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Home > Help Center > Hollow Metal Door Information > Hollow Metal Door Anchor Types

Hollow Metal Door Anchor Types

Hollow Metal Door Anchor Types

Commercial hollow metal doors are known for their robustness and security. As a result hollow metal doors are installed on almost any kind of building material ranging from wood studs, metal studs, brick, block wall, CMU (concrete masonry unit), and much more. In order to attach the hollow metal door frame to the building material, there are a wide range of anchor types to select from. Each anchor is slightly different than the other and is used for specific building materials. In this article we go over everything there is to know about all the different type of hollow metal door anchors available to you. If you are in the market for a hollow metal door you will learn what anchor type you need for your installation!

Wood Stud Anchors

As you can probably guess from the name, wood stud anchors are designed to be used with wood studs. Most wood stud construction takes place on the interior of the building with drywall that is layered on top of it. However, if the building is being remodeled sometimes contractors will frame out an exterior opening.

Wood stud anchors are designed with two metal straps with holes in the straps. The metal strap can be bent and maneuvered to wrap against the wood stud. Then using nails or screws, the metal strap is fastened against the wood stud. This anchor type is very easy to use and is a very inexpensive anchoring method. If your door installation is an interior door, most likely this is the anchor type you will need. As with other anchors, the wood stud anchor should be placed every 30" on the door frame. Wood stud anchors are designed for frames that wrap around the wall, which is primarily all interior door applications.


Below is an image of a wood stud anchor. Note that wood stud anchors come in various designs and styles, however they all function the same.


Wood stud anchors are designed to fit into the door frame as shown in the image below.

Steel Stud Anchors

Many interior walls today, especially in the commercial trade, are constructed with steel studs.

For this type of construction hollow metal door frames use steel stud anchors. Steel stud anchors may vary in design, but are the same in functionality. Most steel stud anchors are designed in the shape of the letter "z", as shown in the illustration below.

The steel stud anchor is generally welded into the back of the door frame as shown below and is usually flush with the door frame's return. This is because the steel stud anchor is designed to sit flat against the metal stud. Metal self tapping screws are used to screw through the metal stud and attach into the steel stud anchor as shown in the illustration below.

For steel stud construction, the fasteners are always screwed in from the steel stud side into the hollow metal door anchor. It allows for a clean installation without exposed screws. For this reason hollow metal doors attached to steel studs are installed before the drywall, so that the fasteners can be attached from the steel stud side.


Wood Stud and Steel Stud Anchor Combination

This combination anchor or multipurpose anchor is the best of both worlds, since it can be used on both metal or wood studs. The combination anchor can be a life saver on jobs where the construction material (wood or metal) is unknown and you are limited on time. Ordering multipurpose combination anchors is always a safe choice, especially if it is a new construction build, where addendums and revisions are common.

The illustration shows the combination anchor in a door frame.

Compression Anchors (Used On Drywall Knock Down Frames)

A compression anchor is the standard anchor type that comes with every drywall knock down hollow metal door frame. This anchor gets its name from it's design. The anchor is mounted on the inside of the door frame as shown below.


The door frame is designed to wrap around the drywall. On the door frame face a screw is accessible that adjusts the door frame compression against the drywall. Once the door frame is set into place, the installer can tighten the drywall anchor compression screws to secure the door frame against the drywall opening.

Masonry Wire Anchor

Masonry wire anchors are used on cement, concrete, block wall, brick, or other masonry walls that have not been erected yet. The masonry wire anchor sits inside the door frame and is designed to be mortared into the wall as the wall is erected. Masonry wire anchors are very inexpensive and work extremely well. Masonry wire anchors are typically constructed from steel and are about .125" in diameter. Masonry wire anchors are used on exterior hollow metal doors. They are shipped loosed with the door frame, and are set inside of the door frame prior to installation. Masonry anchors can be installed on any door jamb width.

Masonry wire anchors are most commonly used on exterior door frames that are butted against the masonry wall as shown in the illustration below. However, in some rare cases masonry wire anchor door frames do wrap around the masonry wall.




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