Cottage Entrance Doors - 7 Tips For Choosing

We will not start with banality and say that Entrance door - the face of the house and the basis of its protection. We hope everyone understands how well the security, thermal insulation and perception of the appearance of a private house depend on the chosen door. Unscrupulous companies often try to sell us under the guise of a reliable product a Chinese door of dubious quality, enticing discounts and conducting loud advertising. That is why you yourself need to know how to choose the right door to the cottage, country or private house, what is important to consider and what details to pay attention to.

No. 1. What are the requirements for an exit door?

Let's start with the declaration of variables, or rather, we will announce the characteristics that a really good front door should answer:

• reliability. The door leaf should be as impregnable as possible for attackers who will try to cope with the door in various ways. The front door to the cottage should be stronger than the one that is installed at the entrance to an ordinary apartment. It’s probably not worth explaining why;
• good heat and sound insulation qualities, because behind the door leaf there is a street, not an entrance. The door should be an excellent barrier to cold air and noise;
• resistant to wear and tear and weather exterior finish. The canvas must withstand the effects of rain, snow, icing, sunlight and temperature extremes - something that an ordinary apartment door does not collide with;
• attractive appearance. The canvas should respond architectural style of the house, porch and landscape design adjacent territory;
• easy operation. Over time, the door may sag - this is normal. It is important that the canvas can be easily adjusted.

No. 2. Door leaf material

The choice today is not very great. Entrance doors are often made of such materials:

• metal;
• tree;
• metal plastic.

Steel door - a classic, a model of strength and aesthetics. Today, such doors are in more than 70% of private homes. Lining made of wood and MDF, powder painting and other methods of finishing the canvas suggest a decent variety. Recently, they are considered a strong competitor to metal sheets. metal-plastic doors. Looking ahead, we note that they are distinguished by better thermal insulation and a slightly lower price, but they are not inferior in reliability to metal doors. Wooden doors are used less and less. Today it is an outdated option that has a lot of disadvantages, and if such a cloth can be used in an apartment, then it is unlikely in a cottage, except in rare cases.

No. 3. Metal entrance doors

Many people prefer to buy entrance doors to a cottage, a country house or an apartment made of metal. Such designs possess a number of undeniable advantages:

• ease of operation. Metal products do not require maintenance. After installation, they will serve for many years;
• high security. Metal is a very durable material.Properly designed door structure will reliably protect the room from unauthorized entry;
• moisture resistance and fire safety. Entrance doors are in direct contact with rainfall. They will not deteriorate under the influence of moisture, and also will not succumb to ignition;
• availability. On sale are products of different configurations, the cost depends on it. You can pick up and inexpensive door, which will have good performance.

Metal doors so popular that the range is growing day by day. Doors that can be damaged with an ordinary can opener are sold next to really high-quality samples. They are made in China and can be sold both at very attractive prices (which at least slightly justifies their quality), and at an average market price. How to recognize a really high-quality door and not fall for the tricks of cunning manufacturers and sellers?

Evaluating a metal door is necessary for a number of indicators:

• type of steel used and its thickness;
• features of stiffeners and frame;
• quality of a sealant, hinges and a door frame;
• exterior cladding.

Metal door construction

The door consists of a frame to which the inner and outer sheet of the door leaf is attached. Between the canvases there are stiffeners, in the cavities between which the insulation is laid. The design is illustrated in the figure.

Metal sheets can be made made of hot and cold rolled steel. The first option will be cheaper, but this material is more susceptible to corrosion. Cold rolled steel for the front door of the cottage will be an advantage: it is less susceptible to precipitation and more durable.

Steel sheets must have a thickness 1.2-2 mm, and even better - even more, otherwise the canvas can be easily damaged with a sharp knife. Some experts advise installing doors in country houses with a steel sheet thickness of about 4 mm. Please note that only the outer sheet can be metal (then the inner panel is made of MDF, for example) or both sheets. The second option is preferable, since the door leaf will be more durable. In some doors, between the outer and inner steel sheet additional layer of steel. In terms of reliability, this is ideal, but it will cost accordingly.

However, even if only the outer part of the door is made of steel, the canvas can still be reliable. The main thing that the castle area has been strengthened an additional sheet of steel or armor plate.

Door frameto which the sheets and stiffeners will be attached can be made of integral profile pipe, the ends of which will be connected with only one seam. This is an ideal option. If four segments of the profile are used to create the base, which are welded together, a less strong, but still satisfactory design is obtained. Worst of all, when each side of the frame is welded from a pair or more segments. In this case, too many seams are obtained, and each seam reduces the degree of protection of the canvas.

