Plastic entrance doors

Many houses have long acquired plastic windows, because it is convenient, reliable, warm, beautiful. Plastic doors are more often mounted in office and public buildings. Manufacturers are confident that the entrance door blocks of PVC can also be used for residential premises. Let's try to figure out whether the plastic front door is suitable for the house and apartment.

Before trying to install a new door to the house, it is worthwhile to decide what the old one does not suit: if the product is wooden, then the lower the building, the more the door will swell from moisture in the autumn-spring period. It should be regularly varnished or painted.In the northern latitudes in winter, it can easily freeze. Apartment Soviet doors do not withstand any criticism at all: if you do not warm the door along the contour, then drafts from the entrance will constantly walk around the apartment, and the reliability of fiberboard and particleboard is low. Metal doors attracted city dwellers as reliable, albeit expensive. However, in country houses such a door freezes through, and in one morning you can just find yourself sharpened in your own home.

Those who used a plastic door, may note the following points as advantages:

• Aesthetic appeal due to different design and color variety.
• Excellent sound insulation: airbags trap most outside sounds.
• Quality products made from high strength materials. Metal, stiffening ribs in the door leaf, the increased thickness of the door makes you feel safe. The additional supply of anti-burglary fittings and shock-proof packages indicates a high level of burglar resistance.
• PVC door blocks are much lighter than metal or wood, that is, they are easier to install.
• Quality products retain heat perfectly.The more layers with insulation in the structure, the greater the likelihood that the door will not freeze through.
• Tightness is achieved with a seal and special clamps.
• PVC perfectly repels water, which does not allow the door to increase in size.

• The material easily tolerates temperature extremes.
• The door is easy to open by pressing the handle.
• It is easy to care for PVC with ordinary detergents. Of enough to wipe away even the strongest pollution.
• Acid and alkali will not damage the material.
• Such a canvas is difficult to scratch with the claws of an animal or to make a dent with a blow.
• Products of bona fide manufacturers are fire resistant. Due to the air gap inside the sandwich panel and seals, smoke and carbon monoxide cannot easily overcome such a door.
• Since the door unit consists of individual elements, in case of need they are easy to replace.
• If the door goes through, it can be adjusted independently.
• Doors of good quality will last up to 20 years.
• Manufacturers offer doors to any wallet, and even an expensive door will be cheaper than metal or wood.
• Plastic doors have a regulation in accordance with GOST, which allows to determine the quality of the goods and protect it legally.

PVC doors have disadvantages:

• The quality of products depends on the manufacturer’s good faith, therefore, unfortunately, it’s possible to find out how high-quality the product got, only during its operation.
• Substandard doors made of window profiles freeze in winter.
• Not every manufacturer can adequately decorate the door leaf, because of this, the door sometimes fits poorly into the existing interior.
• If you need a high level of protection against burglary, this door will definitely lose metal.

• GOST admits that the door will not have an additional profile, but then it becomes unstable to mechanical damage.
• Installing the door unit is a rather complicated process. You should not install it yourself, it is better to entrust it to professionals. In case of lack of experience during the installation, it is possible to damage the glass unit, which will lead to cracking of the glass.
• Since PVC is a chemical compound, it loses its environmental friendliness to the tree.The presence of chlorine, phenol and aldehyde in the components provides harmful fumes.
• GOST is not allowed to add lead to the composition of PVC, but to make sure that the standard is not broken, it will be problematic for an ordinary buyer, and the sense of responsibility of manufacturers is far from always on top.

There are several types of plastic exterior doors. The division is due to the following criteria.

• The number of valves. As a rule, the entrance to the apartment is provided with a single door. The entrance to the house may have a single or double door, and the sash may be of different size or the same. Places of access to the veranda or to the pool can have a three- or four-fold PVC-profile construction.

• Opening method can be swinging, sliding, folding, harmonica. Swing doors are more often used at the entrance to the house. Can open both inwards and outwards. In addition, entrance doors can be pendulum, although in private homes this method is rarely used. As a variation of hinged doors, sliding doors can be installed (when the doors are open, a space is formed without obstacles to exit).

