There are quite rare cases of the right choice of an entrance metal door that fully meets the conditions of use and purpose. We've put together a few tips and tricks to help you choose the right door for your requirements without overpaying.
The cost and complexity of the front door device should be determined by its burglary resistance. It, in turn, must correspond to the value of the property and the likelihood of an attempted illegal entry. In any case, it is necessary to accept as a golden rule not to provide excessive resistance to hacking and carefully check whether the proposed technical solutions are really capable of performing their functions.
What size should the door be?
The actual size of the door is determined by the dimensions of the opening, from which the values of the technological gaps and the thickness of the standing elements of the door block are subtracted. The width of the opening according to SNiP should not be less than 910 mm, the height can vary from 210 to 230 mm, taking into account the stand 70 mm thick, which cannot be knocked down. However, these norms are directly related only to secondary housing; in new buildings and private facilities, the size of the openings can be completely arbitrary.
Therefore, it is so important to monitor the observance of technological gaps during measurements for correct installation. The opening in panel and prefabricated-monolithic buildings must be at least 10 mm larger than the door block assembly on each side, in brick buildings - 25 mm. It is desirable that the gap is no more than 50 mm, this will lead to a “suspended” installation method, reduce the strength of the fastening and will not allow the door to be used for the first time after sealing.
What to choose the thickness of the canvas?
The thickness and grade of sheet steel in the door leaf is one of the most important factors in burglary resistance. In general, the thicker the door is, the more reliable it is, but you should not bend it. Firstly, vandal opening of the canvas is carried out only if comparable forces failed to break the locks. Secondly, due to the increase in the weight of the door, it will be necessary to strengthen the hinge group. Door leafs weighing over 150 kg require the installation of a door closer and an opening limiter. The optimal sheet thickness ranges from 1.5 to 3 mm, and for doors of burglar resistance class III and IV - at least 4.5 mm.
Much more important is the material of manufacture of the canvas. The hardness of the steel to resist the axial tool should be at least 55 HRC, 35-40 HRC will be sufficient for resistance to most cutting edges. The resistance of steel to drilling and cutting plays practically no role for composite sheets in which a layer of abrasive material is laid between two relatively thin sheets of steel. It must also be remembered that the hardness of steel below 60 HRC is not of decisive importance for resistance to abrasive and oxy-fuel cutting, most of the so-called burglar-resistant blades can be burned through with a hand-held balloon cutter.
Which stiffener system is better?
The high rigidity of the web is one of the most important obstacles to wringing. Most budget doors have only a thin frame of angled steel and a stamped surface. In this case, the door really bends with difficulty, but with a metal thickness of less than 1 mm, it can simply be crushed.
It is optimal if the door is reinforced along the contour of the porch with a rectangular profile measuring at least 40x40 mm with a wall thickness of at least 2.5 mm. You can also focus on the cross section of the reinforcing element, it should not be lower than 400 mm 2. In addition to the framing frame, it is desirable to have one or two horizontal braces and diagonal braces in the formed cells. Too sophisticated reinforcement system should not be fenced: stiffeners negatively affect heat and sound insulation, increase the weight of the canvas.
Do doors need insulation and what kind?
It would be more correct to call the so-called insulated doors filled, because the material inside the leaf provides not only a reduction in heat loss. It is also a sound insulator, in some cases interspersed with layers that make it difficult to make a full passage.
Thermal insulation is a mandatory option for the front door of a private house, even if there is a vestibule. In other cases, the presence of a filler is not required. In ascending order, honeycomb corrugated board, polystyrene foam and PUR filler have the best performance. Mineral wool is not quite suitable for doors: after several years of operation, it shrinks with the concomitant formation of cold bridges.
Why are safe doors needed?
The safe door is a leaf that does not protrude beyond the plane of the installation box or casing to exclude the possibility of pressing with a lever tool. At the same time, such a door is filled with concrete inside to increase anti-vandal resistance.
Almost all canvases of the safe type belong to the fifth, the highest class of burglary resistance. However, it makes sense to install such a door only if it is equipped with locks of the appropriate class, moreover, such a choice should always be due to practical necessity. Otherwise, a safe door becomes a useless investment: it is 2-3 times more expensive than a regular one due to the complexity of organizing the unlocking system and the need to install a reinforced hinge group.
Which hinges are the most reliable?
There are a lot of hinge designs, but in general they can be divided into two groups: hidden and external. The latter variety is simple and cheap, most heavy but inexpensive metal doors are equipped with visible hinges. This is due to the fact that they withstand the high weight of the canvas much better, besides, the door salary is cheaper due to the uselessness of using a hollow profile and arranging seats for hidden mechanisms. However, visible hinges perform worse in terms of resistance to breaking, it is recommended to purchase a hinge group made of hardened steel with turning pins, which are very problematic to cut.
