10 tips on choosing a metal door to the apartment and house

Contents

1. №1.Design features of the metal door
2. №2.The thickness of the steel
3. №3.The number of stiffeners
4. №4.Thermal insulation and sound insulation of metal door
5. №5.Exterior and interior of the metal door
6. №6.Focus on loops
7. №7.Features of the choice of the lock for a metal door
8. №8.Classes of security doors
9. №9.The size of the entrance metal door
10. №10.Manufacturers of metal entrance doors
11. In conclusion,

It’s impossible to turn a house into an impregnable fortress without a reliable, strong and durable entrance door. Metal doors are considered ideal in almost all respects, which are significantly superior to wooden counterparts in their degree of protection and security. However, the door of the door is different - with , the modern market is so oversaturated with various variants that you can find both a perfectly reliable door and one that even an inexperienced burglar can easily crack. How to choose a metal front door, so that it provides security for the home, pleasing appearance and impeccable service? Let us focus on the

of the most important points that every should know before going to the store or a specialized company.

№1.Design features of the 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 is the main part of the construction, the largest in area, consisting of a frame, internal and external plating, as well as stiffeners and insulation;
• door frame;
• lock;
• hinges;
• compactor in one or more circuits;
• peephole, pen and other accessories.

The door leaf is made of steel sheet, which is produced by hot or cold rolling, which largely determines the properties of the door:

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

The strength of the frame also greatly affects the strength. The most reliable will be the door in which the frame is made of from a single-seam profile pipe .Less durable is the frame of four pieces of hot-rolled section pipe-welded, welded to 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 loads. The outer part of the door leaf should be made only from of monolithic non-welded sheet, otherwise a blow with a sledgehammer of medium strength will damage the integrity of the structure.

№2.

steel thickness The most important aspect that needs to be clarified when choosing a door is the thickness of the steel sheet. This parameter can vary from 0.8 to 5.0 mm : the higher it is, the more reliable and durable the door will be. With the increase in safety, the price and weight increase, which is also important to take into account.

The use of doors with different thickness of steel sheet is significantly different:

• doors made of steel with a thickness of 0.8-1.0 mm , suitable for arranging outbuildings that do not store anything of value;
• doors of steel 1.0-2.0 mm - this is a normal option for office space, which is located in a well-protected business center;
• steel sheet 2.0-3.0 mm is considered the standard for the entrance door leading from the entrance to the apartment. Steel of such thickness is used by most domestic and foreign manufacturers;
• doors of steel with a thickness of 4.0 mm or more are suitable for installation in country houses and mansions.

Some manufacturers use steel sheet only from the outside, insisting that this is enough to create a solid construction 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 by another additional sheet of steel , located between the main external and internal - is the ideal strength. Such doors are much more expensive than their simpler counterparts, weigh more and will by the way not in all cases.

It is recommended that when choosing a metal door, the zone of locks is recommended to be turned to the , since it often takes most of the load when it breaks. Well, if this place is covered with a reinforcing sheet of steel or even an armored plate, this is a huge plus in terms of reliability, even if the door is made of not very thick steel sheets.

№3.Number of stiffeners

Between the outer steel sheet and the inner panel, no matter what it will be made of, stiffeners must be located, which are necessary to achieve maximum strength and resistance to mechanical stress. Stiffeners can be placed vertically, horizontally or diagonally : it is important that they are evenly distributed throughout the structure, which determines its burglar-proof qualities.

The minimum set of stiffeners is with two vertical and one horizontal .It is better if there will be more, but not brute force, because they significantly increase the weight of the whole structure.

Stiffeners can be made:

• from a regular corner and a rectangular pipe is a classic and very reliable option, the main disadvantage of which is high weight;
• rental with a complex profile .It has a much smaller weight, but at the same time due to the complex profile it is difficult to bend, therefore strength at height.

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

Metal is not the best insulator from cold and extraneous sounds, so earlier, when metal doors only began to appear in domestic space, it was common practice to put two doors 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( this is a skeleton and stiffening ribs), it can be 's own defense against drafts, odors and cold.

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

• door sealing system eliminates drafts and odors, contributes to a more tight fit of the canvas to the box and quietly closing the door. Manufacturers today offer doors with two or even three contours of the seal, but this is nothing more than a marketing ploy. If a good-quality and properly installed rubber seal is used, then an will suffice as one of its contour. The rubber seal itself is the best-behaved - it is reliable, durable, resistant to all sorts of influences. Silicone and polyurethane seals proved somewhat worse, and foam and plastic seals did not stand up to criticism. There are also magnetic sealing strips, but with them it will be difficult to open the doors for children and elderly people;
• voids inside the door leaf are filled with insulation ( mineral wool, foam, etc.), which not only allows you to keep heat in the apartment, but also prevents the "drum effect";
• decorative panels , which are usually installed on the inside of the door and sometimes on the outside, are able to dampen sound vibrations and play the role of an additional heat insulator;
• , the installation of is correct, because if the assembly seam turned out to be too large or poorly filled, then there is no question of any thermal and sound insulation, even if a high-quality entrance metal door is chosen.

