Steel Door Frame Materials

To prolong the life of a steel door frame mounted in exterior openings or door openings subject to the presence of chemicals, e.g. cleaners, the frame should be manufactured from galvanized or galvannealed steel. In both cases, the steel is coated with zinc to aid in rust prevention. Most frame manufacturers are aware of these steels and will use them if they know the frame is going in openings where rust can occur. To provide even more protection, both sides of the frame should be coated with a commercial grade primer paint.

While most frame manufacturers build door frames from the appropriate steel grade, frames manufactured from “less rust resistant steels”, e.g. plain cold rolled steel, still find their way into openings exposed to corrosive conditions.

In either case, i.e. galvanized or galvannealed prime coated, or cold rolled steel prime coated, it’s not a question of whether the frame is going to rust, only a question of when it will rust. In the case of frames made from galvanized or galvannealed steel, the rust will simply take longer to develop than a frame not made from these materials.

If you have a steel door frame beginning to show signs of corrosion, consider repairing the frame with one of our patented Jamb Patch door jamb repair kits. These products are designed to repair rusted and corroded door frames in the exterior or interior of your building long before a full frame replacement becomes necessary.

The patented Jamb Patch and Jamb Anchor products are used to repair metal door frames that have rusted or corroded in the exterior or interior openings of your building. Contact us to learn more about our patented door jamb repair kits.