Board the entrance doors to the apartment. The best entrance doors are the optimal combination of reliability, comfort and aesthetics. Heat and sound insulation of a metal door

It is impossible to turn a house into an impregnable fortress without a reliable, strong and durable front door. Metal doors are considered ideal in almost all respects, which significantly surpass their wooden counterparts in terms of protection and safety. However, the door of the door is different - the modern market is so oversaturated with different options that can be found both flawlessly and one that even an inexperienced burglar can easily break. How to choose a metal front door so that it provides, pleasing with its appearance and impeccable service? Let's dwell on the most important points that everyone should know before going to a store or a specialized company.

Attention! In the process of reading our material, you will understand that there are many nuances when choosing an entrance door, and they are all important. In turn, manufacturers are forced to sacrifice some parameters in order to make their product competitive in price for the mass consumer. In the event that you are not ready to compromise and are ready to pay for a high-quality door according to your optimal characteristics, it is better to make a door to order directly from the manufacturer, where you can stipulate and prescribe all future nuances in the contract.

# 1. Design features of a metal door

The strength and reliability of the door to one degree or another depends on the characteristics of each of its constituent elements:

• door leaf - the main and largest part of the structure in terms of area, consists of a frame, inner and outer skin, as well as stiffeners and;
• door frame;
• lock;
• loops;
• seal in one or more circuits;
• , and other accessories.

Door leaf made of sheet steel, which is obtained as a result of hot or cold rolling, on which the properties of the door largely depend:

• hot rolled steel differs in dark color, but it is not visible under the decorative coating. It is a relatively cheap material and is more susceptible to corrosion;
• cold rolled steel will cost more, but in terms of performance, this is the best option - no atmospheric influences are terrible for the material.

Strength is also greatly influenced by the frame.... The most reliable door will be the one in which the frame is made. from a profile pipe with one seam... Less durable is the frame of four sections of hot-rolled profile pipe, between each other. The most unreliable will be the frame, in which each of the four segments is welded from two corners of the same length. Simply put, the fewer welds in the frame, the better, because each of them reduces the resistance to mechanical stress. The outer part of the door leaf must only be made of monolithic non-welded sheet otherwise hitting with a medium sledgehammer will damage the integrity of the structure.

No. 2. Thickness of steel

The most important aspect that needs to be clarified when choosing a door is the thickness of the steel sheet. This parameter may fluctuate from 0.8 to 5.0 mm: the higher it is, the more reliable and durable the door will be. Along with the increase in safety, the price and weight also increase, which is also important to consider.

The scope of use of doors with different steel sheet thicknesses is significantly different:

Some manufacturers use steel sheet only from the outside, insisting that this is enough to create a solid structure and making the inner panel, for example, from MDF. To be completely confident in your own safety, it is better to choose a door with two steel sheets. On sale you can find options that reinforced with another additional sheet of steel located between the main external and internal - this is the ideal of strength. Such doors are much more expensive than their simpler counterparts, weigh more and will not be useful in all cases.

When choosing a metal door, it is recommended to pay special attention to castle area as it often takes up most of the load when it is cracked. It's great if this place is covered with a reinforcing sheet of steel, or even - this is a huge plus in terms of reliability, even if the door is made of not very thick sheets of steel.

No. 3. Number of stiffeners

Between the outer steel sheet and the inner panel, no matter what it will be made of, there must be stiffening ribs, which are necessary to achieve maximum strength and resistance to mechanical stress. Stiffeners can be located vertically, horizontally or diagonally: it is important that they are located evenly throughout the structure, which is why it depends.

The minimum set of stiffeners is two vertical and one horizontal... It is better if there are more of them, but without busting, because they significantly increase the weight of the entire structure.

Stiffeners can be produced:

No. 4. Heat insulation and sound insulation of a metal door

Metal is not the best insulator against cold and extraneous sounds, therefore, earlier, when metal doors had just begun to appear massively in the domestic space, it was common practice to put two at once: one - metal to protect against unauthorized access, the second - wooden to preserve heat in the apartment ... Today the situation has changed significantly: although there are cold bridges in the metal door (these are the frame and stiffeners), but it can become an independent protection against drafts, odors and cold.

