When protecting your home, your front door is the first line of defense. So, choosing the right door type is important for maximum safety and security. Different materials offer varying levels of strength and resistance against forced intrusion. In Singapore, laminate and veneer doors with metal reinforcements are often considered the safest options for a front door.

They provide the most impact resistance, strength, and durability to keep would-be thieves out. This guide breaks down the pros & cons of different door types based on material, reinforcements, and installation to help you determine the safest choice for your Singapore home.

Types of doors:

Wood Doors

Traditional wooden doors are still a popular choice in Singapore. While wood doors have a classic aesthetic appeal, they are generally less secure than other door options. Wood can be quickly impacted, dented, or broken into. However, reinforced wood doors with additional metal components can provide more security.

Laminate Doors

Laminate doors are made of wood with a laminate surface, giving them an aesthetic similar to wood doors. They are more durable and impact resistant than traditional wood doors. The laminate surface makes them harder to dent or forcefully enter. Some laminated doors come with built-in metal reinforcements for additional security.

Veneer Doors

Veneer doors have a thin wood veneer applied to a non-wood substrate like mineral composite or fiberglass for durability. They are highly impact resistant while still maintaining a traditional wood look. Many veneer doors come with metal frames and reinforcements for added strength and safety. They can provide reasonable to excellent security depending on their metal components.

Glass Doors

Tempered glass doors are not the No.1 recommended for safety and security. However, glass doors with Mild steel metal or wood panels provide a good balance of visibility and security. The metal or wood components strengthen the door, making it harder to break through. These composite glass doors are a popular option for maximizing natural light while meeting basic security needs.

Factors affecting safety:

Now let’s go through about the factors that affect the safety and security of the different door types:

• Material Strength – The inherent durability, impact resistance, and ability to withstand forced entry of the material. Solid Wood doors are generally the strongest, followed by laminates, veneers, and glass.

• Reinforcements – Additional metal components like frames, bars, locks, and hinges add strength and security. Reinforced wood doors and composite doors with metal have higher safety.

• Locking Mechanisms – Locks and bolts’ type, quality, and placement. Deadbolts and multi-point locking systems provide better security.

• Frame Design – Doors with sturdy, securely installed frames that are difficult to force open are safer. Metal frames are more substantial than wood.

• Glass Panels – The amount of glass surface area. Lower glass surface area and the addition of metal or wood panels increase security.

• Installation Quality – Properly installed doors that are squared, plumb, and level is harder to force open. Improper installation can compromise security.

• Door Thickness – Thicker doors, typically over 40mm, are able to withstand more impact and forced entry attempts compared to thinner doors.

So, in summary, material strength, reinforcements, locking mechanisms, frame design, door thickness, and installation quality are the main factors determining the relative safety and security of different door types. The more of these factors a door has working in its favor, the higher its safety and security.

Material quality, installation, locks

Wood Doors:

•Material quality – Use high grade hardwood like teak for durability. Avoid softwood like pine.

•Installation – Square and plumb installation with properly shimmed and adjusted frames(Free installation service available @ Hddoor)

•Locks – Traditionally used deadbolts and rim locks. You can also use digital smart locks(recommended).

Laminate Doors:

•Material quality – Good laminate with resin impregnation and metal reinforcements.

•Installation – Same as wood doors. Precise installation is important(Free installation service available @ Hddoor)

•Locks – You can use wide variety of locks, including digital smart locks.

Veneer Doors:

•Material quality – Strong substrate material like mineral composite or fiberglass with high quality wood veneer.

•Installation – Same as wood and laminate doors. Proper frame adjustment critical(Free installation service available @ Hddoor)

•Locks – Wide range of locking options; as we said before, the best one is digital smart locks compared to another security system.

Glass Doors:

•Material quality – Toughened glass for impact resistance. Metal or wood panels of good material quality.

•Installation – Focus on securely fastening glass panels and metal/wood components(Free installation service available @ Hddoor)

•Locks – Limited lock options due to glass panels, but can integrate Glass digital locks.

Comparison of safety levels: Wood vs. Laminate vs. Veneer vs. glass

Wood vs. Laminate

Wood doors have the lowest safety and security due to the material’s limitations. They can be quickly impacted, dented,break-in, or broken into.

Laminate doors are more durable and impact resistant than wood doors due to the laminate surface. They offer better security, especially laminate doors with metal reinforcements.

Overall, laminate doors provide higher safety and extra security compared to standard wood doors.

Veneer vs. Laminate

Both laminate and veneer doors offer good to high levels of safety and security.

Veneer doors have an advantage due to the use of stronger substrate materials like mineral composite or fiberglass. The wood veneer also provides an aesthetic wood look while maintaining durability.

Many veneer doors also come with built-in metal reinforcements, providing even higher strength and security.

Overall, veneer doors tend to offer a slightly higher level of safety & security compared to laminate doors, though reinforced laminate doors can provide comparable security.

Glass vs Veneer/Laminate

Fully glass doors offer the lowest level of safety and security due to their transparency and breakability, its more secure than any metal or steel door.

Composite glass doors with metal or wood panels provide much higher security, though still not at the level of veneer or laminated doors.

The metal and wood components of composite glass doors strengthen and reinforce the door, making forced entry more difficult. However, the glass panels are still a potential weakness.

In summary, the safety and security level from highest to lowest would be:

1)Full solid Reinforced laminate doors

2)Veneer doors

3)Fully Tempered glass doors

4)Standard wood doors

Summing up:

To conclude this article, reinforced laminate and veneer doors provide the highest level of security for front doors in Singapore, making them the most resistant to burglars; in Hddoor you can also choose full solid laminate door and fire rated laminate door which ensure the security and safety level in both inside and out. The doors we offer are made in our factory, so we use all durable materials, metal reinforcements around the door frame and strike plate, and impact-resistant construction, making them difficult for intruders to force open.

Standard wood doors and basic glass doors have weaknesses that make them easier targets for would-be thieves due to the breakable nature of their materials. While laminated and composite wood doors offer higher durability, only metal-reinforced veneer and laminate doors can match the stringent security needs for front doors.

Homeowners seeking to harden their number one point of entry against forced intrusion should therefore choose reinforced laminate or veneer doors, installed by professionals with secure locks, for the safest option to protect their Singapore home.