Metal doors

In the Soviet years, the issue of the safety of individual living space was not an acute issue. All houses had ordinary wooden doors with one lock, the key to which was easily found. Quite often, the spare key to the apartment was lying under the rug near the front door. But everything changed at the end of the last century, when people began to install metal doors.

Initially, a metal door was installed in addition to a wooden one. It was an ordinary sheet of rolled metal produced at the former factories of the country. He only adjusted to the size of the doorway. Such a door could only protect against burglars, and even then, if there were good locks.

The second wooden door made it possible to keep warm in the room, moreover, it partially blocked out noise. But for this it had to be slightly modified. For this, leatherette and an old cotton blanket were taken, and with the help of furniture nails, this heat and sound insulating material was stuffed onto a wooden canvas.

Years passed, door designs changed, and door fittings also changed. Today, a modern metal door not only protects against illegal entry, but is also an integral part of the interior. A second wooden door is also useless today, since the latest models of steel doors have a special filling that prevents the penetration of cold and extraneous sounds.

The main disadvantage of such doors is the price. A good thing may not be cheap, but as they say, health and safety are not economized. Having a minimal baggage of knowledge in this area, you can pick up a copy at an affordable price without overpaying for unnecessary functions and other parameters.

Metal doors are classified according to the following criteria:

• By appointment. There are entrance, apartment, front and office. Additionally, there are vestibule, technical and special doors.
• By opening method. This includes swing doors and sliding doors. Doors that open towards and away from you - both on the left and on the right.
• By resistance to burglary. There can be four classes. For apartments, it is enough to install lever and cylinder locks. Lever locks should be with increased secrecy, thanks to which the burglar will spend more time, which means there is a great chance that he will not mess with this door.
• By design features. This refers to the number of sheets of steel or aluminum used in the door leaf and fittings.
• For decorative finishing. Materials used for interior decoration.

A simple metal door (popularly referred to as a welded door) still costs a penny. It is most advisable to install it inside a state or municipal building. Somewhere in the back room or basement where nothing of value is stored. It is enough to equip the door with an internal or, conversely, a padlock.

It is appropriate to install an ordinary metal door in the garden area, due to the fact that economy-class doors do not need additional fittings.

Interior doors made of metal are rarely installed in apartments. Only if these are communal apartments, but it is worth remembering that a metal door frame is desirable for their installation.

Specialists from specialized stores recommend soundproofed exterior doors. Not only because such products are slightly more expensive, but also for a long service life. After all, a good door is rarely changed.

Thermal insulation options should be considered for those customers who have a cold entrance. The sealant plays the role of a "protector", thanks to it, the room will always be warm in winter. Three-circuit doors are the latest presented today. They include all the advantages described above, and are suitable for any room, even a suburban or urban type.

If in city apartments a single-floor metal door is often installed, then in stores, as a rule, a double-leaf door is installed. These swing options are suitable for the back door through which goods are unloaded. Because an additional sash can be opened if necessary.

For stores, a special design was developed at one time - an accordion (sliding doors). It is an additional fence. The accordion also received its distribution from the owners of country houses - it closes the woodpile.

Basically, it is wealthy people who order metal doors and individual options are developed for them. There is indeed room for growth in this segment. Some can only afford a metal gate with a window, while others install a video peephole and an intercom. Someone will need armored doors, while others will need ready-made solutions.

It should be noted that there are also canvases with a ventilation grill designed for technical rooms in which it is necessary to maintain the temperature and humidity at a certain level. As well as sliding, electrically driven. They are installed in warehouses or refrigerated rooms.

And, in general, all doors in the premium or budget class cannot be described. One thing is for sure: elite and budget options should be equipped with reliable fittings to protect the premises on both warm and cold days.

Any door, including metal, consists of hinges, locks, latch, peephole and handle. They are selected when ordering through a special catalog. This catalog is available in any specialty store. Consultants will be happy to help you make a choice.

