Deciding on the issue of how the decor will be is often dictated by the dimensions of the rooms and their configuration conditions. Many interior elements come about through a combination of convenience and necessity. One of these extraordinary solutions was the front door with a mirror, surprising and delighting the owners of small hallways. Read about the advantages of this design and whether it has obvious disadvantages, read the article.
Advantages of installing entrance mirror doors
The front steel door has become commonplace in modern apartments. It has a lot of advantages, but its main advantage is safety. Currently, manufacturers are generous on proposals for the manufacture of various variants of the door leaf, including its decorative trim, as well as embedded locking security systems. Color solutions also differ in many options, which is confirmed by the photo of the entrance doors on specialized sites. However, a demanding customer always wants something more. Therefore, due to the requirements of the market, an original construction appeared relatively recently – an entrance metal door with a mirror.
Mirrors in the interior are purely decorative and practical function. Designers use the method of installing mirrors in the room to visually expand the space, increase the degree of illumination, etc. Installation of the mirror cloth on the front door meets the basic requirements for organizing the hallway and carries an additional functional and decorative load. Among the main advantages of installing a mirror on the door to an apartment are the following:
- A visual increase in the space of a small hallway is created, and the higher the dimensions of the installed mirror, the more effect can be achieved. Ideal in this case to use a full-length mirror.
- You can increase the illumination of space without resorting to enhancing the brightness of the lamps.
- Mirror canvas on the door is able to fully replace the traditionally installed mirror in the hallway, while saving usable space.
- Allows you to abandon the mirrored door built-in wardrobes.
- Can be a bright decorative accent in the hallway.
- Visually “facilitates” the design, as is easily seen in the photo: the entrance doors “lose” their massiveness and heaviness.
Important! Soundproofing the front door to the apartment with the installation of the mirror does not change.
The entrance iron doors to the apartment are obliged, first of all, to fulfill their main function. Therefore, along with decorative properties, it is required to consider together the practicality of embedding the mirror and the safety of the structure as a whole for all occupants.
No matter how attractive are the photos of entrance doors with a mirror inside, the price of such a design due to the increased complexity of its manufacture will be higher than the cost of its traditional counterparts. Especially noticeable differences in the choice of mirrors with special properties: matte or semi-matte coating, Venetian glass, with engraving, etching, etc. Also, the increase in price is affected by the surface area occupied by the mirror. When an additional mirror element is used in the design of the door, the load on the hinges increases significantly, and therefore new requirements for fittings appear.
Quality components are not cheap. The locking devices necessary to maintain security will be non-standard – the so-called stealth locks, which lack a keyhole to protect the mirror from possible scratches with a key. There are also difficulties regarding the installation of the peephole: you will have to abandon its location in the middle of the entrance door. Manufacturers can offer the most optimal photos or schemes of mounting options, however it is possible that the review will be somewhat limited.
The disadvantages include the difficulty of care for the mirror unit and the difficulties associated with its replacement. Care is a pretty demanding job. Keeping the front door clean with a built-in mirror is not easy, but the presence of appropriate detergents can solve this problem. To replace the glass, a complete disassembly of the door is carried out, since its disassembly is possible only in a specialized workshop. Therefore, before installing the structure, evaluate the possibility of its safe operation.
In people with mental or nervous disorders, an entrance door with a mirror installed in it can provoke depressive or pathological conditions. Psychologists are advised to abandon this placement of mirrors, if the apartment has such tenants. Household health should prevail over the desire to improve the decor in the hallway.
Helpful advice! If you organize the interior in the house, adhering to the principles of feng shui, then the entrance doors with a built-in mirror are ideal for this, since they do not reflect the entrance to the dwelling, but the interior.
Despite a number of negative points, the front door with a mirror receives feedback from apartment owners who have decided to take this step. All emphasize the convenience of design, excellent heat and sound insulation, as well as a fairly quiet closing of the door. In most cases, workshops install closers to soften the course and protect the mirror from vibrations.
Which front door is best suited for a particular housing, decide only the owners of the apartment. They always have a choice of colors, decorative overlays, other visual solutions, as well as a price segment. The door is installed in its place for a long time, so you should know a few rules that can ensure its smooth operation.
The main function of the front door is protection. Therefore, it is primarily important to evaluate not the decorative properties of the structure, but the thickness of the web, the presence of stiffeners and the principles of mounting the frame of the block (with or without pins). Particular attention should be paid to the loops: it is better to choose internal or hidden. At the same time metal doors with a mirror will have a greater mass than similar models without mirror inserts, which requires the use of reinforced hinges, designed for higher loads.
It is necessary to stipulate in advance the features of mounting the eye – its location or the complete absence of a replacement with a video surveillance system. In addition, it is necessary to resolve the issue of the number of locks and latches, as well as the mechanism of their action. Any lock can be mounted in the door, but preference is given to reliable mechanisms, since access to them is difficult because of the installed mirror insert. You can choose a hidden lock without a keyhole, for which the key is an electronic panel or a magnetic card.
Helpful advice! It is recommended to equip steel doors with a mirror with closers or opening limiters. This will protect the unit from vibration and prolong its life.
The door handle is selected according to the design, but you should rely on the choice of high-quality materials and models of reliable well-known manufacturers. All plastic options are not considered at all, they, like lightweight construction, should be excluded.