Stiffening rib strengthen and reinforce the structure. They can be:

• vertical. They resist torsional loads well and will not allow to bend the corners of the canvas;
• horizontal. Protect from punching and do not allow squeezing the door leaf from the box;
• combined. Such doors have vertical, horizontal, and sometimes inclined stiffeners, so they withstand any loads.

The more stiffening ribs the better. Minimum - two vertical and one horizontal. Ribs are usually made from rectangular pipe or corner. This is a classic and reliable option. There are doors where the ribs are made of a profile of complex configuration. This approach allows you to create a no less durable canvas while reducing the weight of the structure.

The voids between the stiffeners fills insulation, which improves thermal insulation and eliminates the unpleasant sound of a hollow door. Usually for this purpose use mineral wool and polyurethane foam - Both options are quite effective. Foam, synthetic winterizer, paper and pressed cardboard are not very suitable for insulating the front door.

The contour of the door leaf should be located sealant, which provides a snug fit of the door to the door frame, protects against noise, drafts and odors from the street. If the sealant is of good quality and installed correctly, a single circuit will be sufficient, so it is worthwhile to be wary of samples with two, three or more circuits. It is best if the seal is made of rubber. Silicone and polyurethane in this case behave somewhat worse, and the option with foam and plastic is not even worth considering.

Hinges and door frame

If the door leaf cannot be cracked, the thief may try to cut the hinges. Therefore, it is important to consider the front door as a complex complex design where every element is important.

Loops can be of such types:

• ordinary outdoor hinges can become easy prey, so in modern doors they complement deadbolts. These are special metal pins that, when closing the door, enter the door frame and do not allow you to open the door, even if the hinges are cut;
• hidden loopsthat are not visible from the outside. Such a canvas is aesthetically pleasing and as safe as possible. The disadvantage is an increased risk of jamming.

Number of loops depends on many factors: the weight and dimensions of the door, the thickness of the metal, exterior and interior decoration. The required minimum is 3 loops. Less can not be even in the lightest designs. If the canvas turned out to be quite heavy, you can take bearings with hingeswhich will facilitate the opening and closing process.

The door frame also affects strength and reliability. It should be made of a U-shaped profile with a thickness of at least 3-5 mm.

Door trim

Door trim material must be combined with house facadeand (when it comes to the outside of the canvas) and the interior of the hallway or vestibule, but this is not the main thing. Exterior finish must be resistant to various weather influences and be wear-resistant. Such stringent requirements do not apply to the interior.

To finish the inner and outer sides of the metal entrance doors, the following materials are used:

• powder coating. It is applied only to metal. The surface of the canvas is coated with special paints, which under the influence of high temperatures sinter and form a strong anti-vandal film that protects the metal from moisture and other influences. Color solutions are enough. For the front door of the cottage, this perfect optionand powder coating is better cover the canvas on both sides - so the door will be less susceptible to temperature extremes and more durable;
• solid wood. The panels are used from the most durable and moisture resistant species (oak, larch, walnut, etc.). Outwardly, such a door will look like completely wooden. It is an expensive option and requires special care;
• panels from MDF and particleboard differ in a huge variety, can be covered with natural veneer, painted or laminated. Such linings are allowed to be used. only on the inside front door.

There are other finishes, such as hand-made painting, laminating with PVC film or using plastic panels, but in this case I do not want to recommend them. They do not look solid, and in operation they do not show themselves very well.

Note also that a metal web may have glass insert. It decorates the door, but makes it more vulnerable, so glass is taken armored or protect it bars. Forged lattices look great, especially if they are supported by other forged elements in the design of the porch and plot.

Thermal insulation of a metal door

Perhaps the only minus of the metal entrance doors is their ability to freeze and cover with ice. High-quality thermal insulation (in the form of a layer of insulation inside the door) can practically neutralize this problem, but sometimes additional measures may be necessary. To get rid of the freezing of a metal door, you can use the following tricks:

• together with a metal door, you can install metal-plastic, which will lead from the vestibule to the house. It has excellent thermal insulation and will not let warm air from the house into the vestibule. This means that there will be approximately the same temperature on both sides of the door and there will be no freezing. The method is suitable only in the presence of a vestibule;
• door selection in thermal break. This means that two different insulation with a thermal insert made of polyamide will be located inside the canvas. In this case, you can maintain the temperature on the inside at +10⁰C at an outside temperature of -25⁰C. Such doors are expensive and do not protect the castle area from freezing;
• electric heating with a heating cable, which is located along the contour of the door. Even at the lowest temperatures, the canvas will remain dry, but additional energy costs will be required.

