Hello. 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:

1. Poor soundproofing, voices could be heard in the entrance.
2. The lower lever lock was constantly unscrewed and the key hardly entered the keyhole.
3. 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:

1. Metal door 860*2000, left, 3 sealing contours.
2. Black velvet color + stainless steel insert.
3. Inner panel wenge color 12 mm, FLS-7 glass inserts.
4. Two locks: cylinder and lever.
5. Independent valve (night light).
6. Square handle - chrome.
7. 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:

1. Closes easily and quietly.
2. Comfortable and beautiful handle, the handle does not wobble.
3. Opening to the left side 180 degrees, before there was a right opening 90 degrees.
4. Three loops instead of two.
5. Two different types of locks: lever and cylinder.
6. The design is beautiful, both inside and out.

View of the new entrance metal door

But it was not without its downsides:

1. Soundproofing leaves a lot to be desired, or is it the way the walls transmit sound.
2. The width of the passage has already become 5 cm.
3. 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 audible 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:

1. Video eyes with motion sensor and night illumination, with the ability to record.
2. Same as the first plus with Wi-Fi function.
3. And the simplest one, similar on the outside to the usual one, but without a motion sensor and night illumination.

I chose this model: a 4.3-inch screen, a 1.3 MP camera, a motion sensor, infrared illumination, a microphone, a speaker - for two-way Intercom communication, a 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

The nuances of choosing an entrance door: choose, but check

Any dwelling begins with the entrance, so the appearance and reliability of the front door immediately set the general tone and can tell a lot about the owners. When choosing a door, everyone wants to solve two, at first glance, opposite tasks: to attract respectful glances from neighbors and to frighten intruders. And it is quite possible!

Our benchmarks in the real sea of ​​entrance doors that the modern market offers will be the words "reliability" and "relevance": in addition to the quality of construction and finish, it is important that the chosen door meets the conditions of its operation.

Differences of entrance doors: not a single cladding

Let's forget about the design of the door for a moment and consider the problem based on the functional and technical characteristics of the product.

To choose the right door, you need to know what is hidden under the facing panels and other finishes. So, the entrance doors are different:

• By material. The most traditional are wooden doors. Currently, they are purchased either as a temporary or summer option, if they are made of ordinary wood species, or for premium private houses - if we are talking about solid wood of noble species. Wooden doors have been preserved in many apartments in old houses, but at the first opportunity they are now trying to replace them with metal ones, which are the undoubted leaders in the entrance door market. There are also impact-resistant plastic entrance doors reinforced with metal inserts. It makes sense to install them in protected areas, where the probability of intruders appearing is quite low, or in houses with common sections for two or three apartments. Then a metal door is placed in the vestibule, and a plastic one can be installed in the apartment. Safety glass doors are typically installed at the entrance to a secure residential or commercial building.

Among wooden doors, oak is considered to be the strongest and most durable. However, the longevity record belongs to doors made of sycamore (German maple), found during excavations in Switzerland - they are more than five thousand years old, but they are perfectly preserved.

• By appointment. First of all, it is worth distinguishing between temporary and permanent doors. If you are building or renovating, it makes sense to put a wooden or thin metal door until you get around to installing a permanent one. The latter must withstand external shock loads, be non-combustible, and reliably provide heat and sound insulation. Depending on the specifics of the building or premises, one of these qualities may be more important than others. In accordance with the functional features, shockproof, armored, soundproof, fire (technical) entrance doors are distinguished. By appointment, entrance doors can be for residential or commercial premises, external (at the entrance to the building) or internal (at the entrance to individual apartments, offices, floors, vestibules).
• Opening method. Basically, hinged doors are used at the entrance to a building, apartment or office, but sometimes you can also see sliding doors - as a rule, these are glass entrance doors to office and shopping centers. According to the location of the hinges, the doors are divided into left-handed and right-handed, into rooms that open inside or outside.
• By the number of leaves. The most common are single-leaf doors, but sometimes the geometry of the doorway involves the installation of double-leaf or semi-leaf doors. A half-leaf door consists of an ordinary single-leaf door and a fixed narrow part that fills the remainder of the doorway. Such doors can be seen at the entrances to the entrances and in the vestibules of residential buildings.
• The shape of the opening. Standard doors have a rectangular shape, there are also arched ones - with a semicircular extension upwards. This is a matter of purely aesthetic preferences and design: sometimes a rectangular opening is increased to an arched one, and sometimes vice versa - an arched one is aligned to a rectangular one.
• According to the degree of resistance to opening. For residential premises, doors of the 1st-4th burglary resistance classes are used, and there are 13 of them in total. The higher the burglary resistance class, the more expensive the door, so when choosing it is worth observing a reasonable measure. Doors, starting from the 5th class of resistance to breaking, are installed in special rooms, for example, in bank vaults.