Flush-mounted hinges are complex multi-part hinges. Their advantage is the lack of direct access to the loop group and maintaining the integrity of the outer side of the canvas. While providing high burglary resistance, they have characteristic disadvantages: they need adjustment and maintenance, they can creak and sag over time due to metal fatigue. If, when picking up a web weighing more than 200 kg, the choice fell on hidden hinges, it is better to purchase products of the highest quality possible, thereby guaranteeing a long service life.
Which locking system to choose?
Modern doors are closed not only directly by the lock pins. In the cavity of the door leaf, there is usually a synchronous locking mechanism, which, when the lock is turned, bursts the crossbars on three sides of the porch. This is good and bad at the same time: a door with such a system is harder to wring out, but at the same time a burglar can gain access to the mechanism through a window cut in the canvas, thereby bypassing the secret of the lock.
It is optimal if the locking mechanism is located in the cavity of the profiles that act as stiffeners, or the central unit, together with the lock, is closed with an armored lining. Also, the system of passive crossbars located on the side of the hinges will not damage.
How many locks should the door have and which ones?
To answer this question, let's turn to the configuration of classic factory-made doors, which are often unknowingly called Chinese. They have three locks: the upper, otherwise called fast, the lower, which sets in motion the locking mechanism along the porch, as well as the “night” valve, which does not have the physical possibility of opening from the outside. Such a set of locks is basic, in modern doors it cannot be more scarce.
Burglary resistance can be increased, for example, by replacing the central cylinder lock with a lever lock. The highest class of burglar resistance is typical for locks with the possibility of reprogramming with a new key, as well as those equipped with a secret trap that resets the blocking crossbars when trying to move the levers separately. It is possible to open such locks only by making a duplicate key from a cast. It is possible to increase resistance to burglary even more by installing a radio lock or a hidden drive of the locking mechanism, however, in this case, it is necessary to monitor the technical serviceability and maintain the charge of the built-in battery.
Does the presence of a peephole affect burglary resistance?
There is an opinion that the hole under the peephole greatly reduces the opening time. Indeed, if the burglar is well acquainted with the device of a typical door, having knocked out a peephole, he can manually set the internal mechanism in motion. Also, the peep hole serves as a vulnerable spot in case of vandal burglary: through it, you can start cutting the canvas using lever scissors without noise and extra effort.
Of course, you can avoid a peep hole only if you install a video intercom or a hidden surveillance camera. In other cases, it is recommended to purchase a modern-type visor with separate fastening of the body halves. Its peculiarity is that the diameter of the mounting hole does not exceed 5-6 mm, which is not enough for the scissors to enter. Also, instead of a peephole, you can install a camera, for which a hole of 2-2.5 mm will be enough to connect, through such a gap, manipulations with the internal mechanism are absolutely impossible.
Which system of fastening in the opening should be chosen?
If neither the leaf nor the locks are hackable, attackers can try to vandalize the entire door block. This is all the more possible if the technological gaps are not observed during the installation process, or because the installation joints are filled with foam, and not with cement mortar. You can complicate the task of hacking by ensuring high-quality fastening of the door block.
We are talking about a system of anchors buried in the body of the wall by at least 1/4 of the web width. For anchors, ordinary steel reinforcement is suitable, which was inserted into the boreholes before installing the block in place in increments of 80-100 cm along the perimeter of the opening. After positioning and fixing the door, its flashing box is welded to the anchors, thereby the block acquires an almost monolithic connection with the wall. Naturally, this installation method will not work when installing sheet metal doors.
How important are aesthetic qualities?
Do not be surprised, but the exterior finish of the door has a lot to do with providing high resistance to burglary. The presence of an overlay glued over the entire plane allows you to hide the manufacturer and model of the door, the type and quality of steel. Also, burglars will not be able to appreciate such specific subtleties as traces of welding or the location of hidden hinges.
The overlay should not be defiantly pretentious, a smooth MDF sheet with chamfers is enough. At the same time, it is recommended not to install branded pads on the keyholes that come with the locks. It is much better to use unmarked fittings, this will make it difficult to determine the lock model.
What should be the completeness of a quality door?
The process of installing the door must be controlled personally, to monitor compliance with the geometry and positioning of the door block. At the same time, the installation team is obliged to remove the internal decorative trim, demonstrating the presence and conformity of the type of insulation, as well as showing the customer clearly the principle of operation of the synchronous locking mechanism.
