How to Maintain Your Steel Doors for Long-Lasting Beauty and Security

One of the main benefits of steel doors is that they’re such low-maintenance options. With classic wood, you have to worry about sanding, refinishing, sealing, checking for small warps and cracks, and repairing those issues if possible.

With a steel door, you don’t have to do much, and that’s exactly why choosing steel doors is such a smart way to combine durability with low maintenance.

Still, knowing how to maintain steel doors properly helps you avoid issues like rust, worn hardware, or damaged weather stripping, and ensures your door keeps its beauty and strength for years. 

Today, we’re going to go over each important step in detail so you can enjoy the lasting security and style that a steel door provides.

1. Clean Your Steel Door Regularly

This is the maintenance step that you’ll have to do most often, and it’ll take the most time. The best part is that even this step is extremely simple. 

You want to clean the door regularly. 

Dirt, grime, and debris can build up on the door, and if it’s allowed to sit, it will lead to corrosion and damage. Usually, that damage is going to come in the form of surface rust that can continue to worsen until it seriously damages the door. 

Whether it’s entry doors, interior steel doors, or even patio doors, keeping them clean on a regular basis helps prevent buildup and preserves their sleek look for years. Luckily, cleaning is simple.

For the steel parts of the door, use warm, soapy water and give the door a good wipe down. Dry it off with a towel, and that covers the steel portion of the cleaning. 

For the glass, you’ll clean it just like a window. Use your favorite window cleaner and a microfiber cloth or similar product to minimize streaks and prevent scratches, and you’re good to go. 

You want to do this fairly regularly. A good wipe down once per season and after any storm or conditions that get the door dirtier than usual is a good schedule to follow. That is usually enough to keep dirt from building up, but it’s not so frequent that it gets to be a hassle.

2. Look for Signs of Damage and Corrosion

This is best done with your daily cleaning routine, because you’ll be paying attention to the details, and you’ll have all the dirt and grime removed. Take a moment to look over the door and see if any damage or corrosion has formed.

With steel doors, this is almost always going to look like surface rust or pitting. If you’ve greatly neglected the door for a long time, it might be more serious.

Glass usually isn’t going to be damaged, but look for persistent miscoloring after cleaning, and make sure to look for cracks or chips. 

If you do find damage, it’s best to handle it as quickly as possible. Surface rust can be knocked off with very fine sandpaper, and as long as you’re gentle, you shouldn’t leave behind noticeable marks. Glass needs to be fixed by a professional.

3. Lubricate the Hardware

The door is technically a separate piece from hardware, stripping, and framework, but you need to look at all of that while you’re maintaining the door, because it all works together. 

Starting with hardware, you want to keep things lubricated. 

During your cleaning routine, use a toothbrush or similar small scrubber, and use it to scrub away any gunk on the hinges. If you leave that, it will seep into the hinges and freeze them up over time. 

Re-lubricating the hinges is easy. You can find machining oil or even sewing machine oil for less $10 at most big box stores, and it’s more than enough. Just drop a few drops of oil into each hinge. 

4. Check the Weather Stripping 

Weather stripping is crucial to check. It’s a huge part of your door’s insulation abilities, and it prevents a lot of issues with your home. 

These are the strips of rubber at the bottom of your door and along the frame. If you notice they look dry, cracked, or bulged anywhere, they need to be changed. 

It’s simple to replace them, and you can find the parts readily available at most stores with home maintenance sections. 

If you don’t think it’s a big deal and want to save a few bucks, keep in mind that broken weather stripping can allow excessive humidity and insects in, and it can raise your energy bills by letting conditioned air out. 

5. Re-Coat the Door

This is typically the maintenance requirement that needs to be done the least.

Your steel door will come coated with an oil-based product. That’s to prevent it from corroding. Stainless steel is corrosion-resistant, but it’s not immune to it. 

As the door is touched, hit with rain, and washed, that coating wears off. 

Replacing it is easy enough. 

If it’s a paint, match the color or choose a new one that you like and is designed for steel doors, and repaint the door. A fresh coat not only protects the surface but can also elevate your home’s entrance, giving it a polished, welcoming look.

Just be careful not to get paint on glass panels or hardware to avoid a complicated cleanup later. 

If it’s an oil-based coating or similar option that lets the raw metal shine, a very light application of mineral oil is fine. Thick applications can attract dirt and make your door unpleasant to touch for a while, though. 

How Long Can a Steel Door Last When It’s Maintained? 

What does all this work do for you, though? Is it a noticeable difference in lifespan? 

Well, yes. 

Without cleaning, you can start to experience poor hinge action because the hinges will attract dust very quickly. That gums up when it mixes with the oil in the hinges. That can happen within a matter of weeks if the conditions are particularly dirty. 

Rust can start to form within years if you don’t renew the coating or clean off the dirt and debris that builds up. 

When you stay on top of these small steps, the lifespan of steel doors can easily extend for generations, making the effort more than worthwhile.

Start with a High-Quality Door from Steelhaus Doors

The best way to keep a beautiful steel door for many years is to start with one that was made with quality in mind. 

At SteelHaus, you’ll find a wide selection of high-quality styles, from steel French doors and steel double doors to steel doors with sidelights, along with many other custom options designed to elevate your home. 

For more details, contact us today and discover how the right door can transform your space.