Not too long ago, iron doors were one of the most well-known door systems across residential and commercial sectors. Now, they’re not as obvious –despite being one of the most commonly used commercial doors- and the residential sector doesn’t have nearly as many of them. That’s just how trends work.
However, iron doors have tons of benefits for both residential and commercial purposes.
Today, we’re going to go over some general information about iron doors, and then we’ll cover the top seven advantages of iron doors.
Let’s get started.
What is an Iron Door?
An iron door is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s a door made of iron. These doors have been around since medieval times, and they rose to prominence in the residential sector in the Victorian era. Iron doors have gone through tons of general design changes over the years, like every other aspect of building construction, and modern doors have been refined to such a high degree that most of the iron doors you come across daily may not even stand out as iron to you.
You’ll most often find iron doors at the entryways of commercial buildings with large glass panels within them for easy viewing of the store from outside. That, and some homes may have much more traditional and elegantly designed doors at their main entrances. The latter is far easier to identify.
Why aren’t Iron Doors as Recognizable Anymore?
With the exception of elegantly designed residential doors and door accents, iron doors can sometimes be a bit hard to recognize if you’ve never thought of them before. This is because modern technology and design standards have refined iron doors to have much more contemporary and straightforward appearances. The iron is seamlessly formed into professional-looking, sharp angles, and they’re typically coated to protect them from the elements. Next time you go to the store, look at the big glass doors with black, rectangular framing and you can get a good idea of how modern design has influenced the look of iron doors.
The Top 7 Advantages of Iron Doors
A normal old wooden door may seem like enough, but iron doors actually exceed them in functionality at a comparable price. Here are the top 7 advantages of iron doors.
Durability:
Whether you’re a residential homeowner or a business owner, you certainly don’t want to spend money replacing doors every time you bang them too hard or force a couch that’s way too large through one. With iron doors, you won’t have to.
Wooden doors, and doors made from cheaper metals such as aluminum, can be easily dented, scratched, or splintered if they’re hit in the right spot with the right amount of force. Even normal wear and tear from the environment can be enough to leave your once beautiful door looking like it belongs on a condemned building.
With iron, none of that really matters. It’s iron. It will be hard for even excessive force to damage the doorway. This translates to theft prevention, too. If someone is looking to brute force their way into your home or business, they’re certainly not overcoming an iron door.
The only real weakness an iron door has is that iron rusts. However, even that has been resolved with modern technology. Practically every iron door you buy nowadays is going to have a relatively thick black coating on it. That maintains the door’s professional or elegant look, but it offers years, if not decades, of rust protection.
Low Maintenance:
With wooden doors, it is necessary to re-stain or paint them every year or so to keep them from getting damaged by the elements.
Due to iron being such a durable material, you won’t have to buff out scratches, correct bends, or anything else. The most you’ll have to do is keep an eye on the coating that protects it from rust. That protective coating can easily last for years, and if you do small patch coatings when the material is rubbed off, you won’t have to fully replace the coating for quite a long time. Even when you do, it’s as easy as giving it a quick “paint” job with sealant you can purchase from any hardware store.
This low maintenance requirement means you can spend less time worrying about something as basic as a door.
Curb Appeal:
This one is for our residential readers. Have you noticed how more and more neighborhoods have taken up the cookie-cutter approach to home design? Go down any given block, and 99% of the homes will look almost identical.
Thanks to iron residential doors not being as common as they used to be, you can make your home stand out by simply upgrading whatever your home came with, to an elegantly-designed iron option.It’sa subtle touch that adds a bit of class and uniqueness to the home.
Luckily, while there are traditional options that handle most of those needs, they’re typically very expensive, and there’s a more modern alternative that fit the bill while saving you money and not sacrificing quality: Iron.
Iron doors have been around for a long time. But with modern manufacturing methods, affordable metal prices, and all the benefits iron has to offer over wood, iron doors are quickly taking over both the commercial and residential markets.
Don’t believe us? Here’s the ultimate guide to iron doors in 2022.
What are Iron Doors?
Iron doors are exactly what the name suggests. They’re doors made of iron, commonly with glass windows or accents made from other materials to add to their functionality or increase their overall appearance.
Due to the doors being made of iron, they’re typically coated and/or painted to prevent rust damage. With this preventative measure, they’re incredibly strong and resilient doors you can expect to last for entire lifetimes.
Why Don’t I See Iron Doors Often if They’re So Common?
This is a good question. Iron doors are extremely common, and you’ve likely seen them without realizing it.
When you hear of an iron door, you most likely imagine the large, formidable iron doors used in gothic architecture or during the Victorian era. Today’s iron doors are much less crude, and they’re designed to exude modern elegance with tight angles and sharp, distinct lines.
The doors are cleverly crafted and no longer look as obvious and antiquated as the iron doors of old.
Now, they’re starting to be used more often for residential applications, too.
With modern manufacturing methods allowing for doors that don’t break from modern design standards, the average homeowner can enjoy an affordable, highly-reliable, low-maintenance door at a more reasonable cost than mahogany or other exotic woods that are more commonly used.
How Much Does an Iron Door Cost?
When you look at an exotic wooden door, such as mahogany or teak, you can expect to pay $2000-$3000 on average for a single door. Unfortunately, you’ll likely want matching doors for your other main entrances, too. As you can probably tell, that will drive your prices up dramatically.