Number 4. Wooden Entrance Doors

The safety of metal models is beyond doubt. Strong material, high protection against hacking, resistance to fire and mechanical damage - all these advantages have made them a worthy competitor in the market. Can entrance wooden doors outperform metal ones? To understand this, you need to understand the main pluses of wood products:

• strength. Entrance models are made as wear-resistant as possible, therefore they are often made of oak. The material is quite difficult to damage;
• long service life. Wood itself is considered a durable foundation. Due to proper surface treatment and subject to ongoing care the canvas can last at least 50 years;
• environmental friendliness. Wood is a safe and hypoallergenic material. It has practically no analogues;
• outward appeal. The classic shade of oak or pine looks very nice on the front doors and harmonizes with any facade. Metal canvases in this regard will have to be chosen carefully;
• corrosion resistance. Wood does not rust (unlike metal). Thanks to this, periodic surface treatment with various anti-corrosion agents is not required;
• sound insulation. Sufficient door thickness provides protection against extraneous sounds even if there is no filler;
• low thermal conductivity. A wooden door will not be covered with condensation or hoarfrost.

On the other hand, a wooden canvas afraid of precipitation, sudden changes in temperature, fire and pests, so you have to constantly process it special protective equipment - without them, even a door made of glued beams will not last long. In addition, if you suddenly lead the sash, then repair is almost impossible. These shortcomings can cross out all the advantages of wooden doors, so today they are put very rarely. If nothing but wood looks like a facade, it is better to take a metal door with a wooden overlay. The best place for a clean wooden door would be south side of the house. Naturally, the porch must have a reliable canopy.

No. 5. Metal-plastic entrance doors

Only metal-plastic doors can compete with metal doors. They possess such the benefits:

• excellent heat and sound insulation properties. The canvas does not allow external noise, prevents the ingress of cold and does not freeze;
• good strength properties.In terms of reliability and safety, such doors, contrary to prejudice, are not inferior to metal;
• resistance to negative environmental factors;
• variety of appearance;
• ease of care;
• low cost. Such doors will cost an average of 10-15% cheaper than metal.

By structure metal-plastic doors remind everyone known metal-plastic windows: The production principle is the same, but the design is different. The profile for such a door has a minimum of five chambers, reinforced with steel. Double-glazed window It is placed not from ordinary glass, but from armored or triplex. The glazing section can be of any size, but for security reasons it is better that it occupy only a third of the door leaf.

No. 6. Burglar resistance of the front door

Large manufacturers certify steel doors in the burglary resistance class. There are 13 such classes in total: doors from classes 1 to 4 are used in everyday life, the rest are armored doors for banks and safes:

• first class doors open in 10-15 minutes with a hand tool;
• the door second class amenable only to power tools, but not suitable as input;
• third class doors distinguished by thick sheets of steel. Hacking them will take a lot of time and effort. A good option;
• the door fourth grade – perfect option for the cottage. The design has armor plates, steel has a maximum thickness.

Number 7. Door lock

Durable door leaf protects against hacking methods and reliable lock - from intellectual. These types of locks are placed on the front door:

• lever locks - the most durable and reliable. The degree of protection depends on the amount of levers. They can be from 1 to 10. A good castle has 6 or more levers, and their number can be judged even by the number of steps on the key (one must be taken away from them to get the desired value). For the front door, lever locks of a crab design are suitable; when they are locked, their crossbars extend in different directions: it will be more difficult to find and cut them to a thief. Locks with a manganese insert, which protects the mechanism from drilling, also perform well;
• cylinder lock works on the basis of cylinders located at a certain height. It is difficult to open it with a master key - it is much easier to knock it out, so it is better to protect the mechanism with an armor plate or special balls that will resist the drill. It is better not to use it as an independent lock - only complete with a level lock;
• electronic locksthat can be opened by a digital code, fingerprint or card are reliable, modern, but expensive, so they have not yet received distribution;
• combined in one castle combine several mechanisms.

The front door is better put a couple of locks. Level and cylinder are an ideal pair, but it is better to place them at some distance from each other, 25-30 cm will be enough. Choose locks 3 and 4 security classes and trust products of famous manufacturers.

We did not mention, but it goes without saying - before contacting a company that makes and installs doors, you need to know the dimensions of the doorway. If it is very wide, perhaps one door cannot be dispensed with - it will be more convenient to put the door on two or a half doors. Please note that ordering a canvas of a non-standard size will cost more. Also do not forget about the fittings (handle, peephole etc.), which should also be of high quality.