The classic set of the door block is as follows: a leaf assembly with locks, hinges and other fittings, a flashing frame and external trim. Finishing of internal slopes is carried out by the customer independently from the extensions for interior doors. Another important point: you must make sure that the set of keys is sealed in an opaque bag with factory markings and secure seals. All locks pass the first test at the place of installation, in case of a manufacturing defect, the door manufacturer is obliged to replace them within the agreed time frame.
Conclusion
As a summary, it remains only to recall that when choosing a door, you must know when to stop. The right door leaf, locks and installation system can provide really high burglary resistance, but the more difficult it will be for emergency personnel to act in an emergency.
Related videos
Hi all. For a long time I did not write anything on the blog, as I was busy studying the topic of housing and communal services, corresponding with management companies and collecting compromising information on them. But that's not about it now...
I will tell my story what problems I encountered after installing a new one and what you need to pay special attention to when choosing an entrance metal door. This is not an advertisement for doors, this is my honest review, where there are both positive and negative sides.
Since we moved into a new apartment, my wife and I wanted to change the front door due to poor soundproofing, but everyone somehow put it off. Yes, and the old door was not completely dead, it still somehow kept warm, so they were in no hurry to replace it.
Our old front door
The old metal door did not suit us for the following shortcomings:
- Poor soundproofing, voices could be heard in the entrance.
- The lower lever lock was constantly unscrewed and the key hardly entered the keyhole.
- The door was right opening, I would like it to be left opening.
Shopping
So, day X has arrived. We walked through the door stores in our city to ask the price of what for what. As it turned out, basically all the entrance doors were produced by Yoshkar-Ola in the price category of 20-25 thousand rubles.
Four contour seal, filling with min cotton, color black velvet - 24710 rubles
I liked the handle of this style, as a result, they put this one on my door
Three contour seal, antique blue color, door price 20800 rubles
In fact, there are a lot of door manufacturers in Yoshkar-Ola, I learned about this a little later. Therefore, when ordering a Yoshkar-Ola door, it is not a fact that the quality will be the same for everyone.
For example, 10 years ago, when we were still living in a one-room apartment, I also installed a Yoshkar-Ola-made door instead of two (old iron and wooden). And I remember well that the soundproofing was just great.
The wife could vacuum in the corridor and nothing could be heard behind the door in the entrance, and it was useless to ask who was there, they still wouldn’t hear from the other side. Here is even a photo of the hallway preserved from a one-room apartment.
Here was a door in a one-room apartment, 2 sealing circuits
Therefore, I decided that I would put the Yoshkar-Ola door. But I did not think and did not know that in fact there are many manufacturers in Yoshkar-Ola and that it is possible to get a door of not quite the quality that was expected.
When we decided on the door store, we called the measurer. The measurer's services were free, but there are also paid ones, so check it out right away. I know from my own experience that a paid measurer repels and the client can go to a competitor, so in most cases the measurements are free.
The standard door size of 860-2000 mm came to our opening, opening from the right was changed to the left.
Factors when choosing an entrance door
Below I will describe my opinion on what you need to pay attention to when choosing an entrance door. Of course, professionals will add their opinion, but I think these points will be enough for a simple person to pick up a quality door.
metal thickness
Must be at least 1.5 mm without a layer of paint. I would attribute this to the most important factor, since if the door is made of tin, then the sound insulation will be poor, and you yourself understand that the protective properties will not be very good.
Filling the door
Filling the inside of the door are as follows:
- mineral wool;
- basalt slab, like mineral wool only denser;
- Styrofoam;
- polyurethane foam, etc. such as corrugated cardboard is not even worth considering.
Mineral wool and basalt slab are the best for heat and sound insulation.
Mineral wool door filler
On our old door, for example, there was foam plastic inside, and the gaps between the foam plastic were foamed, which is why there was poor sound insulation.
You can check the filler of your door by unscrewing the peephole. The sound of the door slamming with cotton wool or polystyrene stuffed with mines is also different, the second one has a more sonorous slamming sound.
Seal contour
There are two, three and four contour door seals. We settled on three, on the door itself - two contours of rubber seals and one on the door frame.
Three contour door seal
Four contour lines were not taken, because the width of the passage decreases and the threshold becomes high. Keep this in mind when choosing a door.
MDF inner panel
There is a wide variety of options for the interior panel. And here I would give one important piece of advice, choose an MDF panel for future or already installed interior doors.
Since my wife and I decided that the interior doors would be wenge-colored with glass inserts, we also chose the appropriate interior door panel.
Tsargovy interior doors, wenge colors with glass inserts
MDF panel offered to put either 12 mm thick or 16 mm. The thickness of the MDF panel certainly affects the sound insulation. We could not decide and settled on 12 mm.
Only one thing I did not take into account is that the glass is thinner than MDF and this may slightly worsen the sound insulation, but of course it looks cool.