As a rule, the components are installed at the time of installation, focusing on the growth of the owners of the premises:

• It is desirable to have three hinges (it is better if they are ball), the opening angle of the door leaf depends on this - its maximum indicator is 180 degrees. It is worth equipping the product with an armor plate. The steel sheet should have a thickness of more than 2 mm, if it is about 0.5 mm, it means that such a door is easily crumpled and opened. As people say, you can even open it with a can opener.
• The crossbars that lock the door must have a minimum diameter of 18 mm. And the most vulnerable places for burglary must be sealed with stiffening ribs.

• The door frame plays one of the most important roles. It protects the door from burglary, removal, noise and cold.It is made of steel, it is a frame (in rare cases, a U-shaped structure). It is on it that the hinges are located, the key holes are cut into it.
• To prevent the doors from being removed from the hinges, experts recommend building about three to four special anti-removable pins into the structure. In addition, the strips are welded to the door frame.
• Platbands are not only a decorative solution, under which all the flaws are hidden, but also another element of protection against burglary. And the sealant, in turn, additionally protects the room from odor, noise and insect penetration.

In city apartments, in most cases, standard rectangular doors are installed. Such openings were originally laid in the project of the future house. It is unlikely that anyone will go to ask permission to demolish part of the wall. And, as a rule, such walls are load-bearing, which means that they cannot be broken.

Twenty-five years ago, heads of families were stuffing wooden slats from the outside of a metal door, and cashing was used from the inside. On the one hand, this made the door stand out among its neighbors, on the other, it additionally protected the door leaf, including from rust.

Today, at the installation stage, overlays are used to decorate the inside. Often these are lining made of MDF and painted in the color of the door. Some people order MDF panels in the interior color, as they say, this is already a matter of taste.

Steel doors are made according to the state standard (GOST). The law was adopted at the beginning of the century, and, despite the fact that progress does not stand still, this normative document is still not outdated.

The height of the door according to GOST should not exceed 2200 mm, and the weight - 250 kg. The thickness of steel sheets is also regulated, it should not be less than 2 mm (if the doors are light). By the way, doors are considered armored if the sheet thickness is more than 8 mm.

These regulations apply to single doors. And one-and-a-half and double doors, which are practically not installed in apartments, are based on other data.

Steel entrance doors for apartments and country cottages contain filling inside the leaf.

Often this is filling with polyurethane foam, but there are also options with foam and mineral wool:

• Expanded polystyrene, it is polystyrene, although it is hard in terms of its physical characteristics, but it is highly flammable, which means that this material is not suitable for safety reasons. Such a door burns down in a few minutes.
• Cell filling (corrugated cardboard) also does not protect against fire, and everything else is ineffective in protecting a room from low temperatures.
• Mineral wool although it retains heat, it rolls down and settles over time. This leads to freezing of the door leaf. In general, this filler is non-flammable and has sound insulating properties.
• Filler polyurethane foam in its original form it exists as liquid foam. With the help of a special device, this foam fills the inside of the door leaf. Filling occurs evenly, so the cold will not be able to penetrate into the apartment after decades.

The following options can be used to design metal doors:

• From the front side, a metal door looks aesthetically pleasing with forging... It stands out among the neighbors' doors, forging gives a certain finishing touch to the product.For the price, such doors are slightly more expensive than their counterparts with spraying.
• Steel doors powder coated - these are doors covered with a substance consisting of metal and ceramics. After applying the mixture to the canvas, the doors are heat treated. Due to the fact that the technology is laborious, such doors are not sold at affordable prices. But it is worth paying tribute, such doors do not need to be painted and they do not rust. They are resistant to fire, which means that it will not work to set them on fire from the side of the street or entrance.