To preserve heat in the house install a double door with a vestibule. The distance between the two door blocks is small, but the doors themselves can drastically differ from each other not only in design, but also in the material. Door leaves can also be folding for ventilation. Such structures are not suitable for apartments, but they can be installed as entrance to the house, if there are additional means of protection (porch, porch, enclosed area).

Sliding doors will save space along the facade of the house and inside it. They will harmoniously look both on a straight wall and on a radial one. Quadruple sliding design on telescopic accessories allows you to impose sash on each other when opening. This version of the front door is not suitable for cold climates. The accordion is suitable for access to the veranda or the garden, that is, as a secondary door.

• Use of glass: the door can be blind or fiberglass. The glass block is made of impact-resistant material. It is as safe to use as the dead door. It is possible to install the door unit with a solid glass: when the house overlooks the beautiful garden or the sea, then this door will be most welcome.Glass can be transparent, frosted, grooved, with or without a pattern.
• The form. Usually the doorway is rectangular or square in shape, but the entrance to the house can be arched. At the same time, the arch is made in the form of a separate decorative glass element or the upper part of the door leaves is rounded.
• Thickness depends on the number of layers of the sandwich panel. The number of layers also depends on the desired level of security and heat. GOST not defined this value. Each manufacturer determines the thickness of the aluminum profile, the number of air chambers, the presence of glass inserts. The thickness of the product depends on these parameters: on average 2-3 layers have 3-5 chambers in sandwich panels, which forms a structure 90-120 mm thick.
• Insulation standardized by GOST. Its thickness can be 16, 20 or 24 mm for panels with different numbers of chambers. The warmest door structures will consist of 3 layers, insulated with a special material of 24 mm. A special gas is pumped in between the glass panes in the double-glazed panel, keeping it warm.

There is a fundamental difference in the door structures in the presence or absence of glass; otherwise, any door block consists of the following parts.

• Door frame (frame)made of multi-chamber profile. So that the door can be put secure locks and heavy hinges, to create a rod stiffness use reinforcing metal profile, which is decorated with trim.
• Door Sash. They can be only from a multi-chamber insulated sandwich cloth or in combination with glass.

• Locking system. The most commonly used mortise locks are:

1. Suvaldny mechanism. When turning a sufficiently long key, several bolts are put forward. One of the most reliable locks.
2. Cylinder or "English". Castle with a larva. It is inferior in security issues, but it is much easier to replace it in case of a breakdown.
3. Electric lock rarely, but used in the home door. The reason - the inability to open the door in the absence of electricity. The key to such a lock is a key chain or a card.
4. The electromagnetic lock is reliable, easy to use, but also depends on electricity: in the absence of other locks, when the power is turned off, the door will be open.
5. At the moment of closing the door with a single key, the multilocking mechanism releases 2 - 4 locking elements at different heights.It is difficult to guess how many such points and where they are located. This is a guarantee of security.

• Fittings, that is, loops, handles, closers. A small door closer will help young children cope with the door handle, and at the same time it will protect the house from the cold outside (if the children close the door badly). Hinges need to choose a special door, their number will depend on the number of wings, as well as weight. The handles should be comfortable, reliable (it will be a shame if a cheap handle breaks on the expensive door construction in half a year), and correspond to the chosen style. The shutters will need latch bolts, and the slopes need sandwich or PVC panels.
• Seal for tightness of the door. Quality seals must withstand 500,000 door closures. They protect against drafts, reduce sound permeability, prevent the appearance of street odors. When closing, the sash should not beat on the frame, due to which the quality of the door unit will be maintained for a long time.
• Threshold. Experts recommend not to make it out of PVC, such an input threshold will not sustain the load. Much better if it is steel or aluminum.If moisture gets on the threshold (rain, snow), then the heads of the screws must be covered with a special bar, otherwise water will penetrate under the threshold. The threshold is necessarily insulated with a special filler with a thermal break, which does not allow it to freeze.