The established stereotypes about the unequivocal superiority of European-made doors over Russian and Chinese ones should be taken critically. The fact is that the products of each country have their own strengths and weaknesses. So, European doors are prestigious and technologically advanced, Russian doors are optimal in terms of price-quality ratio, Chinese doors are ideal for temporary use or summer cottages.

For houses and apartments, swing single-leaf metal entrance doors are currently predominantly chosen. Let's take a closer look at the features of their design.

The main structural elements of the front door

The reliability of the entrance metal door depends on the characteristics of the door frame and leaf, hinges, locks and fittings.

door frame

This is a frame made of metal profile, which is installed in the doorway. It is on it that the door hinges are attached, and on them, in turn, the door leaf is hung. The door frame carries a large load, so the thickness of the steel in its metal profile is greater than in the frame of the door leaf. In modern models of door frames, a protected cavity is often made for the tongues of the lock and anti-burglary pins, crossbars, which complicate the opening of the door, even if part of the wall has been knocked out by intruders.

Door leaf

• Steel cladding and stiffeners. The door leaf consists of a metal frame reinforced with stiffeners and lined with steel sheets. Inexpensive Chinese doors, which are often set as temporary, are a frame made of a corner and metal sheets up to 1.2 mm thick. A reliable steel door is made of a stamped or rolled profile, the thickness of its skin is from 1.2 mm. European technologies involve the manufacture of doors from thinner steel sheets than Russian ones.
• Filler. A hollow steel door easily conducts sounds and does not protect from the cold, so the space between the steel sheets is filled with mineral wool, polystyrene foam, rigid polyurethane, non-combustible mineral wool board.

accessories

• Loops. Ideally, they should not only support the weight of the door, but also be adjustable so that the structure does not warp. The most reliable, but also the most expensive - hidden adjustable hinges made of steel. They differ from traditional loops in that they are almost impossible to cut. One such hinge costs an average of 2,000 rubles or more, which is an order of magnitude higher than the cost of a conventional door hinge. Mounting hinges with adjustment will also be more expensive. However, the reliability and smooth running of the door when opening and closing are sufficient arguments in favor of hidden hinges for many.
• Doorhandle. It must be durable and combined with the fittings as a whole. For example, if you are installing brass hinges, it would be logical to choose a handle from the same material.
• Peephole. It can be cut into the door to the height you specify or be installed immediately at the standard level. The viewing angle is typically 180°. Keep in mind that the peephole should be selected not only for the appearance, but also for the thickness of the door.

Locks

A pair of locking mechanisms - lever and cylinder - has already become a classic of protecting the door from burglary. It is important that all family members feel comfortable using both locks. Everyone is familiar with the situation when only one of the two locks is used in practice, since the second turned out to be inconvenient.

Manganese armor plates can be additionally placed on the door in the area of ​​the locking mechanisms so that the lock cannot be drilled out or knocked out. On door structures of the 2nd-3rd classes of burglary resistance, such overlays are installed by default.

When choosing locks and accessories for a door, be guided by the principle of price matching: it makes no sense to hang a cheap door on expensive hinges and vice versa. An expensive lock on a door made of thin steel can easily be cut out by intruders, and a cheap one can be opened with any thickness of steel. Such discrepancies are sometimes involuntarily evident.

How to choose an entrance door?

