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Security Screen Door vs Regular Screen Door: What’s the Difference?
From the sofa they look almost the same. Both let in air and keep out flies. The difference shows the moment someone tries to get through one.
The short version
- A regular screen door keeps insects out. It is not built to stop a person.
- A security door stops a person, but usually blocks the view and the breeze.
- A security screen door is made to do both jobs: airflow and a clear view, with a locked steel-mesh barrier.
What a regular screen door does
A regular screen door is an insect screen in a light frame. The mesh is usually fiberglass or thin aluminum. It can be pushed in, cut with a pocket knife, or pulled out of its frame by hand.
That is fine for what it is made for. It keeps bugs out and lets air in. But most people would not go to bed, or leave for the shops, with only a regular screen door between the house and the street.
What a security door does
“Security door” usually means a steel door with bars, a grille or perforated metal. These are strong. The trade-off is how they look and feel. You look out through bars, less air gets through, and the front of the house can start to feel closed in.
What a security screen door does
A security screen door sits between the two. It has three parts that a regular screen door does not have:
- Woven stainless-steel mesh. The mesh we install is 316 marine-grade stainless steel. It is made to pass knife-shear tests, so it resists being cut.
- A heavy frame that grips the mesh. A patented clamp holds the mesh inside the frame, rather than a rubber strip pressed into a groove.
- A real lock. The screen door has its own lock and key, separate from your main door.
From inside, you still see the garden and feel the breeze. One of our customers, Jane, described her window screens this way: “unobstructed view, very stylish, does not have the behind bars look”.
Side by side
| Regular screen door | Security door (bars or grille) | Security screen door | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | Keep insects out | Keep people out | Keep people and insects out |
| Mesh or infill | Fiberglass or light aluminum | Steel bars, grille or perforated sheet | Woven stainless-steel mesh |
| View out | Clear | Through bars | Clear |
| Airflow | Good | Varies | Good |
| Has its own lock | A simple latch, if any | Yes | Yes |
| Made to resist cutting and forcing | No | Yes | Yes |
| Made to measure | Often off the shelf | Varies | Yes, always |
How to tell which one you have now
- Press the mesh with your thumb. If it gives and stretches easily, it is an insect screen.
- Look at how the mesh is held. A rubber strip pushed into a groove means an insect screen.
- Check the lock. A small latch with no key is not a security lock.
Which one do you need?
Ask yourself one question: do I want to leave this door open when I am not standing next to it?
- If you only want to keep flies out while you are in the room, a regular screen is enough.
- If you want the door open in the evening, overnight, or while you are in another part of the house, you need a screen that locks and holds.
- If you have a wide slider or French doors, a security screen lets you open the whole wall to the patio without leaving the house unlocked. See the door types we fit.
A real example
One of our customers, David O., wrote to us after three people tried to break into his home while his wife and dog were inside. In his words: “the screen doors resisted ~5 minutes of effort by the would-be robbers and my wife was able to call the police and scare them off.”
No screen can promise to stop every attack. What a security screen does is buy time and make noise, and that is often what matters.
What about price?
A security screen door costs more than an insect screen, because it is a made-to-measure steel product. The price depends on the size and type of door, so we quote after measuring. The quote is free.