High heat and sound insulation characteristics are achieved due to the following elements:

Thermal insulation material is inserted between the frame and the stiffeners, filling the entire space between the outer and inner sheet. Often in the production of steel doors, the following heaters are used:

• mineral wool- the most common option. The material has excellent soundproofing and noise-absorbing properties, retains heat, does not burn and does not emit harmful substances, however, it is prone to subsidence, therefore, it may require additional lathing;
  
• has excellent heat and sound insulation properties, is durable, resistant to temperature and humidity changes, but flammable and is more expensive than mineral wool;
• Is one of the cheapest options. The material retains sounds and heat well, but is highly flammable, and the gaps between the foam and the stiffeners will need to be filled;
  
• penoplex in many ways resembles mineral wool, but is slightly inferior to it in terms of resistance to fire;
• foam rubber and synthetic winterizer are used infrequently, since a layer of 10 cm is required to achieve more or less acceptable insulating qualities;
• paper and pressed board- good insulators, characterized by low cost and low weight, but inferior in terms of moisture resistance to other materials.

It is important that the manufacturer also filled the inner cavities of the metal profiles with insulation, otherwise there is no need to talk about high thermal insulation qualities. It is not difficult to check this - it is enough to knock on the surface with a metal object: a dull sound indicates that the insulation is done efficiently.

No. 5. External and internal finishing of a metal door

Steel sheets of the door leaf need decoration. When choosing interior finishes it is worth starting only from personal preferences and nuances of the arrangement. External finishing must be resistant to moisture changes, precipitation and sunlight if the door leads to the street, and withstand mechanical stress if you have pets. In the case when the door leads to the vestibule or entrance, there are no special requirements for its external decor.

The most popular finishes are:

• powder coated involves the application of special paints to the surface, which, under the influence of high temperatures, form an anti-vandal film. There are many shades and types of coverage, so there will be plenty to choose from. Among the main advantages are excellent performance, resistance to any weathering and low price of the coating. Doors that lead from the street to the premises, it is recommended to cover both sides with powder paint, without using wood and materials created from its fibers, so that changes in humidity and temperature do not force frequent repairs;
  
• solid wood- the most expensive, environmentally friendly and beautiful way to finish the door leaf. Using painting and carving, you can get a real work of art. In addition, the tree will serve as an additional heat insulator;
• made on the basis of wood chips, have a thickness of 7-20 mm, covered with paint, film with a pattern or, a thin cut of valuable wood species. Such panels allow you to design the door as you like, are not cheap, the range of prices depending on the type of decorative coating is decent. Another advantage is good heat and sound insulation qualities;
  
• vinyl leather- once the most popular material for decorative door trim. Can be of any color, well imitates the structure of natural leather, inexpensive, but not durable enough;
• - a budget option for finishing the door, the choice is wide, caring for them is simple, but the durability is low;
• lamination with PVC film allows you to give the door any pattern, imitate leather or wood. The material is cheap, but short-lived, it looks rustic;
• painting and varnishing can even be performed independently, but the stability of such a finish is low, as is the price.

In principle, the possible options for finishing the door leaf are not limited to these materials. Recently, it has become popular to decorate the interior: this expands the space and allows, if it does not have large dimensions.

No. 6. Focus on the hinges

When it comes to choosing an entrance door, there are no trifles. The canvas can be three times reliable, and the lock can be cunning and complex, but without good hinges, the apartment will still be an easy prey for a burglar.

Today, metal doors are installed these types of loops:

As for the quantity, for a canvas weighing 70 kg (the most common option with a steel thickness of 3 mm) two loops are enough... If the door weighs more or is intended for active operation with opening / closing more than 50 times a day, then it is better to install 3-4 pieces of hinges. For massive doors, the hinges are selected with support bearings, which will greatly facilitate the process of opening the leaf and avoid squeaks.

No. 7. Features of choosing a lock for a metal door

The front door must be reliably protected not only from "rough" burglary with, autogenous or sledgehammer, but also from attempts of "intellectual" intrusion. Of course, if a door is chosen for a country house, which is rare, then equal attention should be paid to the strength of the structure, but for an apartment in an apartment building, the trick of the lock is even more important, because the noise from forceful opening methods will hardly go unnoticed by the neighbors. However, there is no lock that could not be opened, especially to an experienced thief, so the task is reduced to ensuring that choose a lock that will take as long as possible to open: this will increase the chance that someone will notice the attacker, or he himself will surrender and leave, risking being caught red-handed.

