Top 10 Metal Doors for Houses in China — Steel Door vs Aluminum Specs & Pricing

Aluminum vs Steel Door — Weight, Corrosion and Cost Data

The first specification decision on a metal door is the base material. Steel and aluminium dominate residential export orders; cast iron and wrought iron survive mainly in decorative gates and heritage projects. The table below uses measured figures from a standard 900 × 2100 mm single leaf.

Measured Comparison, 900 × 2100 mm Leaf

Why the Weight Gap Changes Hardware

A 55 kg steel leaf needs three heavy-duty butt hinges or a continuous geared hinge plus a reinforced frame anchor every 400 mm. An aluminium leaf at 22 kg runs on two hinges with anchors at 600 mm. On a 60-unit housing project that difference removes roughly 2 tonnes of dead load from the openings and cuts on-site labour by an estimated 0.4 man-hours per opening, because one installer can hang an aluminium leaf without a lifting aid.

Corrosion Behaviour in Coastal Zones

Steel fails at cut edges, drill holes and weld seams, not on the flat panel — the zinc layer is consumed locally and red rust spreads under the coating. Aluminium forms a self-limiting oxide and, with an AA-class pretreatment plus a 60–80 μm powder coat, reaches 1,000 h neutral salt spray with no base metal attack. For sites within 2 km of salt water, specify 6063-T5 with a chromate-free pretreatment and a fluorocarbon (PVDF 70%) topcoat; measured chalking after 3 years Florida exposure is under 1 ΔE on PVDF versus 3–5 ΔE on standard polyester powder.

Steel Doors for Home — Where Aluminum Replaces Steel

A steel door still wins on two counts: Impact resistance at a given gauge, and unit price on a bare spec. The switch to aluminium happens when one of the following three conditions is present on the project.

Condition 1 — Coastal or High-Humidity Site

Measured maintenance logs from a 2023 apartment block in Qinzhou, Guangxi (800 m from the shoreline): galvanised steel entrance doors required edge repainting at month 18 and full replacement of 14 of 96 leaves by month 42. The aluminium leaves installed in the same building in the second phase showed coating chalk but no substrate loss at month 48. Over a 10-year window the aluminium option cost $41 per opening less in maintenance, against a $55 higher initial unit price.

Condition 2 — Wide or Tall Leaves

Above 1,100 mm leaf width or 2,400 mm leaf height, a steel leaf needs an internal steel skeleton and a heavier frame to control twist. Aluminium extrusions hold flatness within 1.5 mm over 2.4 m at 2.0 mm wall thickness without added reinforcement. Pivot entry doors at 1,200 × 2,700 mm are routinely built in aluminium at 38 kg; the same size in steel exceeds 90 kg and requires a floor-mounted pivot rated above 150 kg.

Condition 3 — Thermal Code Compliance

Where the local code sets a whole-door U-value at or below 2.0 W/m²K — parts of the EU under EN 14351-1, and IECC climate zones 5 to 8 in the US — a non-thermal-break steel leaf at 2.4–3.5 W/m²K will not pass on its own. Adding a polyurethane core and thermal break to steel closes the gap to about 1.9 W/m²K but moves the unit price to $210–300, above a comparable aluminium build at $180–260. For projects targeting NFRC labelling, the aluminium route reaches U 1.4 W/m²K with a 24 mm polyamide break and a Low-E double-glazed insert.

Metal Door Specifications — Profile, Infill and Hardware

A metal door specification has three layers: the extruded profile system, the infill, and the hardware set. Each layer has measurable parameters that should appear on the order sheet, not in a marketing paragraph.

Profile System and Thermal Break

• Alloy and temper: 6063-T5 for standard profiles, 6061-T6 where higher yield strength is needed on pivot leaves. Tensile strength 160–205 MPa.
• Frame depth: 70 mm (single-glazed infill), 85 mm (double-glazed insert), 100 mm (triple or high-security build).
• Thermal break: polyamide PA66 GF25 strip, width 14.8 / 20 / 24 / 30 mm. U-value falls from 2.4 to 1.4 W/m²K as the strip widens from 14.8 to 30 mm.
• Wall thickness: 1.4 mm (interior and low-rise), 1.8 mm (standard exterior), 2.0 mm (leaves above 2.4 m or hurricane zones).

