Close-up of the lock with your keys on an armored front door.

How to Preserve Your High-Security Door: Necessary Maintenance for Long-Term Effectiveness

The Issues Regular High-Security Door Maintenance Helps Prevent

Poor maintenance habits and procedures can lead to damage of all types on your high-security doors. This can lead to costly repairs, downtime, and security risks that interfere with your day-to-day peace of mind. Some of the most common issues smart lock security doors face include:

  • Door sagging (a natural occurrence on all types of doors)
  • Alignment issues with the bolts, usually caused by sagging
  • Bolts and latches squeaking that require lubrication

Left unattended, these seemingly small issues can morph into serious concerns for the integrity of your residential security entry doors. Don’t ignore squeaky noises! Preventing security door damage before it happens is a wise investment of time and money.

How To Conduct Regular High-Security Door Inspections At Home

You can play a crucial role in preventing security door damage by learning how to perform regular security door inspections. The most critical component of security door inspections is being prepared with knowledge of your specific model of Shield Security Door. A full inspection includes checking the locks, hinges, and seals for damage or signs of daily wear. The door frame itself should be checked to ensure there are no loose, missing, or otherwise damaged screws. Regular inspections for signs of rust and corrosion are recommended in areas of high moisture and humidity.

Conduct routine cleaning of your door and all its parts during your inspection to ensure proper function going forward. As needed, lubricate locks, hinges, and any other mechanical parts.

In addition to the above inspection routine, doors fitted with an electronic lock should receive regular inspections of the Altronix power supply, backup battery, and all power connections.

Avoid Costly High-Security Door Repairs with Proper Techniques

Residential security entry doors are relatively easy to maintain, but there are a few crucial components that require special attention. In particular, properly lubricating locks, hinges, and other moving mechanical parts is essential to the long-term health of any security door. In short, the steps are:

  1. Use the right type of lubrication for your needs. There is a wide range of lubrication on the market, but two options include graphite powder for locks and silicone sprays for hinges.
  2. Clean the area surrounding your lock or hinge.
  3. Apply the proper lubrication and operate the lock or hinge several times, allowing the material to distribute itself evenly.
  4. Wipe away excess product with a clean cloth, preventing security door damage caused by errant dirt and debris.

Another key mechanical aspect of Shield Security Doors that requires attention to detail involves automatic door bottoms. These hidden seals at the bottom of the door ensure a snug, weatherproof fit. These seals must be properly adjusted in order to work properly and should be inspected as a part of your routine.

Post-Breach High-Security Front Door Maintenance

After a security breach, there are a wide range of factors to consider for the long-term effectiveness of your door. Most security breaches do not involve the home security doors themselves but rather, the keys. 

Thankfully, the solutions are straightforward and easy to implement. If a potential issue is addressed quickly enough, actions can be taken to minimize the interruption to your daily life and business.

In the event of a lost key, the best course of action is re-keying the lock for security. This includes terminated employees not returning keys or situations where you suspect a key has been copied. For smart lock security doors, a lost or stolen phone can also pose a risk that must be dealt with. Outside of these reasons, re-keying locks for security is typically unnecessary.

Practical High-Security Door Maintenance Scheduling

One of the best ways to maintain a high security door is by performing maintenance on a regular schedule. The frequency of how often a security door needs to be inspected and maintained will depend on how often the door is used. For typical residential security door maintenance, once per year is recommended. With commercial and higher-use security doors, perform maintenance at least twice a year.

These are standard recommendations, but for doors that will be exposed to atypical environmental conditions, more frequent maintenance helps ensure long-term usefulness. Typically, the most common weather event that can impact your door is blizzards, but areas prone to storms capable of producing tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, and intense wind should be aware of the steps they can take towards preventing security door damage.

Weatherproofing High Security Doors

Because weather and environmental factors can greatly impact high-security front door maintenance, professionals recommend weatherproofing security doors. It’s also a good idea to perform your own maintenance before winter and/or large weather events. While some types of weatherproofing may seem obvious, such as replacing worn-out seals every 5 years to prevent drafts and water damage, there are other steps you can take to preserve your door’s efficiency: 

an individual lubricating their door hinges
  • Secure the areas around your home security doors to prevent water, snow, and debris from building up during a weather event.
  • Check the door frame for damage and apply weatherstripping to any gaps or cracks.
  • Practice how to secure your front door in extreme weather conditions using protective covers and tarps.
  • Ensure that hinges and locks are properly lubricated to prevent rust.

After harsh, prolonged weather or an extreme storm event, performing another inspection of your door is best. Clean and dry the door, taking care to remove any debris that could cause damage if more bad weather comes. Inspect the door frame and the door itself for damage, including all hinges and seals.

Secure Shield Security Doors You Can Trust

Overall, the ease of maintenance is one of the reasons Shield Security Doors stand out. Our high-security doors are ideal for government buildings, private residences, commercial outlets, and anywhere security is a top priority. With a skilled team of experts to ensure your door is installed correctly and answer any questions you may have about maintenance, we’re confident our durable and highly customizable door designs will meet your needs.

From our residential security entry doors to our commercial partners, we are proud to help protect people worldwide. Contact us today for a quote on security doors to meet your needs.

 

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