What do you think of the third door in the picture above?
Locks
It is better to put two locks of different types - lever and cylinder.
Locks are divided into security classes: 2, 3 and 4 class. You can determine the class of the lock by turning the key, 2 times the lock turns means the second class of security, 3 times - 3rd class, 4 times - 4th class, respectively.
In addition to locks, I ordered an independent valve (night light), which can be closed and opened only from the inside.
Two lower level locks and upper cylinder locks with a turntable inside
It is also worth paying attention to the possibility of replacing locks in the event of a breakdown (just in case a fireman, but suddenly). Agree to replace the lock without removing the door from the hinges and the front panel is much more convenient, just unscrew the bolts from the end of the door and take out the old lock and change to a new one.
Some models have vertical pins up and down, respectively, in order to change any of the locks, you will need to remove the door from the hinges, remove the inner panel, unhook the rod from the lock, and only after that put a new lock. You cannot change the lock on such a door on your own.
This also applies to doors without vertical pins, where the lock body is attached inside, and the crossbars themselves come out through holes in the metal. For a better understanding of what I'm talking about, see the picture below and compare the fastening of the locks on the left and right, and I think everything will become clear to you.
On the left, the bolts of the lock pass through the holes in the door leaf, but not on the right
Consider this also when choosing a door, perhaps it will come in handy in the future. I wish, of course, that locks in general would not cause problems on a new door, but it is better to play it safe just in case and take into account such a nuance.
Door opening: right or left
As it turned out, the opening of the door should not only be convenient for opening, but also comply with fire safety. So that there are no problems with neighbors when opening the door, for example, they will block the exit of a neighboring apartment or simply interfere with opening the door.
Therefore, this should also be taken into account if the door is with an external opening, and 99% of the entrance doors are exactly like that. In my case, there was no such problem, since the doors on the landing are sufficiently removed from the neighbors and the door will not interfere with both the left and right opening.
We wanted to make a door with a left opening, as it was more comfortable to open it.
Doorway
This is also one of the important points. Most people, when ordering a door, miss this moment, and I also entered this majority.
The old iron door had an internal opening of 80 cm, and when entering the apartment there were no problems with dragging in large-sized furniture, such as a sofa, a refrigerator, etc. There were a couple of chairs that were not collapsible and crawled right into the butt through the doorway.
With the new door, the opening decreased by 5 cm (due to the third sealing circuit) and it’s good that I sold those chairs that barely crawled through and took them out with the old door. And I don't know how to get them out.
Of course, in fact, with a light opening of 73-75 cm, almost any furniture passes, but there are rare exceptions. Therefore, it is also necessary to take into account the doorway. Managers are unlikely to tell you about this, but now you, as my reader, know about it. Therefore, if there is an opportunity to expand, then expand.
I think these are the most important factors in choosing a quality door that will keep heat well and noise from the entrance will not penetrate into the home.
Shop door order
So, after going around the shops, taking measurements and collecting information on doors on the Internet, we decided to order a door made by Yoshkar-Ola.
When ordering, I asked the seller for a door metal thickness of 1.5 mm, I was satisfied. Only now I didn’t specify this along with paint or bare metal, consider this important. If the thickness of the metal is 1.5 mm together with paint, then naturally the metal is thinner without paint.
The wife chose the metal color black velvet. Also without thinking about the consequences of care and cleaning the surface. For example, the lacquered surface is easy to clean and wipe off the whitewash. From a matte surface, stains and whitewash stains are much more difficult to remove.
Metal door color samples
Next, it was necessary to decide on the inner panel, or put it with a mirror, but then the peephole would need to be shifted to the right. Therefore, we abandoned the mirror, as we expected to install a video peephole with a monitor instead of the usual peephole.
I ordered this from Aliexpress video peephole with motion sensor and video recording
Video peephole with motion sensor and video recording
Read more about the video eye at the end of the article.
As a result, we chose a wenge-colored inner panel with white glass inserts. Since in the future we plan to change the interior doors to wenge color with narrow glass inserts, so that all the doors in the apartment are the same.
What ended up being ordered:
- Metal door 860*2000, left, 3 sealing contours.
- Black velvet color + stainless steel insert.
- Inner panel wenge color 12 mm, FLS-7 glass inserts.
- Two locks: cylinder and lever.
- Independent valve (night light).
- Square handle - chrome.
- Peephole.
We signed a contract, paid 50% and began to wait.
Door installation
After 3 weeks, as stipulated in the contract, they called and said that the door was ready. The next day, installers came, pulled out the old box and installed a new one, in less than an hour.
Dismantling took about 5 minutes.
Start dismantling the front door
Removing the front door
Preparing the walls for the installation of a new metal door
Installation of a new metal door.
