Can A Wood Door Be Bulletproof?

high security door clad with mahogany

There are many ways that thieves attempt to enter your home, but coming in through one of the doors tends to be the easiest option for them. Most wooden doors are vulnerable in their lockset, door leaf, frame, and much else. Criminals know this, and they find that it tends to be easy to defeat the door whether they are picking a lock or forcing the door leaf out of the jamb.

Most homes in America have a door that an attacker can easily penetrate through: this is because many homeowners assume a security is mostly incompatible with beauty.

They expect the manufacture of an armored door uses unattractive, cold steel, with features looking bulky and prison-like. Indeed, this is the case for most high-security doors. Most companies manufacture them for governmental or commercial applications, with cladding no more sophisticated than a fake, flat wood sheet.

High security and ballistic doors can be beautiful, however.

Fortified Estate specializes in discreet, high-security applications. We offer some of the only armored and bulletproof wooden doors – and even high-security French doors – with intricate European wood milling that can even replicate historic designs.

At this very moment, our wooden security doors are covertly protecting some of the most high-profile locations in the nation, from luxurious retailers on the West Coast to priceless computer servers in the Rockies to famous residences on the Atlantic Coast.

Why Are Wooden Security Doors Installed?

People often prefer the rich texture wood offers, matching the traditional architectural style many homes and upscale businesses employ in the United States. Clients want to ensure that any security upgrades will still blend in with the rest of the structure. 

Clients fear that installing a metal door would give their home an industrial look or make their house look like a prison.

Most importantly, an obvious secure door will stick out from the rest of the entries in one’s home or neighborhood, drawing unwanted attention to their desire for security.

Therefore, wood cladding for our high-security doors is the most popular cladding option for our customers.

4-panel armored wood door in white paintDesign Styles

Many different wood door design styles are available. Often traditionally styled wooden doors have one or more pairs of panel shapes milled on them. Armored 6-panel door designs are one of the most common styles. We custom mill wood panels almost unlimitedly, replicating anything from craftsman to barn-door style.

Exterior wooden security doors might feature glass inserts. We can build ballistic glass into the door leaf, sidelights, transom, or any combination.

Some clients might find that a rustic or modern style works better for their needs, or even an arched bulletproof door – all options we offer. Ultimately, the design of the door will be up to the homeowner. 

Types of Armored Wood Doors

In addition to the style, there are different types of security doors available today. It is essential to understand what each offers to determine which is suitable for your home. Below you will find three methods for creating high-security wooden doors.

All Wood Doors

Secure door made from mahogany woodNatural wood doors are a traditional option and what people tend to think of when considering a strong front door. An inch or more of thick natural wood is indeed very structurally sound and long-lasting. 

Still, a modern attack easily defeats the door, such as by using drills or any other high-speed sharp tool. It may offer good relative compression, but it is nowhere close to as dense as steel. Further, its tensile strength is 30% weaker than its compression resistance. Even a slight tendency to flex is a boon to criminals using a pry bar.

Lastly, wood is a natural material; once no longer alive, it can gradually decay as its water content rises above low levels.

Steel Core Clad With Engineered Wood

People tend to assume that “engineered” wood is not a great option, but this is not the case at all. High-end engineered wood often looks like wood and can be more durable – manufacturers precisely engineer it for the environment customers plan to use it for.

Artificial-wood-clad security doors can look like natural wood doors -the security features are all hidden inside. Our steel core doors withstand sophisticated attacks, such as axes and hammers, and provide robust sound blockage and fire resistance. 

Because scientists artificially construct engineered wood, it tends to expand and contract from changes in humidity less than natural wood. Of course, nothing can completely compare to the natural richness of natural, solid wood. However, an engineered wood-clad security door can provide security and elegance at a much lower cost.

Steel Core Clad With Solid Wood

Wooden security door with gold hardware

The most luxurious option to clad your high-security or ballistic door is with natural, solid wood. Humankind can never fully replicate the intricacy that nature creates.

A steel core door clad in solid wood is very similar to one clad with engineered wood. The attachment method is similar. However, solid wood milling is thicker, more intricate, and much more expensive.

Its benefits are most useful in cases such as:

  • When clients select a design that includes deep milling
  • When clients plan to finish a milled door with stain, thus leaving below-surface edges visible
  • When clients want the security door to blend into a specific wood species on nearby features.

We offer various wood species, such as: 

  • Alder:  Alder wood is popular because it is versatile. With staining, contractors can make alder look like many different types of wood. It has a natural light brown color with beautiful but subtle grain patterns. The tree is a part of the birch family, and they are throughout the north temperate zone.
  • Manufacturing wooden door panels from lumberOak: Oak is another great option. The oak tree has a reputation as very strong and hearty wood. It is commonly used in furniture and was once popular in shipbuilding. There are actually around 600 different oak species. They grow in nearly every state in the United States and many other countries around the world.
  • Mahogany: Mahogany is a wood choice considered to be exquisitely beautiful. The wood has a reddish-brown appearance naturally, and it is the most luxurious type of wood to use on your wooden security door. It comes from three different tropical hardwood species found in the Americas, including: Mexico to southern Amazonia; southern Florida and the Caribbean; and Pacific Central America. 

A ballistic door with solid, natural wood milling will require a small amount of maintenance. Additional staining should be applied every few years, for example. 

Combine security and luxury with an armored wooden door.