Entrance door to the apartment - which one to choose?

How to choose the right entrance door

No matter what kind of esthete you are, the priority that allows you to choose the right entrance door should remain security, that is, protection from burglary. Metal doors are the most reliable in this regard. Therefore, the primary task of selection is to study the technical characteristics of the product. As a rule, they are contained in the manufacturer's documentation.

1. To provide your apartment with such a reliable item, you should check how durable it is. Strength testing involves studying the design of the product. This is easy to do if you know the acceptable reliability parameters.
2. The next step is to check the lock installed on the door. It must be quite complex, since according to statistics, out of 10 robberies, 8 are committed by picking the lock.
3. Next, you should make sure that access control is in place. The model must have a peephole on the canvas.
4. It’s a good idea to ask whether the product has a warranty and who the manufacturer is.
5. A special indicator is the thermal insulation and sound insulation of the product. It’s better to immediately choose a model with a high rating than to later rack your brains over how to eliminate the problem of noise and heat loss.
6. The design of the product should correspond to your idea of ​​\u200b\u200besthetics, but safety should still be in the first place when choosing

Types of entrance doors

Entrance models differ from all other types of doors, first of all, in their purpose. These devices are installed at the entrance to the room, and therefore, in addition to their aesthetic appearance, they must provide maximum protection against burglary and intrusion, absorb noise and sounds coming from the street, and also level out temperature changes indoors and outdoors - that is, play a role a kind of thermal barrier.

Without exception, all models of entrance doors can be divided into several main categories depending on the material, as well as on the functional design.

Metal doors

Entrance doors made of steel are currently very popular. The basis of the structure is a steel frame lined with a metal sheet, the thickness of which can vary depending on the functional purpose. Coated with a special polymer composition, such doors have a stylish, elegant appearance and perform their duties perfectly.

Advantages

• Excellent strength;
• A huge variety of models varying in price;
• Possibility of manufacturing according to non-standard templates and samples;
• Wide range of materials used;
• Excellent anti-vandal parameters;

Flaws

• Heavy and bulky;
• Quite difficult to open if the keys are lost;

Wooden doors

Entrance doors made from natural wood. The design can be based on almost any type of wood, and it is precisely from this that the final cost of a particular model varies significantly. They are distinguished by an excellent appearance - the surface of such doors can have a natural appearance, made by staining or varnishing, or be covered with leatherette, leatherette or other materials with similar characteristics.

Advantages

• Light weight;
• Possibility of manufacturing according to individual drawings;
• Stylish appearance, wide variety of exterior finishing options;
• Excellent performance;

Flaws

• Mediocre sound insulation;
• Low anti-vandal characteristics;
• High cost of models made of expensive wood;

Entrance doors made of glass

In everyday life, such doors have found practically no use, but are widely used in office buildings, as well as catering facilities - restaurants, bars, cafes. They are based on high-strength anti-vandal glass, resistant to mechanical stress. The surface can have either a natural, translucent or transparent appearance, or be covered with tinting or a special mirror coating, which allows you to hide the interior of the room from prying eyes.

Advantages

• Light weight;
• A huge variety of models, colors and form factors;
• Stylish design;

Flaws

• Not suitable for residential premises;
• Mediocre noise and heat insulation;
• Low anti-vandal characteristics - a strong blow from a metal object is enough for such a door to crumble into thousands of small pieces;

PVC doors

The easiest doors to operate and do not require additional maintenance. They are based on a traditional PVC profile attached to a durable frame. They can be either solid or with a glass insert. Widely used in office and domestic premises - clinics, banks, hotels.

Advantages

• Light weight;
• Affordable cost;
• A large number of colors and models;
• Universal design ensuring long-term operation in almost any conditions and at any temperature;
• Decent sound insulation;

Flaws

• Low thermal stability - when set on fire, even those models that are made of non-flammable plastic are significantly deformed;
• Low anti-vandal resistance;

We study parameters and reliability criteria

High-quality steel doors consist of the following elements:

• One-piece face cloth
• Platbands
• Portrait
• Transverse stiffeners

The one-piece facing fabric must be without welded seams. The presence of seams is a good indicator for burglars: a few powerful blows, and the canvas breaks into pieces.

Platbands are a special frame that covers the joint between the opening and the door frame. If there are no platbands, burglars can easily open the canvas with a regular pry bar.