First of all, it is necessary to build on the conditions in which the door will be operated. If you live in an apartment without a vestibule, and access to the entrance is not limited, you will need a powerful steel door with anti-removable hinges. The same can be said about the door to the entrance itself. Finishing the door to the apartment in this case is secondary - as a rule, they are limited to powder (hammer) enamel. You can make a choice in favor of inexpensive leatherette upholstery. However, such a coating is not very aesthetically pleasing and is not protected from vandalism. The presence of a tambour door somewhat expands the choice of possible decorative finishes, and also allows homeowners to pay more attention to door soundproofing, handle design and other properties.

Paint is an inexpensive quality coating of steel doors that many people find boring. However, steel cladding can be made with decorative reliefs, it does not have to look like a smooth sheet. Powder paint is sometimes called hammer enamel. It is baked after application in special industrial chambers, forming a relief. A variety of textures will help you choose a budget door to your liking. In addition, powder enamel is almost not subject to mechanical and chemical damage.

For a summer residence, an inexpensive wooden or metal door without decor is suitable. In this case, you should be guided by common sense so as not to get into a ridiculous situation when the door becomes the main object of intruders. If your dacha or private house is located in a gated community, you can pay more attention to the decor when choosing a door. In prestigious cottage settlements with professional security, the front door often performs exclusively aesthetic and heat-insulating functions, which means that it must be chosen based on these characteristics.

How much will you have to pay for the door, its delivery and installation? Prices for the same doors from different sellers can vary by one and a half to two times, and the low price of the door itself can be offset by the inflated cost of delivery and installation. Do not forget to check and compare all the conditions for buying a door, ask for reviews about the manufacturer and the seller.

No matter how convincingly the manufacturers of wooden entrance doors propagate their products, they are, without a doubt, significantly inferior to their steel counterparts in terms of strength and reliability. However, among the metal counterparts there is a gradation that divides them into categories according to the degree of protection, according to the terms of impeccable service and aesthetic qualities. The steel entrance block is not an acquisition from the category of cheap purchases. Therefore, before you go to the store, you need to figure out how to choose an entrance metal door, what you need to pay extra for, and what you should not spend money on.

Reliability is a priority

We will not deceive ourselves and those around us, proving that we like the “iron” protection in terms of aesthetic indicators. Although the latest Italian, and domestic models can be called attractive without reservation. We decide to install a steel “barrier”, first of all, because of the ultra-high physical and mechanical characteristics of the material and because of the possibility to equip the structure with the maximum number of protective devices.

First of all, you need to pay attention to:

• on the technical characteristics of the product specified in the manufacturer's documentation;
• on the design features of the frame and leaf of the front door;
• on the number of built-in devices that can maximally complicate the solution of the problem of unauthorized entry.

Moreover, for yourself personally, you need to determine in advance the necessary and sufficient limit of reliability, since the search in these indicators entails not only an increase in price. Often, super reliable metal doors create absolutely unnecessary problems for the owners. Too complex crab locks irrevocably break with jamming of the upper bolt, after which a new door has to be tritely installed. Too heavy canvas is difficult to open / close for children and elderly family members. In addition, the mechanisms wear out quickly, the frame is deformed, the canvas sags on worn hinges.

Necessary and sufficient specifications

Let's start with the quality and thickness of the metal, on which the weight of the structure and the price depend. In the production of iron entrance doors, "iron" is not used. It is generally not used anywhere in its pure form, only alloys. They make doors from sheet steel obtained in the process of hot or cold rolling. Since we are figuring out how to choose a metal door, we need to compare the properties of the material:

• Hot-rolled metal is cheap and dark in color, but its blackness is not visible under the decorative coating. It is more susceptible to the appearance of foci of rust on its surface, and is quickly eaten away by corrosion. If the manufacturer used this particular type of material, the document will indicate GOST number 19903.
• Cold-rolled alloy is more expensive than the previous version. Without processing pleases with the standard color of galvanized steel. Doors made from it will not suffer from direct contact with atmospheric troubles. GOST with the number 19904 will tell about its use in the manufacture of doors.

If the alloy is supersaturated with carbon, it loses its ductility. A high content of alloying elements is also useless. Medium-alloyed (up to 11%) and medium-carbon (up to 0.6%) steel alloys are considered optimal for the production of doors and their further operation.

