At the heart of every Elite Vault Door is its robust construction. Unlike lighter steel alternatives, heavy-duty steel vault doors offer superior resistance to fire, smoke, and even high-pressure water sprays, typical during firefighting efforts. Our Heavy-Duty Steel Vault Doors feature steel plates as thick as 1 inch, far surpassing standard commercial fire doors in durability and resilience.

Pro Tip: Did you know the door frame is just as important as the door for fire protection? Any warping caused by a hot fire can cause gaps that allow smoke and flame to get through. That's why our frames are heavier than all of our competitors. Our heavy rigid frames help keep the door sealed during a fire.

A critical component in any Fire-Resistant Vault Door, the expanding fire seal activates at temperatures around 300°F. These seals, primarily intumescent based, expand 9 times their original size to seal off air gaps, effectively blocking smoke and flames. This feature is particularly crucial in ensuring that your Custom Vault Doors provide smoke and flame protection during a house fire.

Pro Tip: These seals are made of the same material that are used to protect steel beams used in skyscrapers. In fact, this seal provides insulation value as well as smoke and flame protection. The expanded material acts as insulation to help keep the heat of a fire out of your room.

Addressing the risk of internal temperature spikes, Fireproof Vault Doors incorporate materials like rock wool or ceramic fiber, commonly used in blast furnaces. These materials, capable of withstanding temperatures over 2000°F, are integral in maintaining a stable internal environment. Additionally, the use of gypsum fireboard, a key element in our Ceramic Fire Blanket Insulation upgrade, helps to absorb heat and control temperature rise, offering an additional layer of protection to your valuables.

Did you know that gypsum boards are almost 20% water by weight? This water absorbs heat during a fire and is released as steam. The gypsum board can absorb heat during the hottest points of a fire to slow heat coming through your door.

Ensuring that your Vault Door is installed correctly is as crucial as its design. A correctly installed door, in contact with concrete or block walls, with minimal gaps and devoid of flammable materials near its front flange, significantly enhances its fire-resistant capabilities. The application of fire-resistant caulking can further bolster the door's defense against fire.

Pro Tip: Not only will a properly installed door help keep fires out, it will also help keep your door functioning properly. When a vault door is installed over top of wood or gypsum board, those materials can compress or expand over time. This can cause your door to shift. So if you installed your door in the winter and it worked well, you may find it becomes difficult to operate in the summer when the wood expands because the summer air is more humid.