Thermal insulation material is inserted between the frame and stiffening ribs, filling the entire space between the outer and inner sheet. The most common in the production of steel doors use such insulation:

• mineral wool - the most common option. The material has excellent sound insulation and noise absorbing properties, retains heat, does not burn and does not emit harmful substances, however, mineral wool is prone to subsidence, therefore, may require additional sheathing;
• polyurethane foam has excellent heat and sound insulation properties, is durable, resistant to temperature and humidity, but is easily flammable and more expensive than mineral wool;
• foam plastic is one of the cheapest options. The material retains sound and heat well, but is easily flammable, and the gaps between the foam and the stiffeners will need to be filled with foam;
• penoplex in many respects resembles mineral wool, but is slightly inferior to it in fire resistance;
• foam rubber and synthetic rubber are used infrequently, since a layer of 10 cm is required to achieve more or less acceptable insulation properties;
• paper and compressed cardboard are not bad insulators with low cost and low weight, but they are inferior in moisture resistance to other materials.

It is important that the manufacturer fills the internal cavities of the metal profiles with insulation as well, otherwise there is no need to speak about high thermal insulation qualities. It is easy to check this - it is enough to knock on the surface with a metal object: a dull sound indicates that the insulation is of high quality.

№5.External and internal decoration of the metal door

Steel sheets of the door leaf need to be decorated. When choosing finishing the interior of the should be based only on personal preferences and nuances of the hallway arrangement. The exterior finish of must be resistant to moisture, precipitation and sunlight, if the door leads to the street, and to withstand mechanical stress, if you have pets. In the case when the door leads to the vestibule or porch, there are no special requirements for its external decor.

The most popular finishing options:

• powder coating imposes special paints on the surface, which form an anti-vandal film when exposed to high temperatures. Shades and types of coverage a lot, so choose from what. Among the main advantages of excellent performance, resistance to any weathering and low cost of coverage. Doors that lead from the street to the premises are recommended to be coated on both sides with powder coating, without using wood and materials created from its fibers, so that changes in humidity and temperature are not often made to repair;
• solid wood - the most expensive, environmentally friendly and beautiful way to finish the door leaf. Using staining and carving, you can get a real work of art. In addition, the tree will serve as an additional heat insulator;
• MDF panels produced on the basis of wood chips have a thickness of 7-20 mm, covered with paint, film with a pattern or veneer, a thin section of valuable wood. Such panels allow you to arrange the door as you like, they are expensive, the price range depending on the type of decorative coating is decent. Another advantage is good heat and sound insulation qualities;
• vinyl artificial leather - once the most popular material for decorative door trim. It can be of any color, it imitates a good structure of natural leather, inexpensive, but not durable enough;
• plastic panels - a budget version of the door trim, a wide choice, their care is simple, but durability is low;
• laminating with PVC film allows you to give the door any pattern, imitate leather or wood. The material is cheap, but short-lived, looks rustic;
• painting and varnishing with can even be done independently, but the stability of this finish is low, as is the price.

In principle, the possible finishing of the door leaf is not limited to these materials. Recently, it has become popular to decorate the interior with a mirror: it expands the space and saves space in the hallway if it does not have large dimensions.

№6.Focus on

hinges When it comes to choosing the front door, there are no trifles. The canvas can be three times reliable, and the castle - tricky and complicated, but without good loops the apartment will still be easy prey for the burglar.

The following types of hinges are installed on metal doors today:

• ordinary external ( overhead, open) hinges. They are easy to cut, so modern doors are complemented with anti-detachable bolts that will not allow access to the dwelling. When the doors are closed, the bolts enter into special holes made in the profiles of the box, which ensures the web a secure fit. Anti-wire hinges are most popular;
• hidden hinges ( internal) from the outside of the door are not visible, so they can not be cut. Many people call them even more aesthetic, but their main disadvantage is the probability of jamming, blocking the way home for apartment owners.

As for the quantity, for the fabric weighing 70 kg( the most common option with a steel thickness of 3 mm) will suffice with two loops .If the door weighs more or is designed 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 hinges are selected with support bearings, which greatly facilitate the process of opening the canvas and will avoid squeaks.

№7.Features of the choice of the lock for the metal door

. The entrance door must be reliably protected not only from “rough” breaking with a grinder, autogen or a sledgehammer, but also from attempts of “intellectual” intrusion. Of course, if you choose a door for a country house, which is not often, then the strength of the structure and reliability of the castle should be given equal attention, but for an apartment in an apartment building, the castle’s trick is even more important, because the noise from the power methods of opening will hardly remain unnoticed by its neighbors. However, does not have such a lock that could not be opened, is especially for an experienced thief, so the task is to ensure that choose such a lock, the opening of which will take as much time as possible : this will increase the chance that someone will notice the attacker, or he will surrender and leave, risking being caught red-handed.