The narthex has the form of a protruding section of the front panel, covering the joint between the door and the frame. It provides additional protection against hacking.

Transverse stiffeners are a structure that supports the insulating layer and ensures the reliability of the fabric. There should be at least 2 vertical, 1 horizontal. It is preferable to have more edges than the specified limit, since their number increases reliability. To prevent the stiffeners from increasing weight, they are made from long rolled metal of complex profile. It is almost impossible to bend them, and they provide light weight.

How to properly check the resistance of an entrance door

Of course, when purchasing, no one will allow you to experiment and manipulate the door or hit it. You can check the durability of the structure by inquiring about the thickness of the outer sheet. If this indicator is less than 1.5 mm, then this design is simply decorative and cannot serve as an entrance door.

Some companies purchase cheap Chinese models designed for interior spaces. They equip such structures with a peephole, embed a lock, package and sell them as entrance analogues. This product has a pretty decent design and is even in demand. The worst thing about choosing such designs is that the outer fabric is easy to cut even with a dull knife.

Metal entrance door: pros and cons

Advantages of a metal entrance door

• Color palette. You can choose and order a metal entrance door of any color according to your preferences. The paint sticks to the metal for a long time.
• Maintenance. The metal does not require maintenance even in the most severe climatic conditions thanks to the paint coating. The only thing that needs to be done at least once a year is to clean the outside of it from dust and dirt.
• Design. Metal doors are made in different styles with different decorative finishes, for example, in combination with forging, in accordance with modern designs.

Cons of a metal entrance door

• Insulation. Metal is a conductive material that does not have significant insulating properties. In order to avoid heat loss, when choosing, you should focus on a door that has a thermal break and enhanced thermal insulation.
• Price. A more or less high-quality metal entrance door costs from 40 thousand rubles (we do not consider Chinese doors). The upper limit is about 300 thousand rubles.

Why you shouldn't go to extremes

The minimum acceptable normal thickness of the outer sheet of metal is 2 mm. The thicker the steel sheet, the heavier and, accordingly, more expensive the entrance structure. And the point is not only in the cost of the material, but also in the special installation scheme, the need for additional reinforced hinges and a powerful frame.

You should not go to extremes and try to choose the heaviest models. The optimal weight of iron doors is considered to be 70 kg. This is for apartments and houses. And 90-100 kilogram analogues are purchased for banks. Bulletproof options weigh the same.

So, if the technical data sheet of the product does not indicate the thickness of the sheet, and you cannot take measurements, then pay attention to the weight of the structure. If it is light, then the outer layer of metal is thin. Many are tempted by the low price of such models and their fairly decent appearance. It is better to refuse such motivations, since you will have to pay more later.

Metal door to an apartment: how to choose heat and sound insulation

The comfort and warmth in the apartment must be protected no less zealously than the property. To do this, it is better to buy metal entrance doors with an internal layer of thermal insulation of 40 mm or more. Their price segment is from 10 thousand rubles. For even more reliable tightness, seals can be used. A metal entrance door with sound insulation is the best option for providing a comfortable environment for relaxation in the apartment.

Design of entrance doors suitable for an apartment

The difference between the entrance doors “apartment-entrance” (for an apartment) and “street-house” (for a private house) is that the entrance doors to the apartment:

• As a rule, they have standard dimensions;
• have reinforced door leaf;
• equipped with a reliable locking system;
• equipped with a noise-insulating layer;
• do not provide heat-insulating equipment for increased protection from weather conditions.

Choosing a lock: which one is better?

When purchasing doors, you need to inspect the lock. If there are two of them, the likelihood of hacking is reduced. The reliability of the entrance group is increased by the presence of two locks: level and cylinder. According to experts, lever locks are particularly reliable. The cost of the device depends on its complexity, for example, crab analogues with bolt tongues that “extend” towards the door leaf are very expensive. Two such locks will cost the buyer a tidy sum. Therefore, we choose doors with a crab main lock and a regular additional cylinder lock.

It is important to choose different lock manufacturers so that they do not have identical designs. Avoid latched locks; if they are accidentally closed, breaking the front door becomes an inevitable procedure. Some modern models have locking fastenings and internal hinges. This is a good solution, since it makes it possible to protect the door from cutting off the hinges. However, burglary statistics say that burglars almost never cut hinges, so there is no urgent need to install them.