The front door is the first thing that guests see and at the same time your main defense against intruders and detractors. Therefore, the choice of this element should be approached with attention, taking into account all the recommendations of experts, as well as the requirements and standards of GOST. Consider what could be the front door: dimensions, design features and basic materials of manufacture.
Entrance door: dimensions and types of designs
In most cases, the entrance door is wider than all the other openings in the house. As for the design, it can be the most diverse, and in this matter the only limitation is the manufacturer’s fantasy. The most popular materials for the manufacture of entrance doors are metal, wood and MDF.
There is no relationship between the material of the door and its size, so that when choosing there are exactly the same requirements. It is necessary to take into account a number of design features, which, however, are not related to the material.
The easiest way to divide the doors into groups, depending on what design they have:
- Single doors – this is all the usual, and you can even say the standard version, which is a canvas, inserted into the frame. Typically, the width of such a door does not exceed 100-110 cm. A single door can be the most ordinary and simple, and can be the realization of all the most daring design ideas, truly decorating the house;
- Bivalves are usually used in private homes, since with a standard opening height, the door width increases by about 1.5-2 times. This is certainly a more convenient option, however, its implementation requires a lot of free space on the sides of the house;
- doors with transom. For such a solution will need to increase the height of the doorway. At what, the door leaf can remain standard, and the fastening of the upper part of the structure is made separately, without causing harm to the structure. In most cases, decorative glass inserts are used for this purpose, since they serve as an additional source of light and make it possible to visually facilitate the construction of the door.
Helpful advice! If what you really want is impossible to establish, and the available options do not suit you, you need to think about alternative options. For example, one-and-a-half doors are an excellent compromise if there is not enough space for a double one. In this case, one of the canvases has a smaller size and serves as a decorative insert.
Regardless of which type of construction you decide to give preference to, the standard dimensions of the entrance door are the parameters you need to be familiar with in any case:
- Entrance door height. Usually for a standard door the opening height is about 2070-2030 mm. But it is necessary to determine the exact value individually, having resorted to measurements.
- The width of the front door. The minimum width of the front door, which can be – 900-910 mm, also there are single-door doors – 1010 mm. One and a half doors are different in width – 1310 mm, 1310 mm and 1550 mm. Double doors are usually much wider – 1910 and 1950 mm.
- Thickness of the doors. There are no standards in this case, since the thickness of the leaf is determined by the material, as well as by some structural features of each particular product. But despite this, you need to understand that the door should be thick enough to cope with its main task – the protection of the house. It is for entrance doors that the thickness of a canvas matters most. It is believed that if we are talking about a metal sheet, then its thickness should be at least 2 mm, but otherwise you can focus on your own preferences and parameters of the opening.
The entrance door should usually have a larger size than all other doors in the house or apartment, since this will allow not only to enter the house freely, but also to bring in cargo if necessary.
In many modern houses, especially if they were built according to individually designed projects, GOSTs are simply not taken into account. But it is highly recommended not to ignore the recommendations of SNiP, although in many cases they bypass the party. So in a private house, you can use any doors of non-standard sizes.
It is, of course, necessary to agree on the dimensions of the entrance door to the house with standard indicators, but there is no need to accurately compare the indicators. It is enough to try to maintain the ratio of the elements among themselves, and all the necessary measurements can be made directly at the construction site.
The size of a metal entrance door or a wooden structure can reach 900-2000 mm in width and 2000-2400 mm in height. Expanding the doorway further does not make sense, except that it is not about building a residential house, but about a public institution, for example, a small hotel, cafe or a very large house.
It is extremely important that the dimensions of the iron entrance doors or canvases made of any other material are correctly related to the opening. First of all, it should be possible to place the box in the opening without problems in such a way that small gaps remain around. This free space will allow you to expose the structure as smooth as possible, and the gaps can be easily replaced. This is a great option, however, it is not always available, as it is assumed that the doorway was initially perfectly cleared and there is an opportunity to make all the necessary measurements.
As far as the correspondence between the box and the canvas is concerned, it is best that these two elements were initially included in the kit. So, you can avoid the problems associated with their mismatch. If we talk about the separate acquisition of these elements, then you need to carefully select the canvas, not forgetting that it should be less than the opening, otherwise, the box simply does not fit.
Otherwise, you only need to try to provide for clearances of at least a few millimeters so that the movement of the door is not restricted.
Helpful advice! When planning the purchase and installation of the front door, do not forget about such important details as the threshold. This will ensure a higher level of door design and prevent drafts.
Taking into account all the recommendations, as well as GOSTs, the size of the entrance doors will not be so difficult to pick up. It should be said that all the existing standards were invented for a reason, and in most cases, compliance with them allows the house to give the most attractive appearance and at the same time provide the necessary level of functionality of the entrance door.
