With the statement that the front door is an important element of the room, no one will argue. And if earlier the owners of apartments were more concerned only with safety, today the aesthetic component also occupies not the last place.
When finishing the front door is necessary
The days when doors upholstered in leatherette were considered the height of perfection have long gone. Today, the construction services market offers such a variety of them that it will not be difficult to choose something suitable. For this reason, some may rightly remark: at the current stage, such an issue as finishing the front door should not worry the home master at all. I chose the right one, ordered it, arrived, installed it - and all the problems. It seems to be so. However, situations are different. Sometimes it is necessary to finish the front door, which perfectly fulfills its protective functions, but has already become somewhat frayed during operation. And sometimes it is not always advisable to call specialists and spend money. Especially if the owner is sure that such a procedure as finishing the front door with his own hands is quite within his power. Sometimes surface restoration is needed.in cases where it was damaged at the hands (or feet) of neighbor vandals. They often tidy up the inside of the front door, especially when they want to achieve complete harmony in the interior.
In short, it doesn't matter why reincarnation is needed. Much more interesting is what are the ways to finish the front door. What we will talk about next.
General Principles
Of course, it's one thing if you need to restore a modern metal structure. And another thing - when finishing the old front door is required. However, in both cases, there are some basic rules to keep in mind. So, if, say, an apartment is located on the first floors, when choosing a material for restoration, you need to take into account that it will be constantly exposed to temperature changes. Equally important is its strength and reliability. This factor must be borne in mind in any situation, regardless of which floor you live on. And, of course, the desire to make the “calling card” of your apartment as attractive as possible is only welcome, nevertheless, it is highly recommended to correctly calculate your own strength. After all, not all finishing options can be performed with high quality, without having special skills. Therefore, when talking about how to finish the front door, we will not be particularly wiser, but we will describe the options that are most affordable for each home master.
Painting
Someone, of course, may be dissatisfiedwince when he hears a proposal to update the door in this way, however, he has every right to exist. Especially if the “native” coating was just like that, it just lost its former attractiveness over time. Moreover, today there is such a variety of high-quality paints that sometimes such a method can be the best option, and the result of the restoration will surprise even the most inveterate opponent of this method. As for technology, everything is quite simple here. It is necessary to carefully remove the old coating that has become unusable (in those places where it peels off, cracked), using either sandpaper or, even better, a grinder. Then prime the surface of the door leaf, repair flaws and cracks with a special putty, and then paint. Either paint or varnish. It all depends on how the original cover was.
Clapboard trim
Another rather old-fashioned solution, from today's point of view, nevertheless having the right to exist. Finishing the front door with clapboard has a lot of advantages. Firstly, it is a natural material, which for many can play a decisive role in the selection procedure. In addition, lining is made from a wide variety of wood, so choosing the right option for yourself - both in terms of cost and external qualities - will not be difficult.
Well, as for the finishing procedure itself. The slats of the lining are especially good because they can be placed not only strictly vertically or horizontally, but also under the desiredangle, diagonally, in general, as the home designer intended. The finishing technology is extremely simple. First, a frame of planks is attached to the door leaf (for which banal self-tapping screws are used), and then the lining itself is mounted directly on it. By the way, this option is also suitable if you are finishing the entrance metal doors with your own hands. Only self-tapping screws need to be taken not for wood, but for metal. And between the old surface and the new one, you can lay a heater, which will only improve heat and sound insulation.
Laminate
Sometimes when front door finishing is required, laminate flooring is best. And in vain, many consider this material a purely floor covering. Today, it is equally successfully used for wall and even ceiling cladding. So the front door is no exception. Properly selected material will not be "afraid" of either exposure to ultraviolet radiation or temperature changes. It is quite strong and reliable. So in some cases it is even suitable for restoring a door in a private house, and not just in an apartment.
Technology
Before proceeding with the finishing process, the door must be removed from the hinges and laid on a flat surface. It can be either a floor, or - which is better - a table. Then you need to get rid of curtains, handles and locks. After that, a kind of shield is mounted on the laminate floor. The procedure is, by and large, the same as the creation of flooring. There isn't much difference. The main thing is to carefully adjust the locks in the laminate so that there are no gaps. Then the excess is cut off, and the structure itself is attached directly to the door leaf. Liquid nails are usually used as glue. How long it takes to dry the binder layer depends on the initial qualities of the material. As a rule, the manufacturer indicates the exposure time on the packaging. Then the edges of the door leaf along the contour are pasted over with edge rails acquired ahead of time, fittings are inserted, the canvas returns to the doorway. As you can see, everything is quite simple. And not only in words.
Veneering
Also a pretty good option, however, the procedure can only be carried out if the door leaf being restored has a smooth surface. The veneer is sold in the form of long strips, which are glued inside with a protective paper tape. As for colors and textures, there is a choice, so choosing the right one will not be difficult.
Now regarding the procedure itself. The door leaf is removed from the hinges, laid on a flat surface, cleaned, then treated with any degreasing agent. Using a level, draw a straight line in the middle. Gluing the veneer begins directly from it - to the right and left. The protective paper along the entire length is not removed, but removed gradually, as it is glued. The glued area is pressed (necessarily through a clean cloth) with a hot iron. Cut off excess veneer on the sides. To make it easier to carry out the work, you can first lay out the veneer ribbons throughoutsurfaces of the door leaf, selecting them according to the texture, then numbering and only after proceeding directly to the pasting procedure. By the way, before carrying out work, you need to get rid of all the fittings.
What's inside?
We talked above about the types and methods of this type of work, such as finishing the front door. In the apartment, however, as you know, there is not only the front door. There are also interior rooms. And it is desirable that their appearance and design match those of the inner surface of the front door. This is sometimes difficult to achieve. And if everything is more or less clear with the outer surface, then what to do with the inner one. Of course, I would like to achieve complete harmony. In principle, in most cases it succeeds. As a rule, interior doors in our apartments are mostly made of or wood-like. Therefore, the inner surface of the entrance door can be “customized” according to the design, using the same color and texture of the laminate or veneer. Sometimes MDF panels can also help out. It is not recommended to use them outside, as they do not tolerate temperature extremes, and a couple of kicks will not add beauty to them either, but they are the best for interior decoration.
If nothing suitable can be found, we can offer you a universal option. Make the door surface mirror. This will not only enable her to "find" a common language with the rest of the interior, but alsowill visually expand the space of the hallway. Which is especially true in cases where these premises cannot boast of a large area. And, you see, a large mirror in which you can admire yourself in full growth will definitely not be superfluous.
Conclusion
We tried to tell you as much as possible about how to restore the door leaf. The photos of finishing the front door to the apartment, available in our article, will help you better understand how to make this indispensable and very important attribute of any home more modern and attractive. Besides, who said that these are all available options. Not at all. After all, there is still your imagination and skillful hands that will help you come up with and bring to life far more than one finishing option.
