The plastic entrance system consists of a PVC profile including a package of glass and plastic panels. A glass package can occupy the entire space, or 2⁄3 of the area. The structure can be divided into sectors or whole.
Plastic sheets at the entrance provide good sound and heat insulation and resist mechanical stress (withstand impacts well). They are made from a 5-chamber profile using iron reinforcement. For strength, the structural elements are fastened together with corner mortgages. You can additionally attach to the frame: door closers, powerful locks, bolts and hinges.
Single leaf
A door with a single-chamber glass package is placed on back exits to the cottage courtyard, utility rooms, boiler rooms, or used in offices.
Double-leaf
Double doors are placed in wide openings. This is convenient when carrying furniture, boxes of goods, or other large items and things.
Shtulpovaya
The bolt design uses one side that opens, and the other is closed with bolts. If necessary, it is opened.
Advantages and disadvantages of plastic entrance doors
Ten years ago it was difficult to imagine. that PVC systems will be on par with iron or wooden counterparts. Today, thanks to technology, they are equal. In terms of appearance, there are no complaints about them. Any material has both advantages and disadvantages.
Let's consider the advantages:
- The strength of the structure is ensured by the use of additional reinforcement - they use a metal sheet that is difficult to cut and reinforcement.
- Light weight. Plastic is a lightweight material used to make windows and doors. The structure is easy to transport, easy to install, and there is no need to calculate the strength of the walls.
- Easy to maintain. The plastic is coated with a special compound that is resistant to chemically active components. Inexpensive systems without this coating are easy to clean - most types of dirt can be wiped off with a regular damp sponge.
- Impact resistance. It is difficult to make a scratch or dent on the material. Animal claws for doors will not be a hindrance.
- Long service life. possible with careful use and maintenance. The doors should last for 20 years. Manufacturers are willing to provide a warranty of 5 to 10 years on their products.
- Diversity. Plastic materials appear simple in appearance. But it has its advantages - a large selection of colors, patterns, decorations.
- Soundproofing. Wood and steel are unlikely to match plastic structures in terms of sound insulation. Tightness is ensured by rubber gaskets. Plastic cuts off sounds coming from the outside world at the input. There will be a construction site next door to you, but it won't bother you.
- Thermal characteristics. Taking advantage of the tightness, the plastic entrance group will not let the cold out. Even with a glass bag, energy costs will be negligible.
- Impact resistance. Plastic coatings are not afraid of dampness and humidity, which is important for doors facing the street (precipitation in the form of rain or snow), are resistant to ultraviolet radiation (no fading from ultraviolet radiation), and are not affected by mold and fungi.
- Just being renovated. The system can be repaired if any breakdowns occur, or replaced with a similar one. It will be better than iron and wooden doors.
There are no ideal materials, so let’s look at the disadvantages:
- Simplicity. No matter how you try, plastic is an inexpensive material. It cannot be classified as a premium raw material. No matter how well it is made, it will lose in appearance.
- Fire safety. Plastic does not have the combustion properties of wood. But it melts, releasing suffocating dark smoke into space. If the manufacturer did not make the door according to GOST, then the material can melt from small temperature changes, crack, and emit fumes that are harmful to humans.
- Fragility. If the manufacturer used the cheapest material in production, without a sheet of iron for reinforcement, then with a good blow with a hand or foot, the door can be broken through. Firms can hide the fact that there is no metal inside, and make additional profit from this.
Debunking fiction
No myth is born out of nowhere. And, looking ahead a little, it should be said that at the heart of any fiction there is some truth. Indeed, something similar once happened. But we are already receiving part of the truth, distorted by word of mouth, which is subsequently presented as an expert opinion.
Myth number one: glass is easy to break.
There is an eyewitness who saw the door glass simply shatter into pieces when the door was “slammed” hard. This story is probably completely true, from beginning to end. With one caveat. The door was definitely not an entrance door. And the glass in it was ordinary - window glass. And it was most likely secured with nails. It is not surprising that with such an aggressive action it burst.
Simple window glass in a door Source 1870mag.com
Hence the opinion that the glass in the doors will not provide reliable protection, since it can be broken so easily. It must be said right away that it is generally impossible to slam a modern front door from a good manufacturer. She is conscience protected from such actions. And to break the glass on it, you need to try very hard. And this cannot be done with ordinary bricks.