GOST set technical requirements for the manufacture of plastic door blocks. They include the notions “standard height and width”, define the components of internal filling, accessories, and spell out possible deviations from standards. In addition, there is a clear description of quality control technologies and packaging, the rules for transporting and storing products.

Standards for height and width are determined by the size of the opening for the door unit in a typical housing. Single doors have a height of 205 cm and a width of 98 cm, a height of 210 cm and a width of 98 cm or a height of 205 cm and a width of 88 cm. In a private house or cottage, all sizes depend on the wishes of the owner and often have non-standard dimensions. It can be installed and blocks with different size one-and-a-half sash, and full multi-fold entrance groups. One-and-a-half doors are 101-155 cm wide, and 205-237 cm high.Entrance blocks with two doors make a width of 191-195 cm and a height of 237-245 cm. Wider and tall tricuspid and four-leaf designs have a very individual size.

The thickness of the door was mentioned above, it is only necessary to add that a special profile is used for the manufacture of street doors, not a window or balcony. In plastic doors there is a durable plastic contour, in metal-plastic - aluminum reinforcing contour. The standard defines the use of a class A profile with a thickness of 70-118 mm, an outer wall thickness of 3 mm or more. This profile is equipped with a large number of cameras, it is reinforced with more durable aluminum.

Production of plastic door structures is carried out in every region of Russia. The main thing is to choose quality products so as not to waste money. Since companies most often specialize in the manufacture of PVC windows and doors, the names are appropriate: Windows 21st Century Corporation, European Windows, Oknastreet. Also, deliveries of ready-made plastic entrance groups from foreign well-known manufacturers (Germany, England, Turkey and others) are carried out in Russia.Provide a quality profile of the South Koreans Lg Chem and the Belgians Reynaers.

• Young Ukrainian company Wds They are already known in the CIS countries as a responsible manufacturer capable of creating high-quality windows and doors for our climate. For this, it is appreciated by the buyer. However, the highest quality recognized German products Salamander, Kbe, Veka, Rehau. These global brands have their branches in Russia. They produce both finished products and supply profiles to other companies. In terms of quality, they practically do not differ, but they differ in price. According to buyers, the unreasonably expensive products from Salamander lose their customers due to the price.

The remaining three manufacturers are the undisputed leaders. It is necessary to understand the difference between their products from each other, and whose doors to prefer with the purchase. Remember that the choice in favor of a manufacturer is made solely on the basis of its own requirements.

• Kbe. The profiles of this brand, produced in Russia, are among the best. The reason is the constant realization of innovation. The company is working on new technologies, not stopping in its development.

Pros:

• Good protection against extraneous sounds;
• Efficient heat saving;
• Minimizing the amount of harmful substances;
• European quality;
• Durability.

Minuses:

• High cost;
• Lack of color variety.

• Veka. Russian subsidiary of the German concern Veka Ag. The company for more than 10 years occupied a leading position in the manufacture of products from polyvinyl chloride, but now it is gradually giving way to the leading position.

Pros:

• Good protection against extraneous sounds;
• Efficient heat saving;
• European quality;
• Aesthetics;
• Price variety.

Minuses:

• The composition of PVC includes a large percentage of lead oxide, and buyers do not want to risk their health;
• Not considered the issue of matching door leaf and accessories.

• Rehau. The company is gaining momentum in its development. The buyer appreciates the products for compliance with the cost of goods and its quality.

Pros:

• Excellent noise protection;
• No lead oxide in the composition of the material;
• Anti-burglar locks;
• Aesthetically attractive appearance;
• Rich colors.

Minuses:

• Careful selection of accessories is required

An important criterion for choosing a door is its appearance, color solution. White color has long ceased to be the only one. Now the choice of color depends on the buyer.The door can be of the same color on both sides, or it can be of different colors on the outside and inside.

Colored canvases are made in three ways: by dyeing, coextrusion and lamination. In any case, the price for such work will increase by about 15%, and this is the case if panels of already existing colors are used. At the individual order production time and the price will be even higher.