Before proceeding to the choice of the front door, you need to figure out another important parameter – the size of the door entry boxes. Obviously, in addition to the canvas itself, there is also a design that holds it, and its size must also be taken into account when calculating. Standard sizes must be approved by the state standard specification and SNIP, and they are calculated on the basis of the metric system.
So, according to the prescribed standards, the doorway should be from 700 to 1540 mm in width, 2055-2050 mm in height and 75 mm in thickness. In this case, the optimal value of the width is 900-1000 mm.
And if you decide on the size of the canvas, knowing the width and height of the doorway is not too difficult, then the box usually has some difficulties. According to the same State Standards, the size of the box should exceed the size of the door leaf by 60-70 mm. Tolerance is 10-15 mm.
Important! When choosing a door frame for the opening, do not forget to take into account the need for technical clearance, which will allow you to install the structure as smoothly as possible. Usually, it is considered to be the norm – 10-20 mm in the side and top parts and 25-45 mm below, for setting the threshold.
Size is not the only thing to look for when choosing a front door. Other characteristics are no less important, and before buying it is advisable to familiarize yourself with each selection criterion in order to choose the most suitable option for you.
So, consider what you need to pay attention in the first place:
- production material – designs come in steel or aluminum. In the first case, the design will be more durable and reliable, and the level of heat and noise insulation will be much higher. However, aluminum sheets have less weight and allow you to implement the most unusual and original ideas;
- the way of opening is also of great importance. Of course, this largely depends on the size of the entrance door. In a private house, for example, restrictions are much less, but in apartments you have to adjust to the situation. The size of the door in this case should be such that it could be opened without problems, and the passage on the landing was limited to the minimum;
- The exterior finish of the door is also important because it has a protective function and prevents loss of functionality and attractive appearance of the door as a result of exposure to various temperatures and mechanical effects. The powder coating and oak paneling proved to be the best in this matter;
- noise and heat insulation is another mandatory criterion. For sound insulation and insulation of the front door is usually used mineral wool or polystyrene foam;
- The security system is what protects the door from hacking and visiting unexpected guests. In addition, attention should be paid to the quality of fittings used, since they determine not only the attractive appearance of the door, but also its reliability.
Helpful advice! An ordinary household door can be equipped with a lock of 1-4 grade of burglary resistance, but you need to understand that this is not the most important moment and the strength of the door itself must also be corresponding. After all, the sense of a reliable lock will not be, if the door itself can be easily knocked out with a single blow.
Each entrance door stands out among others by some special characteristic that allows you to call this model the best. Consider several options for doors that for one reason or another were named the best.
- The best door with a thermal break is North. This door is able to provide reliable protection against cold even at ambient temperatures of up to -40 degrees. All places that are considered problematic for the entrance doors, in this case perfectly sealed. Such a door weighs a lot – 100 kg, however, due to the high-quality polymer powder coating, the design does not look heavy and cumbersome. With careful operation, such a door can last for many years. The width of the entrance door to the apartment of this model can be 860 mm or 960 mm, and the height is always standard – 2050 mm. The thickness of this canvas – 80 mm.
- Akron 1 is the best door you can find for installation in an apartment. As already mentioned, apartment owners are much more limited in their choices, and you need to understand that the size of the front door in the Khrushchev will not allow to roam. This model is an excellent combination of small size, reliability and attractive appearance. The door leaf thickness is 65 m, and there are also 2 sealing contours. The design is equipped with the Guardian 10.11 lock of the second class of burglar resistance. Mineral wool is used to provide heat and sound insulation.
- Armagh Standart-1 is a door made of a bent metal profile that has stiffening ribs, due to which the construction is more dense. In the configuration of this door has everything you need: eye, fittings, cylinder and lever lock. There is an additional protection against hacking – anti-pins. From the effects of external factors, the door is painted with powder, which provides it with reliable protection. With a blade size of 880×2050 mm, the thickness of this door is 80 mm.
Of course, you need to select the front door on the basis of individual wishes, the size of the opening, as well as financial possibilities. But saving on such an important thing is definitely not worth it, because it is it that provides you with security, heat and sound insulation from the outside world and gives you a feeling of peace in your own home.
Helpful advice! Contrary to many beliefs, it is far from always good if the opening angle of the door is large. For a private house, it really makes sense to select the structure with the highest rate. But in the apartment you need to take into account all the moments, because when opening your door will swing open 180 degrees, thus blocking or hitting the neighbor’s door, there is nothing good in this.
As you can see, in the process of choosing the front door, you need to take into account many parameters, the main of which are design features and dimensions. Iron doors must be properly strengthened and equipped with reliable fittings. And, of course, it is important that you visually like the front door, because it will have to be used every day.
