No matter how cunning marketers propagandize entrance wooden or plastic doors, they are strikingly inferior in terms of strength and reliability to steel structures. Therefore, it makes no sense to consider wood and plastic, unless, of course, this is a door to the pool or to the loggia. But metal structures also have a gradation, where products are divided into degrees of protection, performance characteristics and a number of aesthetic qualities.
Choosing an entrance metal door to an apartment is not a cheap business. Here you need to clearly understand what you will need to pay extra for, and where you can save. These and other nuances will be discussed in our article.
So, let's try to thoroughly figure out how to choose the front door. Professional advice, design features of products and other aspects of this enterprise will be discussed below. Let's start with general criteria and continue with the analysis of technical nuances.
What is the priority?
On specialized construction forums, a good half of users ask the same question over and over again: “Which front door to choose?” Reviews for products in this segment are generally similar to the positionexperts in the field.
Let's be honest with ourselves and will not prove that we liked the metal door because of some aesthetic indicators. Of course, you can meet interesting and more than attractive representatives, for example, from Italy or Germany, but they also cost much more. The impetus for choosing the front door to a house or apartment is due primarily to the ultra-high physical and mechanical properties of the steel product. In addition, such a design can be equipped with as many additional protective devices as possible.
To choose the right front door, you must first pay attention to the following critical points. The first is the design specifications, which are listed in the product specification. From them, in fact, you need to build on choosing the rest of the parameters.
Secondly, these are the design features of the canvas and frame. Here it is necessary to take into account the installation location, type of room, some climatic nuances, and so on. We will talk about this below. Well, the third is the number of additional devices. The latter add headaches to intruders and significantly complicate unauthorized penetration. Be sure to pay attention to these points before choosing an entrance metal door.
Expert advice on safety and comfort is a necessary thing, but not everyone can afford some newfangled chips that complicate hacking or insulate the structure. They are not cheap, and not in allcases are really helpful.
It often happens that ultra-reliable steel doors can create some problems for their owners. It is not uncommon for cunning crab locks to break on such massive structures and the upper crossbar to jam. Here you already need the installation of a new door, and not an ordinary replacement of the lock. Or a heavy canvas becomes a real problem for children or elderly family members. Here you can add deformation of the frame, sagging of the hinges and increased wear of the main mechanisms. So be sure to take into account these nuances before choosing the front door. Advice from experts who care about your safety and comfort is good, but no need for fanaticism.
Main Specifications
First of all, consider the thickness of the metal and its quality characteristics. Both points critically affect the cost of products, so before choosing the front door to an apartment or a private house, you need to carefully look at these indicators and weigh the pros and cons.
As such, metal (Fe) in its pure form is not used here, but only alloys are used. All such structures are made from processed sheet steel. It turns out in two ways: using cold or hot rolling. It is up to you to decide which entrance doors to choose, and we will consider the advantages and disadvantages of both methods.
Hot rolled metal
Products obtained in this way are distinguished by quite affordable prices and have a dark color. The last moment is quite easily hidden by a decorative coating,therefore not critical. But what is important is the properties acquired during such a rental.
Hot-rolled metal is more susceptible to rust and corrodes noticeably faster than cold-rolled products. Finding out exactly what type is on display is very simple. The specification for the product must clearly indicate the corresponding GOST. In our case, it stands behind the number 19903. So, before choosing the front door to an apartment or a private house, be sure to check with the seller the quality indicator of the metal, or ask for an attachment with a specification for the product.
Cold rolled metal
Such rolling significantly adds to the price of the product. Even without any decorative design, the door looks quite solid and pleases with a pleasant look of galvanized steel. Cold-rolled sheet is not afraid of rust and it does not care what kind of climatic excesses occur outside the window.
Just like in the previous case, such rolling has its serial number in GOST. And if the number 19904 is indicated in the specification, it means that the structure is made of cold-rolled metal. Which entrance doors are better to choose, of course, is up to you, but experts strongly recommend saving up and paying extra for metal with better processing.