• The most popular room-side colors are, of course, white... The doors, decorated with white panels, visually enlarge the already small corridor. In addition, white is so versatile that it is suitable for both dark and light interiors. But it is worth noting that the white color is very easily soiled. Any touch leaves traces that are sometimes very difficult to remove.
• The second most popular is considered to be wenge color... It not only matches the dark design of the hallways, but also complements the door frame. It is almost always painted black or dark brown.

• Experts recommend a metal door for a small corridor with mirror... In addition to visually enlarging the room, you can also save your time before going out. Correct your hairstyle or change your outfit without moving around the apartment. This decision will be most appreciated by the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity.
• Finishing is, in principle, a creative process. If the financial situation allows, then finishing can be done using natural materials - wood panels are perfectly combined with laminate flooring. Such panels bring coziness and warmth.

• Laminate and itself can act as a finishing material. Laminate flooring is sold at a low price, it does not need to be painted or processed, and it is easy to maintain. In this case, the color can be selected to match the interior.
• In recent years, gaining popularity plastic panels... Plastic film (PVC film) is applied to MDF panels, this gives the product a natural color and protection from the external environment, including fungi and pests.

As noted earlier, the metal door segment practically did not develop during the Soviet years. Russian manufacturers were forced to buy imported equipment and introduce foreign technologies.

Having gone this way, after several decades, we can safely say that today domestic doors are competitive in the market:

• Among Russian Doors of the firms "Torex", "Guardian" and "Bars" stand out from the manufacturers. In addition to ready-made solutions, manufacturers also carry out individual orders.
• Globally, the leaders are undoubtedly German manufacturers... German fittings are the most reliable in the world. All new items come from Germany. Engineering thought in this country has been the locomotive of their economy for more than one century.
• If earlier it was believed that all smuggling is done in Odessa, now it has been replaced by China... No, of course, there is also branded production in the People's Republic of China, but the shadow market is still widely developed. Chinese doors from impersonal manufacturers do not differ in reliability from burglary and, as a rule, the cheapest fittings are installed in them.

• Belarusian metal doors have gained wide popularity in the last five years, in particular, the manufacturer "MetalUr" is very famous and in demand. Excellent value for money allowed this company to gain a foothold in the market and compete with others on an equal footing.
• But if we talk about elite doors, then this, of course, italian doors.The manufacturer Dierre manufactures its products in the premium segment. Its armored doors have hidden hinges, electronic locks. They have increased burglar resistance. Classic doors are equipped with locks of various secrecy, the door leaf can be opened 180 degrees.

The choice of high-quality metal doors should be made based on the recommendations of relatives and friends. They just won't cheat. Professional advice will also be useful.

The list of criteria for reliable designs is simple:

• Increased burglar resistance. A metal door must be equipped with several locks of various types of opening. It is not worth saving on this, since the door will protect the only front entrance to the room.
• Fire resistance. And from this it follows that the door filler should be either polyurethane foam or mineral wool. Unfortunately, other fillers are highly flammable.
• Sound and heat insulation. The filler, together with the sealant, helps to prevent the ingress of extraneous noise into the room, and retain heat.

People who have already ordered the installation of metal doors are probably faced with the fact that the installers only do the installation, and do not deal with the finishing. Of course, you can leave everything as it is, but this will not add presentability to the interior.

On the basis of a specialized store, a finisher is offered for a fee, but sometimes it can reach a quarter of the amount of the door itself. Many people think that it is easier to do the finishing work themselves. In addition, you still have to pay for building materials.

If the object is under protection (it does not matter if the premises are serviced by non-departmental security or by a private security company), you must first leave a request for disconnection before installing the metal door. And it is recommended to connect the object before the start of all finishing work, because the wires from the sensor will be built into the slopes.

The finishing material can be:

• Natural stone. It is attached to a previously plastered surface using an adhesive mixture. The glue mixture is made from putty and PVA glue. Using a drill or a perforator with a special nozzle, it is necessary to carefully place the mixture until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.
• Plastic panels. They are a very democratic way of finishing a doorway. Plastic panels are easily connected to each other, the formed corner joints are decorated with a plastic corner. The corner is glued to liquid nails. And with prolonged and high-quality gluing, it lasts for more than a decade.