Types of locks for entrance doors:

The perfect pair is lever and cylinder locks., and it is necessary to place them at a distance of 25-35 cm from each other. For the front door, choose only mortise locks, and preferably 3 or 4 security classes, relying on the products of reliable manufacturers. Remember that any lock can be opened, so if an apartment or house can attract "qualified" ones, it is better to put additional ones.

No. 8. Door security classes

Like locks, entrance doors are divided into classes for the level of safety and security:

No. 9. The size of the entrance metal door

The front door, ideally, should be made for a specific opening, and not the opening to be finalized for a specific door. Responsible large companies offer their customers a comprehensive service, from measurement to installation, and during manufacturing they take into account the individual parameters of the doorway, but this pleasure will cost more than using a standard door.

It is desirable that the width of the door is more than 90 cm, otherwise it will be difficult to bring large pieces of furniture into the room. The structure can consist of one leaf, two or be one and a half - if the opening is wide, then one sash may not be enough.

By opening method doors can be right and left, external and internal. From the point of view, it is better when the door opens to the inside of the room, but this design makes it easier for thieves to enter the apartment, because they can squeeze out the canvas with a 5-ton jack.

No. 10. Entrance door manufacturers

Only a high-quality door should protect the house. Trusting your home with products from dubious manufacturers means making an apartment vulnerable, and insignificant savings when buying a door can turn into sad consequences. At the moment, the largest and most proven ones are:

• Elbor Is a domestic company founded in 1993. Today it is the largest enterprise in the sphere in the country, has a developed dealer network, and provides warranty service. Entrance doors are presented in different price categories, 3 and 4 security classes, a wide choice of decorative panels, accessories and components of our own production;
• "ProfMaster"- a small, relative to other eminent competitors from the list, trading and manufacturing enterprise. The company has been operating since 1998 and is known to the consumer thanks to the popular street doors of the "Nord" series. The peculiarity of the company is that it is aimed at the individual production of doors under the client's order. Almost any entrance door can be made here at the request of the customer, which should not be expected from large manufacturers who manufacture doors on a conveyor strictly in accordance with their model range. The company operates in the Moscow market, but delivers some individual products directly to customers in neighboring regions by a transport company.
• "Guardian" Is a large holding company operating since 1994. The structure includes several enterprises of different fields of activity, incl. CJSC "Portal", specializing in the production of doors. The company has representative offices in all regions of the country and in the near abroad, doors are produced in standard and non-standard sizes, in dozens of different designs, weighing from 50 to 140 kg, 3 and 4 protection classes. Locks and fittings of our own and European production;
• "Doors Granite" offers not the most extensive range of doors, but they all have the highest burglary protection. Guarantee - 10 years;
• "Torex"- this is the widest range of doors of different prices, degrees of protection and design. Everyone can choose the right model, the warranty period depends on the specific model;
• "Bastion"- a domestic company, which from the very beginning of its activity (1997) set a course for the production of affordable doors. Today the assortment includes designs with different thicknesses, locks and fittings from different manufacturers;
  
• company "Oplot" the first to release a bimetallic door, in which there is an additional one between the two main sheets of metal. Mineral wool and polyurethane foam are used as insulation, locks are from the best manufacturers, the range includes almost a hundred different models. Prices are not the lowest, but the reliability is worth it;
• Dierre Is an Italian company renowned for its cutting edge developments in the field of door protection. At the moment, the manufacturer is working on creating;
• Gardesa Is an Italian company with several representative offices in Russia. The quality and price are high, the manufacturer uses the locks of the best Italian companies, which are developed for him according to an individual order;
• Galant and Novak- Polish companies offering good doors at reasonable prices, but domestic counterparts are not inferior to them in quality.

Finally

When choosing a metal front door, also pay attention to quality of fittings: It's a shame if it falls apart in a year or spoils the appearance of the door. The eyelet, handles and chains must be functional, practical and reliable. Always put reliability first, not aesthetics.

When making major repairs to their homes, many owners are thinking about installing a new front door. Almost all entrance doors are now made of metal. Therefore, in order to choose a high-quality design for your apartment, you need to understand a little about the technical characteristics and the process of installing iron doors. How to choose and install an iron door correctly, you can learn from our article.

