What Is a BILCO Door | Know This and That

A BILCO door is a type of basement or cellar door typically made of steel and mainly offers a wide opening. They’re designed to be durable to withstand any outer impacts so that the inner space doesn’t have to face any difficulties. Additionally, they’re code-compliant for emergency egress. This is a pretty useful feature for homes with finished basements or cellars.

Take a few minutes and stick to the post till the end to know further about BILCO doors. 

Introduction to BILCO Door

BILCO door is one of the safest basement cellar doors that ensure both a convenient entrance and egress for the owner. BILCO is actually the manufacturer’s name. The doors became so popular that they brought renown to their manufacturer and people started to call them by the manufacturer’s name. BILCO doors are commonly used in most buildings regardless of industrial, commercial, and residential buildings. 

Design and Configuration of BILCO Doors

BILCO doors come with two main parts. One is a frame to attach and the other one is a set of doors. The doors are mostly made of steel or any other durable material to make them resistant to weather or other outer impact and also secure. 

They come in a variety of sizes and finishes to match any house. If you want, you can ask the manufacturer to customize your BILCO door with additional features like locks, windows, element stripping, or any other of your preference.   

First, the surrounding frame needs to be installed at the entry point to provide structure for the doors. When it comes to doors, they can be installed in different configurations according to the owner’s preference. For example – pulling outwards, sliding horizontally at any side, lifting vertically, etc. 

Needless to say, you should determine the door size according to the maximum size of furniture or any other stuff that you want to move to or out of the basement or cellar through that door. It can range from game tables to any patio furniture. And it’s possible because of the wide opening feature of the BILCO door.

Pros and Cons of BILCO Doors

In terms of advantages, the first point to mention is that BILCO doors are wide. It makes moving large items in and out of your basement so much more convenient and diminishes the chance of damaging the item while moving. 

Another advantage is they’re built pretty strong and durable to keep your ground area safe from any outer impacts like weather, elements, fire, etc. This ensures that your essentials or valuables don’t get damaged. So, it’s definitely a great benefit. 

Last but not least, these doors can be equipped with various security features that successfully can help to deter burglars and keep your home safe. For example – security hinges, deadbolt locks, etc.

The only notable disadvantage of the doors is they come at an expensive price. But the price will seem worthwhile when you consider the service and features that this door offers. 

(FAQs) Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Who invented the BILCO door?

The BILCO door was invented and developed by George W. Lyons Sr, who’s also the founder of the BILCO Co. which grew up as a family business. Interestingly, the idea of inventing such a door came into his mind to keep his own basement dry.  

How heavy is a BILCO door?

The weight of a BILCO door highly depends on the size and material of it. Typically it ranges from 100 pounds to 300 pounds. In terms of popular BILCO door sizes, the weights are around – for Size B 250 pounds, Size C 300 pounds, Size O 200 pounds, and Size SL 225 pounds.

How long does a BILCO door last?

The fact is that BILCO doors are built to last. They can last for many years with proper care and maintenance. Although the exact lifespan of a BILCO door will vary depending on the conditions in which it’s installed and used, it has been found that the BILCO doors usually last for 20 to 30 years or more.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve read this far, we can assume that you’ve understood what a BILCO door is along with its design and functionality. If you own a basement or cellar or any underground space, you can undoubtedly go for a BILCO door. Just remember that it’ll cost a lot. Let us know if you find this post informative and if you have any other queries, mention that too.