• Putting. In many rooms, this finish is sufficient. This is the cheapest option, but at the same time the most time consuming. Subsequently, this surface can be pasted over with wallpaper that is used indoors.
• MDF panels. A very popular finishing material. Gives the finishing touch to steel structures. Huge selection of colors and wood patterns, making it suitable for most rooms and interiors.

Let's dwell in more detail on finishing the slopes and thresholds with MDF panels:

• Be sure to insulate concrete walls before starting finishing work. For this, either mineral wool or construction polyurethane foam is quite suitable. Additional insulation will insulate the structure and protect the wooden slopes.
• If in the future it is planned to replace the old skirting board with a new plastic one, then we will first dismantle it. The wooden plinth is supported by nails, so you need to use a nail puller; in hard-to-reach places, an ordinary flat screwdriver in tandem with a hammer can come in handy. But you can leave the old skirting board, then the threshold will be superimposed on it.

• All communications should be hidden under the platbands and threshold, including telephone wires and cable television wires. To consolidate the effect, a plastic plinth is installed, it masks the wiring, but at the same time it opens easily, which allows you to get to the wires.
• The panels are cut on the outside and using a hacksaw for metal. Otherwise, there is a high probability of damage to the protective layer - PVC film.
• You can use a special tool for cutting at an angle of 45 degrees or, using a grinder and a protractor, perform this operation. It is very important to prepare the site - it can be either a table or two identical stools.

• At the same time, do not forget that one panel is cut from the right side, and the other from the left. The upper part is cut from both sides, but this casing is installed after the lateral ones.
• The side slopes are attached to the wall with a universal adhesive. It is very important to wait for one hundred percent gluing, for this you should read the instructions for the glue in advance. If ten minutes are allotted for this work, then that is exactly how much we keep. The upper part and the threshold are glued in the same way.
• Remember that you should check the evenness of your work using a building level, it is desirable that it be at least a meter long.

• Platbands are attached to the slopes with a hammer and furniture nails. It is best to use nails with a small diameter, they are less noticeable, especially on dark panels.
• The resulting joint at the bottom of the doorway between the two panels is easiest to mask with a metal corner. The corner is fixed with a screwdriver and several self-tapping screws. Holes for self-tapping screws are made at the production stage, so there is no need to measure the step.

• All that remains is to remove the garbage and sweep the room. Although this finish takes several hours, vinyl panels look presentable in any hallway.
• From the street or from the driveway, it is advisable to cut off excess construction polyurethane foam. You can use a kitchen knife or a utility knife. Fill, whitewash or paint the formed cavities, if necessary.

For a country house, you should pay attention to double doors. They are not only reliable protection against thieves, but also hide the door frame from the inside. By the way, the door frame for double doors is reinforced, otherwise the door leaves will simply break it.

A door decorated with white panels is perfect for a bright interior. Its installation is also appropriate in small corridors, since a white door and a mirror visually increase the space.

In a private house, a door without a threshold should be installed. In this case, the risk of injury is reduced, especially this option is suitable for families with small children.

Arched steel doors are usually taller than their rectangular counterparts. Thanks to this fact, it is easier to bring large-sized furniture and household appliances into rooms with an arched opening.

To lighten the weight of the door leaf, swing and one-and-a-half varieties should be considered. With such structures, only part of the door opens.

Steel doors can be opened clockwise. This variety is several times more expensive, since domestic production is not widely established.Therefore, today such doors are practically not popular. When using hidden fittings, you can disguise the entrance door to match the color of the walls.

In conclusion, I would like to note the fact that metal doors have made a big breakthrough in recent years. In addition to constantly developing technologies, specialists began to pay special attention to decor. Thanks to this, today iron doors are an integral part of the interior.

For information on how to properly install a metal door, see the next video.