we’re licensed to manufacture custom-made Crimsafe doors and can design configurations that meet your needs and enhance your property. Whether you need a single door or you want to increase security throughout your entire home, we’re on hand to provide the expert assistance and custom-made solutions you need.
Choosing the Best Security Screen Doors
When it comes to your property, security is the most important aspect of your home. Now you know exactly what factors to take into account, you’ll be able to determine which security screen doors re best for your home. Of course, we’re always on hand to provide additional advice and
information. To find out more, contact XL Security & Blinds now.