Installing the box by level
We fixed the box with anchors, hung the door on the hinges and began to check the closing of the door.
Fastening the box with anchor bolts from the side of the hinges
And the last step was foaming around the perimeter between the wall and the door frame. As you can see from the photo, the whole process took about 40 minutes.
Filling voids with mounting foam
What I didn't like was that I didn't see that the keys to the locks were sealed. When the door was hung on its hinges, the keys were inserted into the keyholes. Apparently, while the first one was dismantling, the second assistant opened the keys and inserted them into the locks.
If you follow the rules or simple logic, the keys to the new door should always be printed in front of the owner.
Do you think I'm right or is it my prejudice?
Pros and cons of a new front door
After installing the new door and drying the foam, I compared it with the old one and found out both the pros and cons.
The advantages of the new door, I attributed the following points:
- Closes easily and quietly.
- Comfortable and beautiful handle, the handle does not wobble.
- Opening to the left side 180 degrees, before there was a right opening 90 degrees.
- Three loops instead of two.
- Two different types of locks: lever and cylinder.
- The design is beautiful, both inside and out.
View of the new entrance metal door
But it was not without its downsides:
- Soundproofing leaves a lot to be desired, or is it the way the walls transmit sound.
- The width of the passage has already become 5 cm.
- The color is easily soiled, the whitewash does not wash off well.
By the position of the turntable of the night valve, you cannot determine whether the door is closed or open. Of course, these are trifles and nit-picking, but still not a plus. On the old door, the turntable of the night light turned 90 degrees - it was open in the horizontal position, and closed vertically.
On the new one, it rotates 180 degrees and it is not clear whether the door is visually closed or not, you have to check it with your hands)
Causes of poor door soundproofing
It may be the glass inserts in the inner MDF panel, since the glass is thinner than MDF. When ordering, I thought that these inserts would simply be inserted into the recess of the panel and everything would stick out flush))
In fact, it didn't turn out the way I imagined. Who cares what the inner panel with glass inserts looks like from the inside, see the video below.
Then we decided to cover up all the cracks. I cut out all the excess protruding foam and, together with my wife, covered it first with tile adhesive, and then with a rotband. Soundproofing did not improve, voices were still heard.
Deciding to get to the bottom of the truth, I asked the seller for a passport for the door, to which I received the answer: there is no such thing. From the words of the seller, I realized that the metal part was produced at a mini-factory in Yoshkar-Ola, and the MDF panel was from a completely different manufacturer.
The next day, the owner of the store called my wife to clarify what was wrong with our door. I explained that the main disadvantage of the door is:
- poor soundproofing, as everything is heard that they are talking in the entrance and standing outside the door you can hear the sounds from the apartment;
- the thickness of the metal of the door leaf is thin, when pressed with a finger, it bends.
The hostess offered to go to the store and write a claim and consider replacing the door. I did not count on the next dismantling and installation, but I did not want to put up with such a disadvantage.
I decided to check the door seals, maybe there is poor sound insulation. When checking the pressure of the door seals, I decided to use a piece of paper.
At the top of the door and from the side of the hinges, the sheet was pulled out with difficulty, which means that the clamp was normal, but from below and from the side of the locks, the sheet was easily pulled out.
If you look at the closed door from the outside, then the lower corner from the side of the locks sticks out relative to the box, and the opposite upper corner is slightly recessed. And if you click on the door in the lock area, the door can still sink inside.
Perhaps this was the case of insufficient soundproofing. After a short adjustment of the eccentric, it was possible to adjust a good pressure and smooth closing of the door.
It remains only to put the extensions on the slopes and compare the sound insulation.
Installation of extensions on slopes
About two weeks after the installation of the door, the extras ordered according to the measurements arrived.
Installation of extensions on the slopes of the front door
Installed extensions and platbands, wenge color
What can I say in the end about soundproofing ... My wife says it got much better in the morning when everyone goes to school and work is not as loud as it was with the old one. Naturally, the sound is also transmitted along the floor and walls, this must also be taken into account.
In general, I'm satisfied, let's see how the door behaves in the future. It remains to wait for the video peephole and put it instead of the usual peephole.
Old door on the left, new door on the right
Video peephole instead of a regular peephole
So, the final step was to equip the video door with a peephole.
What are the advantages of this:
- imagine the situation, unexpected strangers knocked on your door, to find out who is behind the door, it is enough to turn on the video monitor of the peephole on the door and do not peer into the peephole, pressing your cheek against the door;
- or let's say your children are alone at home, so that the child can see who is at the door, you do not need to run behind a stool to look through the peephole;
- with a motion sensor and video recording, you can see who came or rubbed near your door in your absence;
- at night, when it is impossible to see who is behind the door, a video peephole with infrared illumination will solve this problem;
- you can figure out a bully who is shitting in the entrance or find out who unscrews the light bulb on the site, etc.