On the flip side, iron doors can cost as low as $200 for a very basic and simplistic iron single door, or you can go with more elaborate options that can get as high as $5000. There’s a really large price range you can take advantage of, and there is an option for everyone; from simplistic options for humble homes to practical art pieces befitting even the finest establishments and high-dollar homes.
This allows you to place iron doors on all of your home or business’s main entryways without having to set aside a ridiculously large budget, or you can still go all out and spend big on the finest options available; it’s up to you and your budget.
Commercial Visibility:
Allowing your business to appear open has multiple benefits. First and foremost, potential customers can see inside from the street. Passersby can look in through the window and become more curious about what you have to offer. This is proven to increase conversions and garner leads, and it’s a major boon for any commercial business.
Also, it helps make the business feel larger, more well-lit, and upbeat.
This is all because most commercial iron doors are made mostly as frames for large plexiglass panels. These frames typically extend into non-opening windows on either side of the doors, and they create an abundance of natural lighting as well as a stellar street view.
Of course, not every style of the iron door does this, but this is the most common commercial design you’ll see in the US and many other countries.
A Multitude of Options:
Iron doors don’t just come in one or two styles. You can find iron doors that match practically any design theme, and if a skilled craftsman is willing to do the work, iron can be turned into a simple design or a highly intricate piece of artwork. It’s all up to the person or company making it.
For you, this means you’ll never come up short when it comes to options. Do you have a post-modern home that needs a bit of a funky-but-sophisticated door? You can find that with an iron door. Do you want to add a traditional touch to your 50-year-old abode? Many iron doors will fit the bill. Maybe you want a modern side door that gives you a great view of your property? There are plenty of options that will match your needs.
Whatever it is you’re looking for, you’re almost guaranteed to find an iron door that fits the bill.
Ease of Customization:
Let’s say you’ve had an iron door on the front entrance of your home for 20 years. You just painted your house a color that doesn’t really match the door anymore. With wood, you would have to strip the paint, sand the door –destroying and smoothing fine detail work on higher-quality wooden doors- and then prime, paint, and seal the door. That’s a lot of steps, and it damages your door a tiny bit every time you do it.
That’s not the case with iron. With some paint thinner and a bit of elbow grease, you can remove all the paint you’ve put on previously, simply paint over it, and you’re done.
Obviously, this isn’t something you need, or even want, to do very often. However, when it does come time to switch things up a bit, you’ll appreciate how easy it is with an iron door.
Price:
Thanks to rising wood prices, wooden doors aren’t the cheap option anymore. Sure, you can find a cheap door made of lackluster materials that need to be replaced frequently, but in terms of high-quality doors that will actually last a while, wood and iron are on par. In fact, you might even pay more for a wooden door.
A very basic, cheap iron door typically used for a side door can cost around $180. A wooden door that is highly durable and looks great can easily cost you $800, and that’s not even the high end of the spectrum.
If you’re purely worried about function over form, iron is without a doubt the best route to take. Even when you start talking about high-end doors from each category, their prices start balancing out, and iron is still far more reliable.
Let’s say you’re looking for a high-end door, and you’re willing to buy in the $2000 range. The iron door will still be far more durable, and that price range tends to come with some very creative options.
Should You Buy an Iron Door?
Whether or not an iron door is for you is largely up to your personal preferences and what you aim to do with it. However, we urge you not to turn away just because you think an iron door would be rudimentary or rough around the edges. It’s quite the opposite. There are quite a few options to match every taste. So, finding something that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional shouldn’t be a problem at all.In terms of function, it largely depends on where you want it installed. Iron doors are great for exterior entrances such as your front, back, and side doors; depending on which ones your home has. However, they’re a bit much for interior doorways and entrances to smaller sub-structures such as sheds.
How Much Does an Iron Door Cost?
Iron doors come in a massive price range. There are cheap, mass-produced options that can fit any budget, fairly priced mid-range options that mix affordability with a bit more elegance or attention to detail, and then the high-end options that are exceptionally well-made and the sky is the limit when it comes to their designs.
Typically, this price range can go anywhere from $180 to $3000, and some very fancy doors exceed that greatly.
Can I Buy Iron Doors Online?
With iron being quite a bit heavier than wood or aluminum, and the glass or plexiglass inserts most modern iron doors have being breakable, you may think it’s your best bet to go to a brick-and-mortar store for an iron door, but you may be costing yourself quite a bit by doing that.
The truth is, it’s perfectly safe to order your doors online, and many door manufacturers offer online ordering or pickup.
Ordering online gives you a much larger pool of manufacturers to choose from, and you can likely find some great deals that you won’t find in a brick-and-mortar store.
Just keep in mind that your shipping fees may be high with certain options.
Where to Buy Iron Doors
At this point, you’re probably considering upgrading your home with iron doors or adding iron doors to your stock at your own store. The good news is that we can handle both.At Wholesale Iron Doors, we specialize in selling high-quality iron doors at wholesale prices. We offer the largest selection of iron doors, such as double iron doors, single iron doors, custom iron doors – suitable for residential and commercial use, and each product is made to the highest quality standards. If you’re in the market for iron doors, stop by our webpage and take a look at the best deals in the industry.