Next, we evaluate the prospects and choose an iron door designed to protect our property along the thickness of a steel sheet. This indicator is also found in the technical documents. Its values ​​can vary from 0.8 mm to 4.0 mm, according to which:

• doors made of sheet steel with a thickness of 0.8-1.0 mm do not belong to the clan of entrance structures. Suitable for arranging outbuildings designed to store low-value items, garden tools;
• a canvas of two sheets with a metal thickness of 1.0-2.0 mm is a suitable solution for equipping an office space in a multi-storey business center with security;
• 2.0-2.5 mm - the norm for the door leading from the apartment to the entrance;
• 4.0 mm is the best option for a country mansion, especially if they do not live in it permanently.

The thicker the sheet steel, the heavier and more expensive the door. It will cost more, not only because of the cost of the material, but also due to the special installation scheme, additional powerful hinges and a reinforced frame. The optimal weight of an iron door for residential buildings is 70 kg. Bank doors and bulletproof options weigh 90-100 kg or more.

Design features of a steel door

The two main components of any door unit are the leaf and the frame, which is also a frame, which is more in line with a product made of steel billets. The most reliable is recognized as a monolithic frame bent from a profile pipe with one welded seam, a less reliable frame welded from four pieces of hot-rolled profile pipe. The most "flimsy" type is welded from four segments, each of which, in turn, is welded from two corners of equal length.

In short: the more welds, the worse, according to the engineers. In their opinion, welding changes the initial design geometry. The consequences of violation of the calculated geometric parameters may not appear immediately after installation, among them:

• distortions and the accompanying need for effort;
• directly opposite drafts and cracks, allowing you to cut off the internal hinges, open the door with a crowbar or mount;
• jamming of the web, crossbars of the locking system.

There should be no welds on the front side of the canvas. The outer part must be made of a monolithic sheet, otherwise it will not withstand a strong blow from a heavy sledgehammer.

Canvas as a guideline of choice

The canvas itself is a rectangular frame to which two metal sheets are attached. There may be one steel outer sheet and an inner panel of solid wood, MDF or chipboard, covered with laminated film, veneer, cheap vinyl leather. This feature differentiates the entrance blocks into those able to withstand atmospheric attacks and not able to resist the sun's rays and moisture.

If the owner decides which of the metal doors to choose for installation in an opening that communicates with the street, the answer is unequivocal - completely iron, since temperature changes and fluctuations in moisture levels will render wood and materials created from its fibers unusable. They equip apartments with blocks with a metal-MDF tandem or an additional entrance to a country house leading from a closed vestibule to housing.

Note. The condition for full protection against hacking by simple thieves' methods - a crowbar and a crowbar is steel cashing and vestibules. They will close all unreliable areas and prevent access to critical parts.

Recalculate stiffeners

Between the outer steel sheet and the inner panel, no matter what material it is made of, there are stiffening ribs. At a minimum, there should be two vertical and one horizontal. It is best if there are more edges than the specified limit, because their number increases reliability. But at the same time with reliability, they will increase the weight.

In order to reduce the weight, the ribs are made not from an ordinary angle or a rectangular steel pipe, but from long bars with a complex profile. It is almost impossible to bend complex-profile ribs, and they make the door slightly heavier.

Reliable door hinges

Those who want to know how to choose the right front door should also focus on the hinges. Steel door blocks are equipped with two varieties:

• hidden loops, unconditionally eliminating the desire to cut;
• ordinary external ones, which, in principle, can be cut off, but anti-seizure devices will not allow to remove the canvas - small steel pins “drowned” in special holes in the frame with the door closed.

For inexplicable reasons, the latter type is most commonly used. Apparently, because the degree of protection is provided by anti-removals.

The number of loops determines the weight of the fabric. For a standard of 70 kg, two hinges are sufficient if the door is not operated with increased intensity, closing 50 times a day. Those who are going to actively move back and forth, and those who decide to install a bulletproof door, will need 3-4 hinges. The hinges must have a support bearing, which will extend the life of the devices and facilitate operation.