No matter how much the future owner would like to maximize the mirrored area, its dimensions are determined by the dimensions of the door, taking into account the indent around the perimeter by at least 20 cm. These conditions are dictated by the installation features and usability of the door handle and locks. If you increase the safety of the use of the mirror by sticking a transparent protective film, you should prefer high quality glass, otherwise the reflection will be distorted. The protective film is able to prevent the mirror from cracking, and also at strong impact it will not allow the fragments to crumble.
Inspired by the picturesque photos of iron doors with a mirror, many craftsmen may decide to install on their own. Technically, the process is simple, for this you need to have a minimum of devices:
- the actual mirror itself of the required size and of good quality;
- mounting adhesive designed for sticking mirrors with a composition that prevents damage to the amalgam;
- a narrow decorative frame of suitable size, which will simultaneously perform the protective function of the edges of the mirror;
- fastener for fixing the frame;
- gasket under the mirror to dampen vibration.
When working on the installation of a large-sized mirror, it is recommended to remove the door from its hinges and place it on a flat solid surface. However, at home, most often the craftsmen do not remove the door, but they pre-mark it on it and carry out installation directly on the vertical door leaf. The reason is simple: to remove and back to hang the metal door is not as easy as it may seem at first glance, because there are difficulties that consist in fitting the hinges of the door frame and in ensuring the safety of all locking mechanisms. However, in this way you can attach only a small mirror cloth, in other cases, the door must be dismantled.
A completely safe way to organize a mirror surface on a door is not the installation of glass, but the gluing of a reflective film. In this case, mirror imitation is performed flawlessly. You should also in specialized stores to ask about the presence of a mirror canvas made of Plexiglas, which is characterized by indisputable security advantages (impossible to break), significantly lighter weight, easy handling and fastening, as well as excellent moisture resistance.
Before you go to the store for the purchase of mounting accessories, you should inspect the front door and decide whether it is possible to install a mirror on it at all. There are a number of points, without which there is a risk of drawdown or skewing of the block.
The first thing you should pay attention to is the hinges. They are a weak link with increasing load. If the entrance door is well made and the selected fittings are worth it, then it’s not a fact that the structure is able to withstand the extra weight of the mirror.
Manufacturers calculate the load of the door leaf only selected model. Increasing the weight of the inner part (at the expense of the mirror) can lead to the earliest wear of the hinges or their breakage. Internal anti-vandal awnings are especially sensitive to overloads. It is possible that the loops will not deteriorate their work immediately, but their life, nevertheless, will be reduced by 40-60% with an increase in the hinged weight of only 10-15% due to the weight of the mirror. Replacing the hinges belongs to the category of expensive repairs, so it is worth assessing the degree of financial risk.
The second moment is a mirror. Choosing high-quality tempered glass, the thickness of which should not exceed 3 mm. This is a rather thin surface that should be securely fixed and not create obstacles when opening / closing, when turning the knob and key in the keyhole. The front door to the apartment with a mirror should have a free course. If there is a probability of hitting a cabinet, a corner or another obstacle in the hallway, then a safety stop is installed. To strengthen the glass from the back side, it is recommended to cover it with a film or regular tape.
Also consider the location of the eye. If it is supposed to be placed in the area of the mirror, then it is necessary to drill a hole of the appropriate diameter in the glass and perform the installation.
There are several ways to fix the mirror on the entrance door:
- using a special glue;
- using frames and mounting accessories;
- through powerful magnets.
Helpful advice! The more massively mounted a mirror, the more reliable its attachment should be.
The most popular type of installation involves the use of glue. However, you should worry about buying a quality material that has the appropriate composition, designed exclusively for mirrors and at the same time suitable for the surface of the entrance door. Before sticking, the top layer of the door and the back side of the mirror are degreased, allowed to dry, and then a layer of glue is applied.
Now it is easy to find fasteners not only durable, but also corresponding to the decor. The installation of the mirror in the frame must be performed with high quality It is recommended that a gasket be installed between the set retaining profile and the mirror (it can be rubber). His task is to compensate for the vibration caused by opening and closing the doors, and reduce the likelihood of chipping along the edges of the glass. Typically, such installation is performed in conjunction with the use of glue.
If the inner surface of the door is made without the use of MDF or other lining and contains only metal, then the option of installing the mirror on powerful flat magnets is possible. This method is quite affordable in financial terms. Magnets can be bought without problems, but they need to be fixed on the door and the mirror with special glue. The only minus of such a design is the resulting gap, which can be filled with a cushioning pad or covered with a decorative frame.
On the Internet you can find tips on installing mirror cloths on the door using double-sided tape. Experts do not recommend this method because of its extreme unreliability and high probability of glass falling out with repeated use of the door. Also, double-sided tape loses its fixing properties over time, especially when the room temperature rises in the hot season.
Glass doors are not recommended during installation to replace the mirror cloth. In this case, the technology of applying a reflective mirror film is applicable. This option is suitable for office and other premises of commercial real estate, as it helps to avoid the effect of the aquarium and additionally enhances the strength of the front door glass.
Photos of entrance doors with a mirror in various modifications can be found on the Internet on manufacturers’ websites and in design projects. There are actually a lot of options, they are designed for any requests, but there is always a chance to order an exclusive model. The price of an entrance door with a mirror on an individual project will be quite high. However, this plan will provide an opportunity to take into account all the wishes of the customer in design, as well as create a practical and creative decor.