Alloy composition
It is also worth paying attention to the content of other elements in the alloy. If the latter is supersaturated with carbon, then the entire structure significantly loses its plasticity. Excess alloying particles will also not lead to anything good.
To choose the right front door, you need to know that the optimal ratio of elements in the alloy is 0.6% for carbon and 11% for alloying particles. Also pay special attention to this moment so that you do not regret the purchase later. If in the specification these figures differ greatly from the ideal recognized by experts, then this is a reason to think about it and choose a front door of a different series or even another manufacturer.
Sheet thickness
This indicator can also be found in the specification for the product, well, or check with a consultant in the store. The thickness of the sheet can vary from 0.8 to 4 millimeters. If you come across a copy above or below these indicators, then you have in front of you either some kind of heavy-duty construction for a bank, or a partition for a country toilet.
0.8-1.0 mm
Models that fall into this framework are difficult to attribute to the class of input structures. Such doors are more suitable for securing some outbuildings or vestibules, where, for example, garden tools or other low-value items are stored.
Models with such a sheet are quite inexpensive, and experts highly recommend not installing them in apartments or private houses due to very modest safety and reliability indicators. Cunning sellers can easily offer you a frankly cheap, as well as practically useless front door with such a sheet thickness for some regular “promotion”. So pay special attention to this point before choosing your front door.
Reviews on such models are far from flattering, and a good half of consumers just turned out to be victims of such “promotions” and “sales”, having bought a model designed for outbuildings, and not to protect the house from intruders, just for last purposes.
1, 0-2, 0mm
This is quite a worthy option for office space or home stairwells with security. Relying entirely on a door with such a sheet thickness is not worth it. Although it has minimal (for apartments) reliability indicators, it is not the best solution, especially in troubled areas, in unguarded entrances.
2.0-2.5mm
This is a recognized standard that will suit most apartments, even if the stairwell or entryway is not guarded. The design is able to withstand good physical effort and is a serious obstacle to burglars and other intruders.
So it is better to choose the front door from this particular sector, especially since manufacturers are counting on it, and therefore the range of models is noticeably wider here. The cost of products with such a sheet thickness, of course, is higher than less thin analogues, but the safety is worth it.
4, 0mm
Here we have a great option for organizing housing in some "bunker". Structures with a sheet thickness of more than 3 mm are bought, as a rule, by owners of country mansions and cottages. Especially if the owners are often away from home for a long time.
Before choosing a front door with suchthe thickness of the sheet, it must be taken into account that the accompanying unpleasant moments, which we mentioned above, are hidden behind an unnecessary fad regarding safety. Here are the fastidiousness of the design to the door frame, and the rapid wear of the main elements, and certain difficulties for children and elderly residents of the house.
In addition, such products are almost several times more expensive than standard ones. The same can be said for installations where a completely different mounting scheme is needed with stronger hinges and a reinforced frame. So it's better to weigh the pros and cons once again before choosing a front door on a thick sheet.
Canvas
The canvas is a rectangular frame, where two steel sheets are fixed on one side and the other. In some, as a rule, budget options, instead of another metal sheet, an array of MDF or chipboard is built in, with or without coating.
On the one hand, it is pleasing to the eye and not as expensive as the same steel, but such beauty is less resistant to environmental influences such as moisture or sunlight. If we are talking about a door on the landing, then the decision in favor of arrays is quite justified: it doesn’t rain in the entrances, and the sun rarely peeks in.
But in the case of a private house, the choice is obvious: the structure that will communicate with the street must be completely metal, and it is better to bring beauty directly into the interior, or, as mentioned above, stop at Italian or other designer and attractive models.
Ribsstiffness
No matter what material one or the other panel is made of, there should always be stiffeners between them. The critical minimum, below which experts highly recommend not to go down, is one horizontal beam and two vertical beams.
The optimal variant has exactly twice as many edges. But again, here you need to approach without fanaticism, because each additional beam not only increases the cost of the product, but adds weight to the entire structure.