After monitoring the market on aliexpress, I came to the conclusion that there are basically three types of video eyes:
- Video eyes with motion sensor and night illumination, with the ability to record.
- Same as the first plus with Wi-Fi function.
- And the simplest one, similar on the outside to the usual one, but without a motion sensor and night illumination.
I chose this model: 4.3-inch screen, 1.3 MP camera, motion sensor, infrared light, microphone, speaker - for two-way Intercom communication, removable 1800 mAh battery - can be charged with a cable or charger included in the kit.
Video peephole with screen, motion sensor, infrared illumination and video recording with sound
Addendum dated August 15, 2019. After 4 months of using the video eye, I can add the following. The motion sensor works, the battery lasts for 7-10 days if the video recording mode is set, and in the photo shooting mode, when the motion is triggered, the battery lasts for 2 weeks.
Of course, you can put it in the “away from home” mode, then the screen will not light up when the motion sensor is triggered and the call will not work when the button is pressed. In this case, the battery will last even longer, but my household is already used to it and they don’t want to knock on the door as they used to.
It has also become much more convenient to observe who is standing behind the door, even in complete darkness everything is visible. There were a couple of freezes, and one screen glitch. But the problem was solved without repair, by simply pulling out the battery.
I charge the battery for 3 hours in a special charger that comes with the kit. At the same time, the date and time do not get lost, there is a small battery inside the screen board to save time in case the main battery is pulled out.
For a more detailed review of this model, see the video below.
==>>BUY VIDEO EYE WITH MOTION SENSOR<<==
At first, I was inclined to buy a video peephole with Wi-Fi function, but then I abandoned this idea. Since the essence of WiFi was that when you press the call button on the video peephole, the phone automatically dialed to the smartphone and you could watch who was behind the door even when you were outside the house and even ask who came and for what purpose.
Video peephole with a screen and the function of transmitting images via Wi-Fi to a smartphone
Thinking that such a function would not be useful to me, I refused this opportunity. Watch the video below if you are interested in the video peephole with Wi-Fi function.
==>>BUY VIDEO EYE WITH WIFI<<==
If you want the video peephole on the outside to be no different from a regular peephole in the door, then there is a good option. True, there will be no motion sensor and video recording.
Just press a button on the screen and see who is on the other side of the door. Simple and angry, and few people will guess that this is a camera instead of a peephole.
Danmini video peephole with a screen, indistinguishable from the outside from the usual
==>>BUY VIDEO EYE DANMINI<<==
That's all for me. If you have any questions about choosing a door or a video peephole, write in the comments below. Save the article on your social media page by clicking the special buttons at the bottom of the article.
Good luck!
Sincerely, Ruslan Miftakhov
Choosing the front door to the apartment is not an easy task and raises many questions. You need to know what qualities the design should have, what to look for when choosing. The front door is the keeper of the hearth, preventing the penetration of noise, cold and uninvited guests into the housing. It should also look presentable, as it acts as the hallmark of the apartment.
Requirements for the entrance door to the apartment
Any premises, residential or industrial, meet the visitor with the front door. It is not difficult to choose the front door of internal opening to the apartment now. Nevertheless, manufacturers offer a wide range of products, the difference between which is in materials, dimensions, colors and styles.
Many people are not able to make a competent choice due to the large variety. This is especially true for those who buy entrance doors to the apartment for the first time. To avoid errors, you should take into account the requirements for any input structures:
- General reliability parameter. Entrance doors perform many functions, but the main one is to ensure the protection of housing. For this reason, the design chosen must be durable and of high quality, able to protect against intruders.
- It should be possible to inspect the outer territory. It is better if the front door to the apartment is equipped with at least a small peephole. This will allow you to see the situation outside the housing or on the flight of stairs.
- Noise and heat insulation. The product prevents the penetration of noise and cold into the house, increasing the comfort of living.
- Appearance. It is better to choose a beautiful front door to the apartment so that it fits into the interior of the home with its style design.
Before you go to the store for a purchase, you need to consider other points:
- Canvas price. It all depends on the quality of the design. If you choose a door for a summer cottage or an old abandoned apartment, then it is not necessary that it be high-strength. Cheaper alternatives will work as well. But if the product is installed in a new building apartment or a residential country house, then more expensive variations can be considered.
- Opening dimensions. The canvas should easily "enter" the doorway. Therefore, before buying, you should take all measurements in advance.
- Choice of accessories. We are talking about locks, hinges, eyes, handles and so on. It takes into account the type of construction and your own preferences. Of course, it is better to choose the appropriate fittings for a good entrance door to the apartment, suitable in quality and style.