Experts recommend that in order to achieve the highest possible level of security of the , it is necessary to install two locks of different types of , which will require more time and a much higher qualification from the thief.

Types of locks for entrance doors:

• lever locks are considered the most reliable, and the degree of reliability is determined by the number of suvald. They can be from one to ten, but the really good locks are at their disposal from six levers .By the way, their number can be judged by the key, more precisely by the steps on it: it is necessary to subtract one from their number in order to get the desired value. With a large number of suvald simple pick the lock will not be so easy. Pay attention also to the number of bolts and pins: the more the better. A great option - lock locks with manganese insert .These are the most expensive, but also the most reliable products, which are distinguished by the presence of a special plate located between the lock case and the outer door leaf. The manganese insert bit will break repeatedly. Another good option is the level locks, the “crab” design, in which the bolts are pushed to the sides, therefore, it becomes more difficult for a thief to find the necessary cut points, but such a lock must be properly installed, otherwise it can be jammed;
• cylinder lock , if you do not go into details, is characterized by an internal mechanism in the form of cylinders, which are lined up at a certain height. With the help of a master key, it is difficult to open such a lock, but it is easy to knock it out with a good blow, therefore, it is better to to protect the cylinder mechanism with an additional armor plate or with special balls that prevent drilling. For entrance doors it is suitable only complete with a suvaldny;
• The latch lock is not suitable for the entrance doors to the apartment, it is not reliable enough and easy to break;
• electronic locks are opened by code, card or fingerprint, until they are accustomed to our market. This means that the thieves will not pick up the master key to it, but they can try a “rough” hack, so the canvas must be strong;
• combined locks combine several mechanisms at once, - a good reliable option.

The ideal pair is the lever and cylinder locks, and they need to be located at a distance of 25-35 cm from each other. For the front door, only mortise locks should be chosen, and preferably 3 or 4 security classes, relying on reliable manufacturers' products. Remember that any lock can be opened, so if an apartment or house can attract "qualified" thieves, it is better to additionally put an alarm.

No. 8.

door security classes Like locks, entrance doors are divided into classes according to their level of safety and security:

• first class is doors with steel thickness of 1-1.5 mm and the simplest locks. They are easy to crack, so they are placed in vestibules, basement entrances, etc.;
• second class - these are already more secure doors, but it is also easy to open them, they are not suitable for entering the apartment;
• third class - this design with good locks, which are difficult to open with a master key, and thick sheets of steel. An excellent choice for entrance doors to the apartment;
• fourth grade - an option for country houses. It uses thick steel, several locks, one of which is a “crab”, armored lining;
• fifth, sixth and seventh grades are doors for banks, offices where important documents are stored, etc.

№9.The size of the entrance metal door

The entrance door, ideally, should be made for a specific doorway , and not the doorway should be refined for a specific door. Responsible large companies offer their customers a comprehensive service, from metering to installation, and in the manufacture they take into account the individual parameters of the doorway, but such pleasure will be more expensive than using a standard door.

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

According to the method of opening the , the doors can be right and left, external and internal. From the point of view of fire safety is better when the door opens into the interior of the room, but this design simplifies the access of thieves to the apartment, because they will be able to squeeze the canvas with a 5-ton jack.

No. 10.Manufacturers of metal entrance doors

Only a high-quality door should protect the house. Trusting your home to products from dubious manufacturers means making an apartment vulnerable, and a slight saving when buying a door can have sad consequences. Currently the largest and most reputable manufacturers are:

• “Elbor” is a domestic company founded in 1993.Today it is the largest enterprise of the sphere in the country, has a developed dealer network, provides warranty service. Entrance doors are presented in different price categories, 3 and 4 security class, the choice of decorative panels is wide, accessories and components of its own production;
• "Guardian" is a large holding operating since 1994.The structure includes several enterprises of different fields of activity, includingJSC "Portal", specializing in the production of doors. The company has offices in all regions of the country and in the near abroad, the doors are made 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 its own and European production;
• "Doors Granite" offers not the most extensive range of doors, but they all have the highest protection against burglary. Warranty - 10 years;
• "Toreks" - 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" is a domestic company that from the very beginning of its activity( 1997) set a course for the production of affordable doors. Today, the range includes designs with different thickness, locks and fittings from different manufacturers;
• company Oplot was the first to release a bimetallic door, in which there is an additional door between the two main sheets of metal. Mineral wool and polyurethane foam are used as insulation, locks are from the best manufacturers, and the range includes almost a hundred different models. Prices are not the lowest, but the reliability is worth it;
• Dierre is an Italian company known for its advanced door protection solutions. At the moment, the manufacturer is working on the creation of "smart" doors;
• Gardes a 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 that are designed for it to order;
• Galant and Novak are Polish companies offering good doors at reasonable prices, but their domestic counterparts are not inferior to them in quality.

In conclusion,

When choosing a metal entrance door, also pay attention to quality of fittings : it's a shame if it collapses in a year or spoils the appearance of the door. Eye, pens and chains must be functional, practical and reliable. Always put reliability first, not aesthetics.