About heat and how to save it

The metal door does not contribute to the preservation of heat, as the material is an excellent conductor of heat waves. Thermal insulation is placed between the outer and inner sheet of the canvas, for which mineral wool insulation or expanded polystyrene is most often used due to fire resistance and environmental priorities. Do not rely on the presence of insulation, cold bridges are still formed in the area of ​​​​the stiffeners and along the perimeter of the frame. But with insulation it is still warmer than without it at all.

A rubber seal will eliminate drafts and foreign odors. Most manufacturers equip canvases with two of its rows, but experts believe that one is enough.

The castle is a friend and faithful watchdog

"Incorruptible watchdogs", that is, unpickable locks do not exist. The difference between an unreliable and reliable lock is only in the length of time that an attacker will need to spend on opening. True, too complex locking systems sometimes fail the owners themselves, therefore neither manufacturers nor sellers of iron doors advise getting carried away with constructive delights.

The most effective locking option, both consumers and manufacturers, recognize the presence of two different types of locking systems. It is desirable that the main one be equipped with crossbars for locking in several directions for a long time, and the auxiliary one suits the owners, who often close the door for a short period.

It makes no sense to talk about which entrance doors are more beautiful and which ones are better to choose for arranging a house or apartment with an established interior and exterior. Everyone has individual opinions, there is no need to bring them to a common denominator. We can only advise you to buy door blocks with an external anti-vandal coating that protects the appearance of the entrance group from those who like to spoil beautiful things. By the way, you can apply it yourself after installation. So, at the top of the search rock, we will strengthen the flag with the inscription “reliability”, measure the opening according to the rules, which can be found in the corresponding article, and rush to conquer sellers with awareness, not forgetting that we came to buy a super strong iron barrier.

For many owners of a city apartment or a country house, the right choice of a metal front door is considered an urgent issue. In this article, we will talk about how to choose the design in question, find out what the base and finish can be, as well as heaters and accessories for the product.

During a trip to the store to purchase an entrance door, you need to pay attention to the following details:

• protective functions of the structure. The product must be protected against burglary by thieves. In this regard, the door must be distinguished by high rates of reliability and strength.
• Duration of operation. The longer the product lasts, the better for the consumer. It should be noted that some manufacturers give a one-year warranty on their product.
• door filler material The thermal conductivity and soundproofing performance of the structure depend on its properties.
• When choosing street doors, many consumers pay special attention to the appearance of the product, but this selection criterion is not always correct. The composition of the door leaf should not contain materials harmful to human health. In addition, the door should not creak during operation.

Another nuance in the selection of the design in question is the choice by country of the manufacturer. As you know, in the domestic construction market there are not only Russian, but also Chinese models, as well as goods that came to us from Europe. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

So products made in China are relatively cheap, but they do not have good protective qualities. European goods are much more expensive than domestic counterparts, but such doors are made in accordance with European standards. That is why the door leaf does not always fit into our openings, so the best option would be to choose a domestic model.

And now let's get acquainted with the advice of experts on choosing steel entrance doors to an apartment:

• For the absence of drafts, it is better to choose a tubular type insulation, and not products made in the form of the W symbol, as in a refrigerator and other household appliances;
• The door leaf is sealed from both sides with metal bent welded or solid sheets with a thickness of at least 1.5 mm;
• Inside the structure, it is necessary to install several stiffeners to increase the strength of the product. In total, from 2 to 5 transverse ribs are provided in the door.
• Entrance doors must have at least two locks, which will increase the protective functions of the product, prevent thieves from entering the apartment;

• To prevent the canvas from bending from the frame, a molding is installed, made in the form of a T symbol;
• Standard door hinges typically last up to 7 years. For smooth running of the structure during opening and closing, hinges on bearings are used. Hidden products do not allow the removal of the entrance structure even after cutting the hinges, but such results must be achieved only after the installation of anti-removal pins.
• The best finish is considered to be a surface with applied powder paint, which is characterized by high resistance to various atmospheric influences.

Door base and frame

The front door frame consists of a metal closed U-shaped profile. Sheet steel of a certain thickness is fixed on the frame of the product in question by means of spot welding. Stiffeners are used to reinforce the structure. For quality products, two ribs are fixed vertically, three more - in the horizontal direction. Depending on the location of the lock, the middle stiffener may have a monolithic structure or be divided into two independent parts at the lock section.