Infill Options and Acoustic Result

Hardware Set

• Hinges: 304 stainless steel butt hinges, 4 × 4 × 3 mm, 3 per leaf on leaves above 2.1 m; rated 200,000 cycles to EN 1935 grade 13.
• Lock: multipoint 3-point or 5-point espagnolette, European cylinder to EN 1303, or ANSI A156.13 mortise for the North American market.
• Threshold: aluminium with PVC thermal insert, 20 mm or 25 mm height; ADA-compliant 12.7 mm version where accessibility rules apply.
• Closer: EN 1154 size 3 for leaves to 950 mm, size 4 above; hold-open arm optional.

Exterior Doors for Houses — Sizing, Threshold and Sealing

Exterior doors for houses carry a different tolerance set from commercial entrances: the opening is usually a masonry or timber rough opening with ±10 mm variation, and the water management has to work without a curtain-wall drainage plane behind it.

Standard and Custom Sizes

• North America: 36 × 80 in (915 × 2032 mm), 36 × 96 in (915 × 2438 mm), 42 × 96 in for double leaves.
• Europe: 900 × 2000 mm, 1000 × 2100 mm to DIN 18101.
• Australia: 820 × 2040 mm, 920 × 2340 mm.
• Custom: any size to 1,300 × 3,000 mm per leaf; tooling-free, cut from stock extrusion, no minimum for sizes within 100 mm of standard.

Threshold and Sill Detail

Three sill configurations are used: a standard 20 mm thermal-break threshold for covered entrances, a 45 mm rebated sill with an external drainage channel for exposed elevations, and a flush recessed sill for barrier-free access. The rebated sill with a 6 mm weep slot every 300 mm discharges water that penetrates the outer seal; in a 15-minute spray test at 300 Pa the flush sill retained 40 mL of water at the inner face versus 3 mL for the rebated type.

Sealing and Drainage

Two continuous seals are minimum: an EPDM bulb seal on the frame stop and a silicone-blade or brush seal at the leaf bottom. Compression should be 2–3 mm at closed position — below 1 mm the air leakage rate rises from 1.5 to 4.5 m³/h·m² at 100 Pa. The frame’s drainage path must exit above the sill flashing; a blocked weep hole is the single most common cause of water ingress claims on residential aluminium doors.

Price Table (USD) — Metal Doors for Houses

Prices below are FOB Shenzhen or Foshan, quoted for a 900 × 2100 mm single leaf, 1.8 mm wall, powder-coated, hardware included, at an order quantity of 100 sets. They exclude sea freight, import duty and local installation.

FOB Price by Configuration

What Moves the Price

• Aluminium ingot price: a $200/t move on the Yangtze spot price shifts the door cost by roughly $4–7 per set at 1.8 mm wall.
• Quantity: 20 sets costs 18–22% more per unit than 200 sets, because the extrusion die amortisation and line setup are fixed.
• Finish: PVDF adds $32–48/set over polyester powder; anodising adds $28–40/set.
• Hardware brand: Chinese-brand multipoint lock to European-brand (GU, Siegenia, Hoppe) adds $55–110/set.

Production Process — From Billet to Packed Door

Extrusion and Alloy Control

6063 aluminium billet (Si 0.2–0.6%, Mg 0.45–0.9%) is heated to 460–500 °C and extruded at 8–15 m/min through a die, then quenched by air or water and artificially aged at 200 °C for 2 hours to reach T5 temper. Wall thickness is checked by ultrasonic gauge every 30 minutes; the tolerance band is ±0.1 mm on a nominal 1.8 mm.

Surface Treatment Parameters

• Pretreatment: degrease → alkaline etch → desmut → chromate-free conversion (Ti/Zr) → deionised rinse, conductivity under 30 μS/cm.
• Powder coating: electrostatic gun at 60–90 kV, film 60–80 μm measured to ISO 2360, cure at 200 °C metal temperature for 12 minutes.
• PVDF: primer 8 μm + topcoat 30 μm + clear 8 μm, cure 230–250 °C for 15 minutes.
• Anodising: AA15 (15 μm) for exterior, AA20 for coastal; sealed in nickel acetate at 95 °C.

Assembly and Glazing

Profiles are cut on a double-head saw to ±0.3 mm, corner-crimped with a 2-component epoxy injected into the corner cleat, then sealed. Thermal-break strips are rolled into the knurled channels under 8–12 kN pressure; a pull-off test on every 200th profile must exceed 200 N/cm. Glazing is set on EPDM gaskets with a 6 mm bite, and the IGU is held by a structural silicone bead with 24-hour curing before packing.