Plain glass, even very thick glass, is not installed on entrance doors. A special material is used for this. Fortunately, technology allows us to obtain it. Both those that have been in use for a long time and the most modern ones.
For entrance doors to a house with glass, only the following materials are selected:
- hardened;
- made using triplex technology;
- with reinforcing film.
Let's look briefly at each of them. Heat treatment of glass is similar to metal hardening technology. It takes place in three stages. First, the material is adjusted to the required dimensions. Then heated to +700 °C. After this, it is sharply cooled with an air stream under pressure. As a result of molecular rearrangement, a material is obtained that is 5 times stronger than ordinary glass. Moreover, even if it is possible to break it, the fragments do not have sharp edges.
Tempering glass at the factory Source steklooo.ru
Triplex manufacturing technology is based on connecting several sheets by filling liquid polymer between them or laying a special film. Moreover, ordinary glass alternates with tempered glass. Therefore, triplex is not inferior in strength to the previous type.
Often an additional reinforcing film is glued onto it. This improves all its characteristics. The triplex can only be broken conditionally, since there are no fragments at all. All particles of the bursting sheet remain connected by an internal intermediate structure. This is exactly the kind of secure triplex (VSG) that Hörmann installs on its doors.
It is worth mentioning two more types. Previously, to create strength, a steel mesh was placed directly inside the glass. This increased its shockproof qualities, but breaking such a canvas was still not particularly difficult. It's true that it didn't break into pieces. The fragments were held in place by internal reinforcement. Therefore, such glass was considered injury-proof. But now reinforced glass is very rarely used for doors.
Wired glass Source uaimages.com
The second type is widely used in our time. True, you can call it glass with caution. It is a synthetic vinyl transparent polymer of methyl methacrylate. It also has two names - plexiglass or acrylic. The material has many advantages.
It is 5 times stronger than ordinary glass and weighs 2.5 times less. Its transparency has remained unchanged over the years. Resistant to any aggression from the external environment and easy to process. But it can ignite already at a temperature of +260 °C. And at the same time it emits toxic fumes.
Any of the listed types (except reinforced) can withstand strong blows from a baseball bat.
Myth two - glass allows cold and noise to pass through
Again, this superstition is based on the characteristics of ordinary window glass. The entrance door to a private house with glass is completely sound and thermally insulated. Moreover, the same triplex surpasses even the sandwich panels used for the door leaf in these indicators.
Warm door with glass Source pinimg.com
Those who propagate such a myth are often based on the fact that it is impossible to completely avoid cracks when fixing glass to the door leaf. Technologies for reliable fixation have long left wooden slats with nails in the past. Nowadays, either wedge valves or special clamps are used. And high-quality seals and sealant leave no chance for drafts and sounds to penetrate the house.
In addition, most entrance doors are produced with a thermal break. The use of a layer with very low thermal conductivity negates all efforts of low temperatures to penetrate into the room. Hörmann also uses triple glazing for its doors. This approach allows you to leave behind both street noise and severe frosts.
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in working with doors and windows
Myth three – glass creates the effect of an aquarium
This statement is very controversial. Indeed, the visitor can observe in detail how the owner approaches the door. But this is completely unimportant, since he was already allowed into the site. And he is no longer a curious street onlooker. The latter remain far behind the fence and cannot see anything.
Visitor in front of a glass door Source netdna.com
The argument with the aquarium is still justified if you buy an entrance door with glass for an apartment in a multi-story building. But you can also refuse transparent glass and choose either a matte option or a colored one. And if you install a Gesell mirror in the door, then the owner can examine whoever approaches the apartment, while remaining completely invisible to the visitor.
Myth four – glass doors are very expensive
This statement is, of course, justified. But we will proceed from the fact that there are no budget options for an entrance door with glass. And if someone is offered something similar, then the quality of such a product is definitely very low. This means that in order to significantly reduce the price, they sacrificed both the strength of the glass and the thermal insulation characteristics of the entire door.
On the other hand, high cost is a relative concept. There will be clients who will additionally order titanium fittings and triplex Venetian glass. But such extremes are extremely rare. After all, many buyers are primarily interested in functionality at an affordable price. This is exactly what you can find among the products of the Hörmann company.