Steel door

The main purpose of the front door is to protect your home from illegal entry. Therefore, for greater security, you should opt for massive metal doors made of thick sheet steel, with reliable locks already embedded. Pay particular attention to the hinges, they must be protected from sawing.

There are three types of metal sheet steel entrance doors:

• DS 1 - with one protective sheet on three stiffening ribs. The disadvantage is the lack of noise and heat insulation, so you will need to put a second door. The price of products with class DS 1 is about 10,000 rubles.
• DS 2 - has two protective sheets on three stiffeners. It is also equipped with three special locks that will not let you remove it from the hinges, even if you cut them out. When trying to access the transom system, the door will be locked using an automatically closing beam. The price for such models is about 20,000 rubles.
• DS 3 - sheets are attached to four stiffeners and have crossbar protection systems on the side and top. Also DS 3 contains a system of protection against drilling the lock. The most reliable degree of protection will cost about 35,000 rubles.

Metal doors are not subject to mandatory certification. But if the manufacturer is confident in the quality of his products, they must meet the requirements of GOST 31173-2003 “Steel door blocks. Technical conditions ”and have a corresponding certificate.

Heat and sound insulation of a metal door

In addition to the strength of the door, another important factor is its heat and sound insulation. After all, if every sound from the entrance is clearly audible in the apartment, and in winter it blows cold from the door, then living in such conditions is at least not comfortable. Therefore, when buying an iron door, purchase models that are already insulated by the manufacturer and equipped with rubber seals. Consider the price factor, the cheaper the metal door, the less the manufacturer paid attention to its heat and noise insulation. Trying to save money at the expense of a low price, you can increase the cost of subsequent insulation.

Metal door design

The next thing to pay attention to is the type of exterior and interior decoration of the door. The range of designs for iron doors is large, from ordinary powder paint to custom finishes with drawings or laminate sheathing.
Remember that a beautiful design is not always an indicator of quality, and sometimes, on the contrary, behind a beautiful design, manufacturers try to hide the low technical characteristics of the door.
You can see some interesting options in the photo:

Metal door manufacturers

On our market there are metal entrance doors from both domestic and foreign manufacturers:

• • Chinese doors are the cheapest, but when buying them, you should pay increased attention to the quality of the material from which they are made. Among the Chinese iron doors, it is quite possible to find models acceptable for operation, the main thing is to take into account the thickness of the sheet iron and check the quality of the fittings.

• • Products of leading foreign manufacturers are not cheap, but the quality of their workmanship is high. Thick steel, high degree of protection, good looks and reliable fittings are worth their money. Most often there are iron doors of the Italian brands “Fbs”, “Dierre”, “Di.Bi”, which rely on the design of their products. There are also Israeli doors under the brands “Pandoor” and “Mul-t-Lock”, which offer high quality doors with reliable locks.

• A good option is premium-class Russian-made entrance doors: Senator, Pro-Tek. We are pleased with the reliable locks, the possibility of quick warranty service, the vandal-resistant coating and the adapted design. If you look for cheaper options for doors, then in the segment from 12 to 25 thousand rubles. there are many domestic manufacturers. Among them we will single out such companies as: "Le Grand", "Torex", "Condor", "Guardian", "Guard". Due to high competition, the quality of service for Russian companies is constantly growing, so their products can become the golden mean between price and quality.

Standard sizes of metal doors

When buying an iron door, it is important to measure the doorway correctly. In older houses, the doors are installed in a wooden frame that needs to be removed, so the opening will increase in width after dismantling.


It is better to entrust measurements of the opening to an experienced person, since one cannot be mistaken in this matter. It is better to choose the size as large as possible for your opening so that there are no problems with bulky items.
There have been cases when the entrance doors were installed with a width of only 70 cm! According to SNiP 21-01-97, this violates fire safety techniques, since the front door is an emergency exit.

Many people prefer to make a door to order, as they want to increase the opening. Plus, bespoke items have better quality interchangeable locks, a wider variety of finishes, and good thick metal.

Below are the standard sizes of entrance doors for apartments and houses:

• 860x2030 mm;
• 880x2050 mm;
• 900x2100 mm;
• 950x2100 mm;
• 1000x2100 mm and above.