- Availability of certificates and guarantees. This is an important point at the time of purchase, ensuring that all installation and operation issues are resolved.
Types of entrance doors
A wide range of input structures is presented on the construction market; designer canvases and technical models are also produced. They are classified according to the material used in the manufacture.
metal front door
This is the most requested type. They are made using special technology from durable materials. There are models that are additionally coated with an anti-corrosion compound, which allows the blades to be used under different climatic conditions, extending their service life.
The thickness of metal sheets also matters: for European entrance doors it is 1 mm, Chinese - from 0.5 to 1 mm, domestic - from 1.5 to 3 mm. The strength characteristics of the input structure depend on the thickness of the metal. European models have standardized sizes, while our manufacturers also produce non-classical options.
The customer can choose the design and format of insulation.
Before choosing a metal door to an apartment, you need to familiarize yourself with the classification according to the level of complexity:
- Economy class. These are simple and affordable products made of single-sheet steel with a thickness of 1 mm. As a design, only painting is used, without insulation and soundproofing. A separate variety is metal sheets in an apartment, assembled from two sheets (each 1 mm thick). For such products, finishing, heat and sound insulating filler is provided.
- Middle class. These are products made from two sheets, where the thickness of each is 1.5 mm. Finishing can be any and depends on the preferences of the customer.
- Elite class. Entrance doors with a reinforced structure, with a thickness of sheets up to 2 mm. They are finished with natural or artificial materials, sheathed with wood, veneer.
As a finish, they use: thermal film, polymer or powder paint, plastic or wooden lining, vinyl leather, car enamel, varnish, MDF lining and other materials.
Important! In order for the selected metal front door to successfully fulfill its functions, it is important to install it correctly.
wooden front door
Not so long ago, wood was used as the main material for the production of entrance structures. Now the user has a choice where each product differs in its operational properties. Nevertheless, wooden canvases are classified as luxurious and practical classics. Thanks to innovative technologies, their functions and properties have been improved by an order of magnitude compared to the first models, as a result they last longer.
Wooden products are no longer as popular as they used to be, this is due to the fact that a large selection of artificial materials is offered on the market. But some customers prefer the natural solid wood. Considering the design features, three types of wooden entrance doors can be distinguished:
- Shield. To assemble these products, shields up to 4 cm thick are used. The frame is assembled from solid wood elements glued together. Some manufacturers supplement such entrance doors with an aluminum frame, which not only retains heat, but also extends the life of the product.
- Paneled. In terms of design, they are similar to shield ones. They weigh an order of magnitude less, which facilitates transportation and installation.
- Whole. This option is now the most common. For manufacturing take a solid array of wood.
What materials are wooden doors made from?
- Oak. This is a high-strength and durable breed that can last for several decades. An interesting feature is that oak hardens over time, which makes the canvas even more stable. The result is the most expensive entrance doors to the apartment.
- Ash. By analogy with oak, a durable and practical material. A popular option due to the variety of colors.
- Beech. It is better to install such a door to an apartment in a multi-storey building. Beech does not tolerate moisture, so it is not used for country houses.
- Pine. The key advantage is the affordable price. Pine is a soft material, so canvases from it are made purely for apartments.
Wooden doors to the apartment are preferred by those customers who prefer environmental friendliness and natural appearance.
Entrance door to the apartment with a mirror
This species is gradually gaining popularity. Many customers prefer just such entrance doors to the apartment, explaining the choice by the small size of the hallway. Now the mirror can be mounted in both wooden and metal products.
The front door with a mirror looks organically in any interior, often acting as a key element of decor. The design is interesting for its decorative effect, but it can also perform other functions:
- Practicality. Leaving the apartment, you can always look in the mirror, evaluating your appearance. Of course, for this you need to correctly place the light sources so that the light falls on the person.
- Visually enlarges the space. Light, reflected, creates the illusion of a large corridor.
Important! To ensure the desired effect, it is necessary to carefully choose the shape and size of the mirror to be installed. This will emphasize the style of the apartment and decorate the interior.
The mirrors themselves are practical products. Indeed, in a small hallway, it is sometimes difficult to place a separate large mirror. But the door panels are just the right size.
The width of the entrance door to the apartment
Standard dimensions are defined by GOST standards, regardless of the material of construction. The main parameters are as follows:
- Height. The standard parameter is in the range from 2070 mm to 2370 mm. To determine a specific value, the total height of the ceiling and the width of the door leaf are taken into account.
- Width. The minimum parameter is 910 mm. For single leaf - 1010 mm, one and a half - 1310, 1510 and 1550 mm, double - 1910 and 1950 mm.
