Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Why Choose Fort Knox Vault Doors?
- Pros and Cons of Fort Knox Vault Doors
- Types of Vault Doors and Their Benefits
- Deep Dive: Fort Knox Vault Door 8240
- Installation Insights
- FAQ Guide (What Readers Want to Know)
- Conclusion
Introduction
In a world where safety and security are paramount, vault rooms have become essential for many homeowners. These secure spaces protect our most valuable and irreplaceable items, from family heirlooms to firearms. But the heart of any vault room? Its door. Choosing the right vault door is crucial, ensuring that what's inside remains untouched and intact. If you're on the journey to fortify your property, I'd like to introduce you to a vault door that stands out in the crowd: the Fort Knox Vault Door 8240. Let's dive in!
Why Choose Fort Knox Vault Doors?
Regarding security, Fort Knox is a name that resonates with trust and reliability. With a legacy spanning over two decades, Fort Knox has cemented its position as America's premier brand in the realm of safes and vaults. It's not just about the brand's longevity; it's about the unwavering trust it has garnered over the years. This article highlights one of Fort Knox's crowning achievements: The Vault Door 8240, a door that epitomizes security, quality, and the brand's commitment to excellence.
Pros and Cons of Fort Knox Vault Doors
Pros
● Customization
Fort Knox offers standard vault doors and safe sizes and lets you custom-build your desired product to suit your exact needs. You can choose the color, level of fire protection, and steel thickness as per your requirements.
● Guaranteed Quality
Fort Knox vault doors have superior quality (guaranteed). The brand manufactures each product in the USA under tight quality monitoring standards.
● Extra Tensile Strength
The steel doors by Fort Knox are the strongest you will ever find. Each vault door is manufactured with finely created reinforced steel plates covering the door's entire length and width.
You can fortify your door's tensile strength further by adding extra steel layers or increasing the steel thickness of the vault door up to a category 2 or 3.
● Fire Protection
The doors are also lined with a proprietary blend of a hydrogen bond fireboard locked in place with a stud weld process for extra fire protection.
The fireboard insulation can be upgraded to the fire ratings of an Inferno Shield level of 90 or 120. It is worth noting that the Inferno Shield level of 90 is tested to keep the inside of the vault under 350 degrees. Inferno Shield 120 is an even better option for fire insulation that keeps the inner side of the vault under 1680 degrees (in 90 minutes). The result? You get a high-quality fire-protected vault door, ensuring the highest level of safety.
Cons
- Building a vault is a significant task, and building one is usually a good idea when the property is under construction. Moreover, the cost you pay for building a vault room is a highly fruitful investment that pays you off in the long run.
- Owners might forget their vault's password due to infrequent needs to access their vault rooms. Failing to input the correct password multiple times might lock them out.
Types of Vault Doors and Their Benefits
Safes and Vaults provide a highly secure space to protect your valuable goods. Building a vault room allows you to skip the hassle of buying multiple safes to store many valuables due to capacity limitations. You only need to install a vault door in your storage room to ensure foolproof protection.
There are two kinds of vault doors: in-swing and out-swing models.
Outswing Vault Doors
An outswing vault door is a secure door with a wider secure space to store your valuables inside the vault. It opens outward from the vault and swings away from the secure interior section.
Pros
- Outswing vault doors offer enhanced security due to their outward opening operation, making it difficult for intruders to access the vault by force.
- Outswing vault doors maximize the interior space, allowing you to store more goods inside the vault.
- In emergencies, an outswing door can be easier to open from the inside for a quick exit.
Cons
- Outswing doors may be slightly more challenging to maintain a tight seal.
- Installing an outswing door may be more complex as the hinges must be positioned correctly for optimal security.
- Outswing vault doors may not be suitable for areas with limited exterior space.
Inswing Vault Doors
Inswing vault doors are secure doors used in vaults and high-security storage facilities. In contrast to outswing doors, inswing vault doors open towards the secure interior section.
Pros
- Inswing vault doors offer a tighter seal, crucial for maintaining fire resistance and preventing theft.
- Installing an inswing vault door may be easier than outswing doors, as it does not require as precise hinge placement as needed for outswing doors.
- Inswing doors can effectively keep rain, wind, and other external impacts out.
Cons
- In some cases, poorly installed inswing doors can be easier to push back by force for intrusion.
- Inswing doors take up more interior space, limiting the inner storage capacity.
- Inswing doors may be more challenging to open in case of an emergency exit.