Installation of a metal door

Having bought an iron door, it is important to install it correctly. If you have no experience in this type of work, then it is better to contact the professionals. Moreover, many shops supplying doors provide this service as a bonus upon purchase. So that you can control the installation process, familiarize yourself with the main stages of door installation:

• Dismantling the old door - at this stage, the old door leaf is removed from the hinges, the platbands and the door frame are removed, the doorway is cleaned from the remnants of the solution or assembly change.
• Installation of a new door in the opening - the frame is level, set in the correct position and temporarily fixed with wooden wedges.
• Final fastening of the frame in the opening - depending on the door model, the frame can be fixed with anchor bolts or metal pins. Some models have additional fasteners in the form of metal strips that are fixed to the wall with dowels. Be sure to make sure installers secure the box to all available fixings.
• Filling the gaps with foam - at the end of the installation, the space between the box and the opening is filled with foam. The drying period of the foam can be from five hours to a day.
• Slope processing - after drying, the excess foam is cut off with a knife and the door slopes are made.

To consolidate the information, check out the video presented:

Types of locks for metal doors

There are times when the owners are not satisfied with the locks installed in the doors and they want to replace them with more reliable ones. In such cases, you need to buy a new lock, but before doing this, familiarize yourself with the main types of door locks for metal doors:

• • Lever locks - the construction of this type of castle is one of the first invented by man, despite this, leveled locks are considered one of the most reliable. The principle of operation of a lever lock is quite simple. Its mechanism consists of plates - levers, which, when opened, line up in a certain combination on the key. If the combination does not match, it is impossible to open such a lock. Lever locks for metal doors are produced by the following brands: “Barrier”, “Guardian”, “Elbor”, “Kale”, “Cisa”, “Mottura”, “Mul-T-Lock”.

• • A combination lock is a combination of two or three types of locks in one mechanism. Combined locks have a high cost, but justify the price due to their increased reliability. The following brands produce combined locks for metal doors: Guardian, Barrier, Elbor, Kale, Cisa, Mottura, Mul-T-Lock, Vachette, Asix, Iseo ”.

• Cylinder locks - the main advantage of cylinder locks is the ease of repair and replacement of the lock. It is enough to replace the central secret mechanism - the cylinder "larva". The principle of operation of the cylinder lock is quite simple and consists in lining the pins inside the cylinder in a certain combination. Such locks for metal doors are produced "Kale", "Cisa", "Mottura", "Mul-T-Lock", "Vachette", "Asix" , “Iseo”.

Remember that no matter what type of lock you choose, installing it on a metal door requires certain skills and special tools. Therefore, if you are not confident in your abilities, entrust the work to specialists.

You won't be able to save money on buying a high-quality door, so it's better to save up for a reliable option than buying the cheapest one. It is important to carefully measure, and, if necessary, increase the size of the opening to the safety standard.

Entrance doors are the element of housing from which the first impression of the house is formed. Doors have a great impact on the perception of the interior, so their choice should be approached with all responsibility.
Doors should not only be pleasant in appearance, but also be reliable.

Manufacturers offer a huge selection of door leaves, differing in material of manufacture, design and color scheme. It is very important to make the right choice, since the ultimate goal is reliable front doors to the apartment.
We will figure out how and which one is better to choose, buy and install an entrance door - metal, steel - and why.

Features of entrance doors

Sales leaders

The door leaf frame can be made both in a complex version and in a simple one. The complex block outperforms the standard one in many respects and has been holding the lead for many years.

A complex production option is a one-piece sheet, in which there are no welding seams. It is known that weld seams "weaken" products.

Components

The main thing, of course, is the canvas itself, but you should not lose sight of such details as hinges, locking mechanisms, eyes.

Many doors have a weak point for burglary - the hinges. Their cutting can be done along the seam from welding, using a grinder, or ripped off with a sledgehammer. Anti-removable pins - they are called "crossbars" allow you to secure the house. When the leaf is closed, the pin enters the hole in the door frame, thus fixing the entire structure.

Even if the hinges are knocked down or cut off, the door cannot be removed. To ensure maximum reliability, the blade is equipped with four pins: a pair at the location of the lock, one at the bottom and one at the top.

There is another method to protect the structure from being removed - these are hidden hinges. Despite the fact that the canvas with hidden loops cannot one hundred percent protect the home from illegal entry, even the most experienced intruder will need at least 20 minutes to remove such loops; dealing with the usual is much easier.