- Thickness. There are no strict regulations regarding this value, since it all depends on the material of the canvas for the apartment. The thickness should be enough for the front door to perform its main functions.
Important! For entrance structures, the standard size is larger than for interior ones. They do this so that a person carrying a load can freely pass through the opening.
How to choose entrance metal doors for an apartment
The most common metal structures. Most often, a steel door to an apartment is chosen, which provides adequate protection for housing. There are both global and domestic manufacturers on the market, producing products of different styles and sizes.
Metal has long been used to make entrance doors to an apartment. This is the most durable material that provides protection against burglary. For this reason, it is popular for both residential and industrial premises. When choosing an iron door to an apartment, you should pay attention to the base material. For the manufacture of products using the following metals:
- Aluminum. Such products are different in texture and shades. Aluminum is a metal that is easy to process, so making entrance doors from it is somewhat easier.
- Steel. This metal is more reliable and durable. In addition to the main function, such entrance canvases are equipped with noise and heat insulation. At a price they are more expensive than aluminum counterparts, but the quality is better.
When choosing a product for an apartment, pay attention to the thickness of the base layer - the more, the better the design will protect the home. Only two materials are used as the basis, but the products differ from each other due to the decorative layer. As a decor used:
- PVC panels. Caring for such a coating is quite simple.
- MDF. In addition to environmental friendliness, this material provides good sound insulation. The most preferred option for office space.
- Powder coated. Budget exterior.
- Panels made from natural wood. Expensive, but environmentally friendly and visually appealing option.
To increase the mechanical characteristics of the entrance door to the apartment, manufacturers equip products with stiffeners. These elements provide protection against deformation and increase burglary resistance. The more stiffeners, the more stable the structure will be. It should be understood that due to the increase in the number of these elements, the weight increases, which means that the hinges will experience increased loads and will fail faster.
What color to choose the front door to the apartment
When choosing a color, it is necessary to take into account the general style of housing design, the color of the floor material, walls, and basic furniture. The right tips to help you choose the color of the front door to the apartment:
- The best solution is to choose a neutral shade that will go with nothing. White, black, gray or beige options look good.
- It is optimal if the color of the canvas matches the shade of the window frames.
- Doors decorated with drawings, stained-glass windows or stickers look good. The bias is made on design, so compatibility is relegated to the background.
Important! These tips are suitable for choosing the entrance canvas to the apartment, as well as for interior partitions.
Rating of entrance metal apartment doors
The most popular designs of the following brands:
- Outpost. This manufacturer produces products at a reasonable price. The company is originally from Russia, but production is organized in China, which made it possible to optimize costs. The manufacturing process is controlled, so the products are of good quality, unchanged technical parameters and appearance.
- Torex. The company has been producing entrance doors to apartments for over 25 years. Thanks to solid practical experience, the fabrics produced have good consumer properties, without overpayment. The range includes fire protection options.
- Elbor. The year the enterprise began its activity is 1976. Not so long ago, a comprehensive modernization of the company was carried out, which made it possible to increase production capacities.
- Guardian. A distinctive feature of the products of this company is the high price, but consumer properties correspond to the premium class. For the manufacture of entrance doors to the apartment, strict international and domestic standards are taken into account.
- Became. This is a group of companies that produces entrance canvases for individual orders. A feature of the products is additional concreting, thanks to which the box is attached many times more reliably, while maintaining tightness.
This is not a complete list of companies manufacturing entrance doors for apartments.
Where should the front door to the apartment open?
In this matter, there is a main requirement - in the event of an emergency, the structure should not create obstacles for the evacuation of people. If we consider the practical side, then take into account several points:
- when opening inward, you will have to stop in front of the door and step back to open it;
- the canvas that opens outward is characterized by burglary resistance, since it is much more difficult to knock it out;
- if the product opens inward, it will not be possible to put an additional door, which will not only keep the heat in the apartment, but also reduce the noise level;
- if the room has a small entrance hall, it is better to choose the option of opening to the outside.
In the case of apartment buildings, the following points are also taken into account:
- when plowing outside, the canvas should not interfere with the opening of the neighbor's doors;
- if the apartments open to a common vestibule, then the vestibule door is opened outward, and the entrance door is opened inward;
- if during the opening the door touches something, for example, a counter, then it is supplemented with an opening limiter.
For the most part, where the canvas will open is the decision of the owner of the apartment.
Conclusion
Choosing an entrance door to an apartment is not a problem, as there are many proposals: these are metal, wooden products or structures with mirrors. The main thing is that the door provides adequate protection for the apartment and at the same time matches the interior of the room. You can take into account the rating of the entrance metal doors to the apartment, but it is equally important to properly install the canvas.
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