The more noble models include not the usual corner or channel, but long products with a specific profile. It is quite difficult to break the integrity of such a structure, and it adds only slightly weight.
Loops
Here we have two main types of loops - these are hidden and external. The first type completely discourages the desire to cut them off, and the second adds a headache to intruders due to anti-removable devices in the face of steel pins recessed into the frame, which enter the box when the door is closed.
For unknown reasons, a good half of consumers prefer external hinges, and the cost of both the first and second ones is practically the same. But this is more a matter of taste and personal preferences (but rather brainwashing by marketers).
The number of loops depends mainly on the weight of the fabric itself. If you have a simple home version of 70 kilograms, then two loops will be enough. For an office where the door swings open a hundred times a day, you need more. More weighty modelsor bulletproof ones will work fine on 3 hinges if they have a support bearing on them. Otherwise, you will need to add another loop.
Heat and noise insulation
Steel is far from being the best material for retaining heat and sound waves, so it is difficult to do without some constructive additions like thermal insulation or sound insulation. Which entrance door to the apartment to choose in this case?
Here you need to look first of all at the quality and type of seal. Most often, foamed polystyrene or mineral insulation is used for these purposes. Both will not only retain heat, but will also be an excellent obstacle to sound waves. In addition, before choosing an entrance door with sound insulation, it would also be useful to pay attention to the quality of the sealing rubber bands. The latter will not only get rid of drafts, but also delay the unpleasant smell coming from the entrance.
The cost of models where heat and noise insulation is included is higher, but they will also have more practicality. Especially when it comes to cold Russian regions or disadvantaged entrances, where an abundance of garbage on the site is in the order of things.
We figured out the main design features, now let's go directly to the models themselves, or rather, to the manufacturers. Considering specific products is not the most practical thing, because everyone decides for himself what technical features the future home defender should have. All information for reflection has been given above. We will take a look at the most popularmanufacturers in this segment, which have a good reputation, products with a quality component, as well as a lot of positive feedback from consumers.
Door manufacturers
The market is rich in brands that produce steel doors. It is very easy to get confused in all this diversity, especially for a consumer inexperienced in these matters. We will consider the domestic market, but with one caveat. The same European brands enter into agreements with Russian companies for the production and further sale of products.
That is, here we have some domestic manufacturer, where one line works, roughly speaking for consumer goods, and the other produces European quality from the assembly line with the corresponding GOSTs and foreign quality control departments standing above the soul. All the manufacturers from the premium segment described below sin with such cooperation, so you should not be afraid of Italian doors with the “Made in Russia” stamp. We assemble Ford and Renault cars, and it turns out very well.
Mid-price segment
Here dominated by three large companies - it's "Stal", "Neman" and "Outpost". Manufacturers distinguished themselves not only with a chic assortment and quite affordable price tags for products, but also with excellent service.
Customers leave satisfied and leave positive feedback about both the doors themselves and related services such as delivery or installation. The above manufacturers do not save on the important, but only on the elements, as they say, of the second group, to which you caninclude soundproofing, spraying, trim, eyes or locks.
The cost of products starts at 13 thousand rubles and above. In addition to the usual apartment models, companies are engaged in the production of household or some kind of industrial doors, so there is a very large choice.
Premium segment
The noble price category is represented by the brands "Elbor", "Guardian" and TOREX. In addition to impeccable quality, with an eye to European standards, the consumer is offered exclusive visual styles and some original design features.
In the assortment of these manufacturers you can find unique models marked "all inclusive". Having an attractive design, such a door will also be fireproof, with excellent heat and noise insulation, with the most ingenious locks and a talking eye. As for the service, judging by the feedback from consumers, everything is just as good here. They will bring, put and even clean up after themselves with a smile on their face.
Besides, the indicated manufacturers "do not disdain" the public sector. This, of course, is represented by a much smaller assortment, but you can still find smart products at a quite adequate price here. The cost of premium doors starts at 25 thousand rubles and can end up at almost a million if you plan to dust the armored model with gold.