In the construction market, you can find a huge number of types of door frames. The most popular options for manufacturing such a design are products from a profile pipe, a metal corner or a steel sheet bent to a certain shape. According to experts, the best material for obtaining a high-quality and reliable base is the use of a profile pipe with a wall thickness of 3 to 5 millimeters.

It is not recommended to buy boxes made from a bent sheet or corner, since such elements are subject to bending and twisting during operation. At the same time, the profiled pipe base has improved stability and ease of installation. Such a detail is well fixed in the wall opening, even with your own hands, without the help of specialists.

If we talk about bases made of curved sheet, then such products have good indicators of heat and sound insulation, but they have limited strength compared to analogues from a profile pipe. The thickness of the door leaf is set by the width of the frame. So for apartments, this parameter should correspond to a size of 50-70 millimeters.

If the front door is installed in a country house, then the thickness of the base can increase up to 100 millimeters. Such an increase in parameters improves the reliability and safety, as well as the heat and sound insulating qualities of the product. The increased mass will make the canvas more traumatic, so it is better to choose a frame in favor of standard options.

insulation

Insulated doors protect an apartment or a private house from drafts and extraneous sounds coming from the entrance or street, and prevent heat from escaping. Many property owners are wondering how to insulate a metal front door, because each such material has its own strengths and weaknesses. Next, we describe the most popular types of heaters for door structures.

First, let's look at foam. Sheets of such heat-insulating material have good insulating performance, do not absorb moisture, and are also not susceptible to deformation. Expanded polystyrene also has negative qualities, this is the possibility of cold penetration through the formed gaps, as well as a low degree of fire safety.

Such products are well suited for warming the door leaf installed in the apartment. If the entrance structure is installed in a country house, then the foam as a heater will not work due to the possibility of freezing. To eliminate the problem, the gaps formed between the stacked sheets are filled with mounting foam.

The second type of insulation foam rubber has good heat-insulating and sound-proofing performance. The main disadvantage of the material under consideration is the possibility of violation of the structure during operation. In this regard, foam rubber is not recommended for installation on the front doors of suburban buildings.

Another popular product for warming the structures in question is mineral wool. These products come to hardware stores in the form of rolls or mats. For door insulation, it is better to use the latter option, since slab thermal insulation has improved strength indicators. The material in question is not amenable to combustion, has a low cost. The main disadvantage of mineral wool is the ability to absorb moisture, therefore, before laying such products, they need to be carefully waterproofed.

Door hinges

The parts in question are used to fasten the door leaf to the frame. With the help of hinges, doors can perform their basic functions, open and close, but when choosing these elements, it is necessary to pay attention to their type and use. Let's deal with this issue in more detail.

The following types of loops can be used for mounting entrance groups:

1. Universal. Such products differ from analogues in an increased period of operation, make it possible to open the canvas in both directions (left and right). Universal hinges are not removed during the movement of large-sized furniture; in order to remove the door, it is necessary to completely unscrew such a product.
2. Removable or detachable hinges are considered easier to operate. With their help, you can remove the canvas even without unscrewing.
3. Screwed hinges allow you to open the door in any direction, they are used for the operation of structures with protrusions in the end part.
4. Bar hinges allow opening outward and inward at the same time, with the possibility of turning the leaf 180 degrees. Such elements are reliably disguised in the opening, they are regulated at three points.

When choosing loops, special attention should be paid to the quality of the product. Trust only trusted manufacturers. Of particular importance are the dimensions of the product. So a height of 7.5 centimeters is used for entrance groups weighing 10 ... 25 kilograms. For standard entrance doors weighing 25-40 kilograms, you need to select hinges at least 10 centimeters in height.

Exterior and interior door trim

The structures under consideration can have various types of exterior and interior finishes. It depends on the personal preferences of the customer, the style of the living room and adjacent rooms, the design options for the facade of the building. For many models, the interior and exterior finishes are different, although in some cases the surface of the products is made in the same color range.