Deep Dive: Fort Knox Vault Door 8240
When considering a vault door, it's essential to understand its features, benefits, and specifications. The Fort Knox Vault Door 8240 is a standout product, and here's why:
Benefits:
- Security: Provides ample storage for valuables such as records, jewelry, money, guns, and heirlooms.
- Theft Protection: The robust steel door is a formidable barrier against theft.
- Emergency Shelter: The vault room can double as a storm shelter during natural disasters.
- Fire Safety: The reinforced fire door ensures maximum protection in a fire.
Specifications:
- Door Dimensions: 76" (Height) x 30" (Width)
- Overall Dimensions (Including Jamb): 85" (Height) x 45" (Width)
- Variety: Available in various colors and textures.
Key Features:
- Build Quality: 1-3/4" thick, deep recessed door with a Quadrafold door frame, 3/8" steel plate, a layer of fireboard material, and ten-gauge reinforcement.
- Security Features: Contains patented star corner bolts and mechanical backup relocking devices.
- Locking Mechanism: UL Approved Mechanical dial lock with an option to upgrade to an electronic lock. These locks are further secured with a drill stop hard plate.
- Access: Requires the correct combination and a turn of a 14K Gold, 5-spoke handle to deactivate the 19 1.5" chrome-plated locking bolts.
- Safety Features: Equipped with an inside release mechanism to ensure you can always exit the vault room.
- Aesthetics: Choose from various finishes to match your interior decor.
- Warranty: Fort Knox offers a limited lifetime warranty against attempted break-ins and fires.
- Additional Features: Concealed ball bearing hinges, patented multi-gear drive, bolt detent system, remote re-locker, and an optional carpeted door panel.
Installation Insights
Understanding the Fort Knox Vault Door
Before diving into the installation process, it's essential to understand the specifications and requirements of the Fort Knox Vault Door 8240:
Rough Opening
The rough opening refers to the hole in a framed wall where the door will be installed. For the Fort Knox Vault Door 8240, you'll need an 82" x 40" opening. Proper measurements ensure enough space to fit and secure the vault door accurately.
Weight Considerations
The weight of a vault door is crucial for its security. The Fort Knox 8240 models have varying weights:
- VD EXEC 8240: Approximately 1,228 lbs
- VD DEF 8240: Approximately 952 lbs
- VD IN-SWING 8240: Approximately 1,166 lbs
With such substantial weight, these doors provide formidable protection against potential threats.
Installation Steps
Installing a Fort Knox vault door requires precision and attention to detail. Here's a step-by-step guide:
- Prepare the Opening: Finish the outside face of the wall, ensuring it's ready to receive the door. The wall's outer face should be upright.
- Lighting: Ensure there's a light source inside the vault room. At least one person should be inside with the necessary tools and materials.
- Position the Door: Lay the door flat on the floor, facing up. With adequate help, raise it to a vertical position, ensuring it's at a right angle to the door opening.
- Move the Door: Carefully move the door into the opening. Once positioned, unlock the electronic lock, release the locking pins, and adjust as necessary to ensure a snug fit.
- Install the Inside Clamp Frame: With the door closed, position the Internal Frame and install the Clamp Frame pieces on the door's sides and top. Adjust and tighten the bolts, ensuring the door fits perfectly into the jamb.
Note: Always refer to the official Fort Knox installation manual for detailed instructions and safety precautions.
FAQ Guide (What Readers Want to Know)
What is a Vault Door?
A vault door is a huge door equipped with solid materials and safety mechanisms that turns a room into a secure storage area, panic room, or storm shelter with walk-in access.
How Much Do Vault Doors Cost?
The starting price for Fort Knox Vault Door 8240 is around $7,618. With this option, you can get the out-swing vault door from Fort Knox for around $7,038, but you cannot use the space as a panic room or shelter.
What is a Class 5 Vault Door?
Class 5 is a rating for vault doors that store materials like weapons, evidence, money, narcotics, etc. They are fixed with a lock that meets the Federal Specifications FFL-L-2937. They are designed to resist a 30-minute attempt of covert entry and a 10-minute attempt of forced entry.
Conclusion
A vault is a great way to protect your valuables and family in emergencies. If you’re looking for a vault door that can withstand the harshest of punishments, the Fort Knox Vault Door 8240 is what you should go for. The 1-3/4" thickness Quadrafold door frame, 3/8" steel plate, and a 14k gold 5-spoke handle make this vault door exceptionally tough and completely foolproof. Fort Knox doors have a limited lifetime warranty against attempted break-ins, break-ins, and fires. Only a few vault door brands truly deliver what they claim, and Fort Knox is one of them.