A security screen door will give you more freedom to open your house to fresh air and daylight. Unlike most windows, a door starts at ground level, so it opens your house to the outside more expansively. It can be hard to choose what security door to buy. To help, here's an overview.

Door Effectiveness and Australian Standards

The first thing you may want to know is how to choose a durable door that can withstand a burglary attempt. Unless you're an expert, it can be hard to decide what will be effective. Thankfully, security door regulations can help. Choose a product with labels stating that it has passed the required regulations. Then, you can be assured that it will be highly effective.

The relevant standards include information about the door's manufacture. The presence of this label on a security door shows that it's compliant with the regulation. You might also see a label that refers to the factory tests that the door has passed to demonstrate its sturdiness. These can include the jemmy, the impact, and the knife shear test. Other regulations are about the installation. After all, you may have a tough door, but it needs to be fitted securely for it to work properly. A qualified installer will fit the hinges so they can't be accessed from the exterior side or be easily ripped off. Plus, they'll make sure the door is connected to a stable frame, among other things.

Design Considerations

If a security door is at the front of your property, it's important to choose a model that complements your home. A door can add a decorative accent to a bland facade. You could choose a design with curvy metalwork if you have a traditional house. Alternatively, for a mid-century modern property, there are doors with rectangles and squares that offer a sleeker look. Security doors also come in a variety of colours. You could go with a subdued matte black, a glossy bright red, or a vivid blue door frame.

On the other hand, you may want the security door to blend unobtrusively into the background. In that case, a door with a clear mesh or a perforated metal screen fixed to a simple frame may be ideal. This kind of design may not look visually threatening, but the door will strongly protect you so long as it's compliant with the relevant standards in terms of manufacture and installation.

For more information about security doors, contact a local company.