Entrance and interior doors are installed according to a number of requirements. And one of them is the presence of gaps between the frame and the door leaf. It is the gap that ensures the free opening and closing of the door, even if the leaf is slightly skewed or swollen.
When is clearance adjustment necessary?
During installation, the horizontal and vertical position of the door frame can be found using the spirit level. And you can identify poor-quality installation by the following signs:
- door opens or closes by itself;
- door frame skewed;
- door not tight against frame;
- door rubbing against box.
If you may not notice the violation at the beginning, then over time the problems will only get worse. As a result, the door leaf can change its size, warp, sag, chips or scratches, creaking, and others may appear.trouble. In addition, humidity and temperature changes also accelerate the manifestation of unpleasant moments.
Requirements for clearances according to GOST
You can avoid future troubles during the installation process. To do this, it is worth taking into account the presence of all mandatory clearances. They have certain requirements.
The gaps between the floor and the door leaf depend on the type of coating. Most often, the sizes fluctuate in the range of 8-15 mm, but sometimes it can be increased up to 30 mm.
What is the gap between the door and the frame according to GOST?
- Depending on the quality of the material and design features, the gap between the door and the feigned bar will be within 3.5-4.5 mm. Deviation from this value will affect the operation of the door handle.
- The gap between the hinge post and the door varies between 1.5-2.5 mm. There is no point in exceeding this distance.
- From the ceiling strip to the door leaf, the distance should be no more than 3 mm.
- The gap between the door frame and the wall according to the requirements is 1-1.5 cm. This distance is enough to be able to adjust the components of the box and fill the gap with mounting foam.
These requirements are relevant today. And it is not recommended to change them.
Gaps for metal doors
Often, when buying a steel door, they do not pay attention to the gaps between the door leaf and the frame. Of course, there are more important factors, but this nuance is also important. To avoid subsequenttrouble, you should pay attention to a few technical details:
- Steel structure will expand when the air temperature is high. Therefore, if the gap between the door and the frame was less than 1 mm, the canvas will jam and the door simply will not open.
- The same can happen if the door suddenly sags. The complexity of the adjustment depends on the type of hinges.
- Too much gap between the frame and the metal door is also not an option. Even if there is a large seal, this is not enough to block the smell of smoke, noise, draft.
- In addition, the long distance makes it easier for burglars.
To avoid the above troubles, gaps should be taken into account. Their values are as follows: for small single-leaf structures - 3 mm, for larger systems - 4 mm, for heavy and double doors - 5 mm or more.
Gaps for interior doors
The gaps between the door and the interior door frame depend on several factors. Namely, from the weight of the door, its width and height. When installing the door, the gap must be 6 mm, with a tolerance of 1 mm.
With standard door leaf sizes (200 x 60 x 90), gaps should be no more than 5 mm. But if the room is in conditions of high humidity, then the distance should be 2 mm more. And all because the wooden door swells from the absorbed moisture.
How are gaps formed?
To avoid creating very large gaps or,on the contrary, the development of small gaps, you need to properly install the door. To do this, it is enough to follow a few rules:
- In the process of mounting the door frame for primary gaps, leave 10-20 mm. This is because the mounting foam swells and begins to put pressure on the box.
- After the foam has completely dried and hardened, you can begin to form gaps between the door and the door frame. To do this, a material with a thickness that will correspond to the future gap is laid on both sides of the canvas and on top. With a standard design size, this value is 3-4 mm. The best option is the packaging cardboard from the door kit.
- To avoid displacement of the box in the opening, it must be jammed.
- Using the building level, check the balance of the door leaf. It should sit firmly on the "wedges", and the entire door structure should not wobble.
Wrong clearance. What to do?
Situations when the gap between the door and the frame is too small or, conversely, very large, are not uncommon. In the first case, the door leaf is reduced, and in the second, the gap.
First of all, check if the box was skewed. To do this, use the building level. It is important that the corners (all 90°) and diagonals (the distances between opposite corners are the same) are respected.
When the gap is small, carry out the following actions:
- the door is removed from the hinges and cleaned of old paint (especially important if the paint is very old,since its layering greatly reduces the distance);
- if the door is not painted, then use a planer or chisel to remove a few millimeters of wood until the desired gap is formed.
If the gap between the door and the frame is too large (for a standard design - over 6 mm), then the gap is insulated and closed.
Materials for crack insulation
Many different materials are used to insulate gaps. But before proceeding with the insulation, you need to decide how much smaller the gap should be.
When choosing a material for insulation, it is important to pay attention not only to aesthetics, but also to take into account the insulating qualities. After all, the reduction of sound transmission, drafts depends on this and, in addition, excludes slamming the door.
The most popular insulation materials are silicone paste and sealing tape. But they also use stuffing strips of felt (or any other dense fabric) or thin strips in places where there are gaps. The choice of material depends on the location of the installed door and the size of the gap.
Insulation with silicone mass
Building silicone is sold in small tubes. It can be either white or transparent in color. To apply the paste, use a special gun. You can find it at any hardware store.
To insulate the gap with silicone, do the following:
- To avoid contamination of the door leaf, places where no work will be carried out are coveredvaseline.
- The tube is inserted into the gun.
- The tip must be cut so that the thickness of the silicone paste strip is slightly larger than the existing gap.
- The gun is held at a 45° angle to the jamb.
- Press the pistol lever gently and smoothly. This will help avoid excess pasta.
- When all surfaces are finished, close the door and let the silicone dry completely. The drying time is indicated on the tube with silicone mass.
- When the time is up, open the door and remove excess silicone paste.
This material is extremely comfortable as the silicone molds to the desired shape.
Insulation with sealing tape
Such tapes can be made of both plastic and rubber. Their cost is not high, and they are easy to use. But the easiest way to work with self-adhesive. That is, on the one hand, such a tape has a thin layer of glue that adheres tightly if the surface is pre-prepared.
Dimensions of sealing tape may vary. And it's not hard to find the right one. The main disadvantage of such material is that it needs to be replaced over time. Especially if the door is always closed. In this case, the tape becomes thinner (compressed), which impairs its performance.
The installation of the sealing film is as follows:
- the surface is cleaned of dust and degreased;
- measure the length of the tape and cut off with a margin of up to 10 mm;
- separate the protective film by 5-10cm;
- it is best to start sticking from the top corner, attaching the tape to the door frame;
- according tonecessary, peel off the protective film;
- the tape itself is pressed firmly against the surface during installation;
- in places where the hinges are fixed, the film is glued to the front surface of the stopper or to the inner surface of the door;
- in the corners, the joints of the tape are carefully trimmed.
In addition, the sealing strip can be without self-adhesive. This option is cheaper and has a different mounting method:
- the surface is cleaned of dust;
- measure and cut the desired length of tape;
- when the door is closed, apply tape tightly;
- fix the sealing strip using short nails.
Thus, carry out mounting around the entire perimeter of the box. The distance between the nails should be no more than 10 cm.
In conclusion
The gap between the door and the frame can bring problems in the form of drafts, noises, nasty squeaks and other troubles. This can be avoided with proper installation of the door complex. But if suddenly this happened, then the gap can always be increased or reduced to the desired size. The process of adjusting the gap is not particularly difficult.
