Frequently Asked Questions: Commercial Hollow Metal Doors
Despite the name, a hollow metal door isn't completely empty inside.
It consists of a heavy-duty steel frame wrapped with outer steel face sheets (18-gauge steel).
The interior core is filled with insulating core material (polystyrene foam) —to provide stiffness, temperature regulation, and sound reduction.
Yes! Hollow metal doors are the industry gold standard for fire protection.
We offer fire ratings from 20 minutes up to 3 hours.
Fire-rated doors help contain fire and smoke to protect occupants and keep building codes fully compliant.
When combined with our reinforced 16 gauge steel frames and heavy-duty commercial locking hardware (such as type 1 mortise locks or type 1 panic bars), hollow metal doors provide exceptional security.
They resist kick-ins, crowbars, and blunt impacts far better than wood, glass, or aluminum doors. Special forced-entry, bullet-resistant, and blast-resistant options are also available for maximum security facilities.
Yes, We custom-prep hollow metal doors with vision lites (glass kits) for visibility and light transfer, or louvers for ventilation in mechanical rooms and restrooms.
Standard commercial hollow metal doors come factory-treated with a rust-inhibiting primer ready for custom field painting.
Hollow metal doors accommodate virtually any commercial door hardware, including:
Surface and rim panic bar exit devices
Heavy-duty cylindrical and mortise locks
Automatic door closers and push plates
Keypad, card-swipe, and magnetic access control systems
We recommend using Grade 1 hardware for best results in the long run and for code compliance
- Durability: Tested to withstand at least 800,000 to 1,000,000 operational cycles, which translates to years of reliable, heavy daily use in busy environments like schools, hospitals, and offices.
- Security & Abuse Resistance: Built to handle high physical abuse and forced-entry attempts (e.g., capable of withstanding heavy strikes and kick tests).
- Code Compliance: Meets non-negotiable building, fire, and accessibility codes, including ADA mandates.
- Grade 1 (Heavy Commercial): Tested to withstand at least 800,000 to 1,000,000 operational cycles, Maximum security, longest lifespan. Ideal for exterior doors and high-traffic public spaces.
- Grade 2 (Standard Commercial): Mid-range durability tested to 400,000 cycles. Best used for interior office doors or standard retail environments.
- Grade 3 (Light Commercial/Residential): Basic security tested to 200,000 cycles. Best reserved for low-traffic closets or private residential bedrooms.
For standard commercial openings, our professional technicians can typically replace or install a complete hollow metal door, frame, and hardware in under a day with minimal disruption to your operations.
Knocked-Down (KD) Frame: Shipped in three pieces and assembled on-site around finished drywall and masonry. Fast, economical, and ideal for any retrofits.
Welded Frame: The frame corners are fully welded, ground smooth, and set during masonry or rough construction.
Questions asked by customers
Q & A
Hi Ezekiel,
Thank you for your question.
When ordering the door, you will have the option to add the hinges and hole preparation you need by completing the add-on questions on the product page.
First, click on the image for "Select: With Or Without Door Frame," which will then guide you through the next required selections. You will see several hinge options to choose from. For the hole preparation, you can select a 161 prep if you are using a standard lock like a lever, or an 86 prep if you require a mortise cassette.
Best regards,
Isaac Gad
Hi Ezekiel,
Hollow metal doors are more complex than standard doors, but the installation process becomes much easier once you know how to prepare and ensure you have the right size and fit for your application.
For more details, please review the articles in our Knowledge Center at https://elementcommercialdoors.com/knowledge-center/ or reach out to us directly through our contact page at https://elementcommercialdoors.com/contact-us/.
Best regards,
Isaac Gad
Hi Edward,
Thank you for your questions.
Yes, both doors can be set up to open and remain active. However, if you are using them as exterior doors, we highly recommend securing them with flush bolts and an astragal, a mullion, or another method to secure one or both doors to the frame. A lock alone will not secure double doors by itself, as they need a mechanism to hold them together. Please let us know if you need more information on this, and we will be happy to assist you.
Regarding the bulk discount, yes, we offer a special discount at a lower wholesale rate for purchasing eight sets. We will follow up with you via email shortly for direct communication.
Best regards,
Isaac
Hi Raymond,
Thank you for your question.
For fire-rated options, we offer the 90-Minute Fire-Rated HM Double Uneven Hollow Metal Doors – 5’0” x 6’8” on our website. You can view them here: https://elementcommercialdoors.com/product/90-minute-fire-rated-hm-double-uneven-hollow-metal-doors-50-x-68/
If you need both doors in a 2'6" width, please let us know and we will be happy to send you a custom quote.
Best regards,
Isaac
Hi Aaron,
Thank you for your question. Yes, a KD butt-up frame can be used on a 2x6 wood stud frame.
To do this, we add a prep-and-drill (P&D) to the metal frame along with special wood stud anchors to bolt it to the wall.
Please keep the following in mind when ordering:
- Rough Opening: For a butt-up frame, calculate the rough opening by adding 4 1/4" to the total door width and 2 1/8" to the door height.
- Jamb Size: Any jamb size will work as long as it is equal to or smaller than the overall thickness of the wall.
I hope this helps! If you need more information or have any further questions, please feel free to reply here or contact us directly through our contact page.
Best regards,
Isaac