The most popular finishes are:

• painting;
• the use of laminated fiberboard on the inside of the door;
• powder coating on the surface;
• lining.

The main requirement for exterior finish is resistance to aggressive factors. In this regard, even a cheap Chinese product must look armored or bulletproof. If two entrance doors are installed on the box, then it is desirable to make the internal structure wooden.

To finish the inner surface of the canvas, wood products are most often used, such as veneer, solid wood or lining. In some cases, the frame can be covered with laminated fiberboards. A factory front door usually has a painted metal surface on both sides.

accessories

When choosing doors for a house, it is necessary to pay special attention to the fittings of the product (locks and handles). On the modern market there is a huge number of models and types of locks, which differ from each other in the method of locking (cylinder or level), as well as the installation method. The latest models should be divided into mounted, mortise and internal.

When choosing a lock, try to purchase more expensive products, as cheap analogues are unlikely to withstand the pressure of a thief. On the modern market, there are mainly Chinese products, although a really high-quality product can be purchased from a Ukrainian or domestic manufacturer. In addition, European products have good performance.

Door handles can be fixed or push. So the latest models lock the input structure with a simple push. Such models will not protect the house from a possible break-in. In this regard, it is necessary to install stationary handles on the door away from the place where the lock is attached.

Seals

Such small but important details of the front door as seals are used to prevent drafts from penetrating into the middle of the room. Such elements protect the house from extraneous sounds and heat release, contribute to a tighter fit of the canvas to the frame. In practice, several different heaters are used, then we will describe the most common varieties.

Rubber products have different cross-sectional profiles. The fact is that the door leaf can have a certain shape of the groove, under which you need to select a sealing gasket. Rubber seals are distinguished by high rates of durability and strength, low cost.

Silicone-based sealants are considered the safest for humans from an environmental point of view. Such materials are recommended to be installed on the doors of children's institutions and educational institutions. Another positive quality of the silicone seal is an acceptable cost.

The most convenient can be considered magnetic seals. These products have appeared on the modern construction market relatively recently, but have already aroused increasing interest among consumers. Magnets are introduced into the structure of the elastic base, they improve the degree of adhesion of the door leaf to the frame due to the bonds between the substance and the metal.

Features of fire doors

By design, fire doors are slightly different from conventional entrance groups. Such products can be sliding, folding and sliding. The composition of this design includes special products that prevent the combustion process. In addition to improved fire-retardant properties, DPs have good frost resistance and explosion hazard, and they are also considered shock and burglary resistant.

The surface finish of the door structure is treated with a special powder paint. The main element here is metal sheets, with a thickness of 2 millimeters. Mineral wool is used here as a heat insulator. Expanded polystyrene, foam or cellular cardboard are not suitable for fire doors.

An integral part of the design under consideration is the threshold, which protects the premises from the effects of smoke and carbon monoxide that occur during a fire, prevents the penetration of drafts and insects. For glass fire doors, automatic thresholds are used, since they cannot be built into the design of the product. Another mandatory element of such a door is an automatic door closer.

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 noise, cold and uninvited guests from entering 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Noise and heat insulation. The product prevents the penetration of noise and cold into the house, increasing the comfort of living.
4. 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:

1. 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.
2. Opening dimensions. The canvas should easily "enter" the doorway. Therefore, before buying, you should take all measurements in advance.
3. 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.
4. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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:

1. 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.
   
   
2. Paneled. In terms of design, they are similar to shield ones. They weigh an order of magnitude less, which facilitates transportation and installation.
   
   
3. Whole. This option is now the most common. For manufacturing take a solid array of wood.
   
   

What materials are wooden doors made from?

1. 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.
   
   
2. Ash. By analogy with oak, a durable and practical material. A popular option due to the variety of colors.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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:

1. PVC panels. Caring for such a coating is quite simple.
2. MDF. In addition to environmental friendliness, this material provides good sound insulation. The most preferred option for office space.
3. Powder coated. Budget exterior.
4. 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:

1. The best solution is to choose a neutral shade that will go with nothing. White, black, gray or beige options look good.
2. It is optimal if the color of the canvas matches the shade of the window frames.
3. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 outwards 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.