A stunning addition to a beautiful façade Source: garagedoorrescue.co.uk
PVC entrance doors with roller shutters
To further protect the entrance group, it is recommended to reinforce the plastic structures with protective roller shutters. This is significant for places where there are enough material assets (warehouses, shops, pharmacies, gyms, workshops). Make lower thresholds and door closers for your clients.
Debunking myths
Most buyers, without going into details and acting under the pressure of stereotypes, come up with two main reasons for refusing entrance doors with glass inserts. These include:
- Absolute transparency;
- Fragility.
Considering the widest range of decorative treatments, when choosing glass elements for your front door, you can choose not only completely transparent options. The tempered glass used in most designs has a somewhat matte surface structure. In addition, tinting and coloring of the surface can be used.
Operational safety measures include the use of special coating and processing of tempered and triplex glass. Such measures guarantee that there will be no occurrence or scattering of fragments in the event of damage.
Non-standard opening and layout on glass
The construction of PVC profiles with glass is suitable for cottages with an unusual structure. In addition, you can find the color of the frame with the decoration of the package with a decorated layout. Choose an energy-saving glass package. The entrance structure must retain heat and not consume it.
Features of glass door structures
Since the front door is the face of the house, it simply must be beautiful and presentable. But everyone understands this differently. Some people like carved structures made from solid wood. Some people prefer the laconic severity of a metal sheet to all the tinsel. But everyone agrees on one thing - glass inserts are the best way to decorate a door. And the materials should not be confused. What is inserted into the door leaf is completely different from what is inserted into the windows. Modern glass, made specifically for the front door, is extremely difficult to break. Attackers will have to use rare tools in order to crack such a barrier.
The nuances of installing a plastic entrance door
Some recommendations may be useful for you:
- Buy ready-made thresholds, as they are of better quality than homemade ones.
- Place the box using wedges and a level.
- Drill holes to install the frame. Take an equal distance to the frame slats. Insert dowels, screw in bolts. Use the level to measure the quality of the installation.
- Place the frame in a vertical plane.
- Check the installation vertically and horizontally.
- Throw the fabric over the loops, check the movement and fit.
- Foam the gap between the box and the walls.
- When a door is beveled, it needs to be adjusted. If it closes with great force, one of the doors is sagging. Pay attention to the hinges.
Decor
Sliding doors of modern production are distinguished by their exquisite design, especially outdoor glass models. The hardened material is very durable, reliable and safe in all respects. The design of glass products is very different. Glass can be colored or transparent, frosted, decorated or stained glass. Stained glass models look especially impressive in places with large crowds of people (galleries, exhibitions, etc.).
The modern buyer is offered a wide variety of design options for sliding systems to suit every taste and wishes. However, for installation outdoors, most often they buy products that are transparent or with frosted glazing. Outdoor sliding glass doors are mounted on guides and moved using a carriage on wheels.
In what style is it better to decorate the interior?
Design options in a variety of styles:
- Classical. Interior doors with glazing, in the form of an imitation window with a white frame, canvases in calm beige, white, light brown colors, decorated with symmetrical beveled glass inserts with regular lines and simple shapes, will become the visual compositional center of a classic interior.
- Provence. Interior products in clean and muted colors with elements made of frosted or transparent glass, decorated with sandblasted floral patterns, smooth lines and discreet ornaments, are perfect for the Provencal style. Also quite often found here are door models with a French lattice, made of natural wood, MDF, veneer or eco-veneer.
- High tech. Modern plastic and metal structures with horizontal, vertical corrugated or frosted glass strips in combination with chrome fittings will not stand out from the overall design of advanced technologies.
- Minimalism. A room in a minimalist style requires more brightness and light, so interior doors with transparent glass without patterns and having a regular geometric shape would be especially appropriate here.
- Modern. Fully glazed transparent sliding models, designs such as a book or an accordion, two-color products with plexiglass using tinted or colored film will fit perfectly into a modern environment.
- English. Most often, natural dimensional models in dark colors, decorated with capitals or wide trims, are used in the English style. Using glass inserts, you can lighten these massive canvases a little and give them grace.
The photo shows a classic-style bedroom with an interior single-leaf door decorated with patterned glass.
Interior products with matte, transparent, grainy corrugated inserts or glazed panels in the middle are quite a noticeable detail of the interior, so they must fit correctly into the overall style without causing disharmony.