Technical Indicators — Structural, Air, Water and Acoustic

Performance Test Results

Interpreting the Numbers on a Quote

Ask for the test report number, the tested size, and the configuration tested. A wind rating measured on a 900 × 2100 mm leaf does not transfer to a 1,200 × 2,700 mm pivot leaf — the moment on the hinge rises by a factor of roughly 2.1. Where a supplier quotes only “Class 4” or “DP50” without a report, request the laboratory name and the test date; NFRC and AAMA listings are publicly searchable.

Certifications — What Each Market Requires

Market-Specific Approvals

• European Union: CE marking to EN 14351-1, Declaration of Performance with the 6-digit system code; factory production control audited under EN 1090 for any welded structural element.
• United States: NFRC 100/200 thermal and solar labelling, AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440 for performance class R-LC-PG, and Miami-Dade NOA plus TAS 201/202/203 for the High Velocity Hurricane Zone.
• Australia: AS 2047 window and door performance, plus AS 1288 for glazing and a WERS energy rating where the state scheme applies.
• Middle East: SASO for Saudi Arabia, plus a fire-rating certificate to BS 476-22 or EN 1634-1 where the door sits on an escape route.
• Management systems: ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environmental, ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety.

Documents to Request Before Ordering

Request the mill certificate for the 6063 billet (heat number and chemical analysis), the coating thickness report per batch, the thermal-break pull-off test log, and the IGU certificate to EN 1279. These four documents take a supplier under a day to produce and filter out trading companies that cannot trace material back to the extrusion press.

Procurement Data — MOQ, Lead Time, Payment and Packing

MOQ and Lead Time

• MOQ: 20 sets per size for stock profiles, 50 sets for a new extrusion die (die cost $600–1,200, refunded above 500 sets).
• Lead time: 25–35 days from deposit for 100 sets, 35–45 days for PVDF or anodised finish, 45–55 days where a new die is required.
• Samples: single door at list price plus $180–260 air freight, credited back on the first container order.

Payment Terms

Standard is 30% T/T deposit with 70% against a copy of the bill of lading. Irrevocable L/C at sight is accepted for orders above $50,000 and adds 0.6–1.1% in bank charges. For repeat buyers, 30/70 with a 2% discount for full prepayment is common; open account terms start only after 3 completed orders.

Packing Specification

Installation Method — Sequence, Waterproofing and Commissioning

Installation Sequence

• 1. Check the rough opening: diagonal difference under 5 mm, plumb within 3 mm over 2 m.
• 2. Fit the sill flashing with a 100 mm upstand on both jambs and a 1:20 fall to the outside.
• 3. Set the frame on packers, leaving a 10–15 mm perimeter gap; fix with stainless screws at 150 mm from each corner, then every 500 mm.
• 4. Verify the frame is square by diagonal, then shim at hinge points before final torquing.
• 5. Hang the leaf, adjust the hinges to a 3–4 mm even reveal, then fit the strike plate.
• 6. Fill the perimeter gap with low-expansion PU foam (max 30% expansion), then seal externally.

Waterproofing Detail

Two-stage sealing: an inner air seal of low-expansion foam or pre-compressed tape, and an outer weather seal of neutral-cure silicone on a closed-cell backer rod, tooled to a 6 × 6 mm bead. Bond-break tape goes on the frame face before the silicone so the bead is free to move. Silicone should be applied at 5–40 °C and above 40% RH; a bead applied on a damp substrate fails inside 12 months.

Commissioning Checks

• Operating force under 60 N measured with a spring gauge at the handle.
• Latch and deadbolt throw fully engaged with 2 mm clearance to the strike.
• Seal compression: a 0.15 mm feeler gauge should meet resistance along the full perimeter.
• Weep holes open and discharging; pour 500 mL into the sill channel and confirm it exits within 30 seconds.

Customer Case — 62-Unit Villa Project, Queensland

A developer building 62 detached houses 3.4 km from the Queensland coast compared a galvanised steel entrance package against a thermal-break aluminium package across the full build.

Project Data

The steel package was $54 cheaper per unit FOB but $16 more expensive per opening once freight, one extra container, and 0.7 additional labour hours were counted — and it did not pass the project’s energy compliance check at U 2.6 against a 2.2 target. The aluminium package was specified.

Configuration Comparison — Which Build for Which Site

Related Products and Further Reading

Related documentation on the same product family:

• Security Door Wholesaler in China — Steel Security Door Specs & Pricing
• Wooden Door Wholesale in China — Wood Grain Aluminum Doors for House
• French Doors Manufacturer in China — Aluminum Glass & Double Door Specs, Pricing
• Doors Supplier in China — Types, Pricing & Technical Specifications
• Aluminum Door Factory in China — Sliding, Garage & Entrance Door Specs