• Coloring - The easiest way. Here the colors can be very diverse. They are applied with acrylic paints on an already finished canvas in accordance with the RAL color scale. Knowing the number of colors on the RAL palette, the buyer can make any order. This is the way non-standard colored doors are made.
• Adding paint in the panel manufacturing process and there is co-extrusion. Here the variety of colors is not so big and is limited to shades of brown.
• Lamination - this is sticking a thin durable film on the surface of the canvas. You can laminate on one side or both. Double taping additionally makes the door stronger. The most commonly used colors are woodgrain, but the laminating film can be completely different designs, including futuristic.

There are several ways to decorate the plastic entrance door:

• Using the form.Ordinary rectangular entrance structures are a familiar option, but a door with an arch will look much more interesting in a high house. As a rule, it is made double. Arched entrance group is made deaf or with glass inserts. Three-, four-door door blocks can be a concave or curved radial exterior of buildings, such curvilinear compositions will decorate any house. On a straight wall the door frame can be not only arched, but also any other figure: combined with windows, beveled and so on.
• The entrance group can be decorated with color. In this case, the door will draw attention to the entrance. Even without adding other delights, it will attract the eye. Good idea for a minimalist style.
• Modern doors make laminated. The film may be a three-dimensional pattern, and not just the traditional version of "under the tree."
• Door leaves can be decorated with drawings using acrylic paints. In this way, you can arrange the door in any style.

• Sandwich panels can be combined with glass inserts. Great variety of options:

1. Double glazing;
2. Single-layer armored tinted glass;
3. Stained glass window;
4. Glass with photo printing;
5. Glass with reflective mirror film.

• The glass insert or the entire canvas can be decorated with openwork forging. It looks extraordinarily beautiful and increases the reliability of the door.
• From the inside, special plastic or metal tapes can be glued to the glass unit using double-sided tape. Thus you will create the illusion of dividing the glass into small compartments. Usually so make out the windows in the style of Provence. In combination with a light canvas and an unpretentious handle, a similar door will invite you to a simple village European house.

Taking into account the fact that the door block should be installed by professionals, it is necessary to clearly define your financial capabilities and other criteria when buying a door plastic block.

From all that was said above, such criteria should be:

• Warranty obligations of the manufacturer and seller;
• The quality of the frame, linen, accessories;
• Environmental Safety;
• Noise immunity;
• Heat saving.
• Compliance with the finished design and doorway (it is safer to call the measurer before purchasing);
• Complete set (pay attention to whether necessary hardware is included in the kit of parts);
• The reliability of the lock;
• Dressing (color, glass, pattern);
• Color matching finishing materials and linens;
• Style "hit" in the exterior or interior of the house.

High-quality door blocks of foreign manufacturers are obviously more expensive than domestic models, but you should not save on safety and health.

• Any non-standard door attracts the eye, and the difference can be very different. For example, a door with hemispherical glass inserts is so unusual that it fascinates and as if invites you to plunge into a fairy tale with one of its own views.
• Just like the whole house, the entrance structure is often limited only by imagination. Using an unusual door configuration, it is possible to draw attention not only to it, but also to the house as a whole.
• Astonishingly beautiful reception of photo printing on glass inserts of plastic doors. Space, light, flight. Such a door begs to touch it and join the beautiful.

• The use of horizontal reinforced tabs in sandwich panels and small glass inserts is just what suits the modern style. Bright color accent will attract attention with unusual.
• Front door with a mirror - a new trend in the design of hallways. It is beautiful. This technically complex design is used to visually enlarge the space. If necessary, the mirror will be difficult to replace.

• Mirror door construction is a combination of plastic and glass covered with a reflective mirror film. From the inside you can see what is happening behind the door. From the street the private life of the inhabitants of the house is not visible, while remaining private.
• Quite unusual versions of mirrored doors are made using the tinting technique. The spraying of several reflective layers are formed in fascinating drawings.

How to choose entrance plastic doors, you can learn from the video below.