STEEL DOORS
Steel or other such metal construction has been used for years as they are efficient and are a sturdy option for exterior and interior doors alike. These doors can be either be solid or hollow.
It has been found to be a good substitute for wood and is being used extensively for making frames. The frames can be made out of angles, Tee, channels or pressed steel plates. Holdfasts and hinges are normally welded to the frame in case of steel frames.
Normal shutters made out of wood etc can be fixed on these steel frames.
Steel frames are quite popular and are being used extensively for houses and other locations as they are economical than the conventional wooden frames.
Shutters can also be made out of Mild Steel (MS) sheets, welded or riveted to a frame of angle iron or channel section, properly braced.
Steel doors can also be made in high quality in cold rolled mild steel, precision engineered. They are long lasting requiring minimum maintenance. They are available in beautiful shades with various wood grain texturing.
These can invariably be used where security is of a greater concern.
FIBERGLASS DOORS
Fiberglass is a glass which is drawn into fibrous form and woven into cloth. It is strong, light & non-flammable and has a high tensile strength. Glass fibres bonded with resin that can be used to manufacture a range of .products including bathtubs, doors and windows etc.
Fiberglass is said to be one of the most hardened materials with relatively low maintenance costs as compared with wood and steel.
Fiberglass doors are expected to be stable as they do not warp, bow or twist. They are foam filled and offer good insulation properties.
They can also be painted as per design.
Doors and windows made out of fiberglass can be provided with wooden panels on the surface to improve upon the aesthetics. Doors made out of fiberglass can be used for both exterior and interior locations. The exterior doors have designer options such as beveled glass and door stiles.
These doors are available in the market to match any architectural style.
FIBER REINFORCED PLASTICS DOORS
Fiber Reinforced Plastics popularly known as FRP is a general term relating to the reinforcement of plastic with fibrous glass. Due to its high strength it can be put to many uses including manufacture of doors. Typically, the tensile strength is about ten times that of PVC. FRP moulded doors are available in many colours and finishes including natural wood finish in the market. The standard door thicknesses are 30/35 mm and are available with fire retardant properties.
These doors can also have two leaves of 1.5 mm thickness. The leaves are moulded over a core material forming a sandwich panel.
Necessary wooden supports are provided for fixing the handles, locks, stoppers and other accessories. FRP doors are in good demand these days for use in modern houses.
ALUMINUM DOORS
Aluminum is a metal which has been put to a large number of uses due to being light in weight.
A large number of products made out of aluminum are available in the market including doors, windows, partitions, curtain walls etc.
Aluminum frames for doors and windows have the distinct advantage of resisting difficult environmental conditions. Being light in weight they transfer less loads to the foundations. Aluminum frames are not affected by termites and as such they are longer lasting.
Doors and windows made out of aluminum can be side hung or sliding and are suitable for exterior or interior locations.
Aesthetically they are quite pleasing and are quite economical in the long run.
BAMBOO-JUTE COMPOSITE DOORS
Bamboo is one of the fastest renewable plants with a maturity cycle of 3-4 years, making it a good natural resource compared to forest hardwoods. Bamboo offers good potential for processing it into composites as a wood substitute. Bamboo laminates could replace timber in many applications including for doors & windows and their frames etc.
One of the alternatives to wood product is the jute-coir composite board which can be utilized for the manufacture of doors. Natural hard fibres such as coir and jute impregnated with phenolic resins can be used for manufacturing these boards. Bamboo-jute composite doors have the advantage of being water resistant, corrosion resistant, termite resistant, eco-friendly, bio-degradable and cost effective.
Such doors are being manufactured by a number of entrepreneurs and can be easily adopted as a substitute for wooden or other type of doors in the house.