Door upholstery with dermantine: new life of old technology

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Door upholstery with dermantine never completely lost its popularity. Even the appearance of laminated surfaces and various cladding panels did not supplant this method of insulating and improving doors. Fast, uncomplicated, inexpensive, practical and concise. Or you can use a bright, extraordinary, bold color – scarlet, white, purple canvas. Upholstering a door with dermantine is a unique opportunity to update the facade of a house or the central entrance to an apartment.

Door upholstery with dermantine is fast, inexpensive and practical

Which is correct: dermantin or leatherette?

Before posting information in the article about how to upholster a door with dermantine, it is worth defining the concepts. On selling sites, both the name “dermantine” and “dermatin” are used. Some even try to provide clarification on this matter. Their content is approximately as follows: leatherette is artificial pressed leather, that is, eco-leather; Dermantin is also an artificial leather, but it has a cotton base with a nitrocellulose coating applied to it.

Dermantin is an artificial leather with a cotton base.

The interpretation is completely incorrect, since the word “leatherette” comes from the Greek dermatinos (leather) and there is no second letter “n” in it. The explanation for the presence of supposedly two different concepts lies in phonetics and pronunciation. It is difficult to pronounce “t” after “a” in this word, which is why an additional “n” appeared in the conversational style. “Dermantin” and “dermatin” are variants of the same word, denoting the same concept.

It is also worth noting that pressed leather cannot be considered leatherette. A completely different technology is used in its production. The main difference is that eco-leather contains crushed waste particles generated during the processing of natural leather. And it is not recommended to use pressed leather when upholstering doors, since its performance qualities are completely unsuitable for these purposes.

Budget method

It was previously mentioned that the material is attached to a metal surface using glue. For greater clarity, let's take a closer look at the order of operations:

1. Glue is applied to the edges of the door and foam rubber is fixed to it. All excess material and protruding edges are cut off using scissors or a knife.
2. Apply glue to the upper end of the door. During work, watch for the formation of folds and distortions. They can only be fixed while the glue is still wet.
3. After securing the skin with a utility knife, remove excess material.
4. The lock and handle are installed.

Material for upholstery of entrance doors: manufacturing technology, characteristics

The definition of leatherette - cotton fabric with a nitrocellulose layer applied to it - is already contained in the article above. It has been preserved since Soviet times, when this material was not only popular, it was used everywhere and the question of what to cover the door with practically did not exist: the entrances to all apartments of multi-storey buildings were blackened with dermantine.

The material manufacturing technology goes through three stages:

• preparing the base - the canvas;
• fabric impregnation;
• embossing that gives the material a certain pattern, most often an imitation of genuine leather.

The manufacturing technology of dermantine includes preparation of the base, impregnation of the fabric and embossing

Constantly improving methods of processing polymers have significantly expanded the range of colors used for manufacturing. And the embossing of modern leatherette is such that it is sometimes difficult to visually distinguish it from genuine leather. This artificial material not only has an external resemblance to leather, but also many other characteristics:

• resistant to wear - dermantine is only afraid of significant mechanical impacts;
• elastic – no traces of creases remain at the bends;
• resistant to temperature changes;
• easy to clean;
• keeps warm.

Dermantin for door upholstery has an aesthetic appearance. That is why it is often used to update and add decorativeness to door panels.

Important! There is a tendency to call vinyl leather (polyvinyl chloride) and amidis leather (polyamide) leatherette. These materials are characterized by different performance qualities.

Dermantin is resistant to wear and temperature changes, and is easy to clean

Entrance door trim: use of heat-insulating materials

Based on the characteristics of the material, we can distinguish three main goals to achieve which it is worth upholstering doors with dermantine:

1. Decoration. Quite often, a material that has high performance qualities is used to make doors. But as for external indicators, they either leave much to be desired or do not correspond to the chosen design style. In such cases, door upholstery is the ideal solution.
2. Update. An old, but quite good door can be restored by covering it with leatherette.
3. Insulation. Before upholstering the door, additional materials are laid under the dermantine to provide protection against heat loss.

It is the latter function that will be discussed in this section. To enhance thermal insulation, insulation materials are used for door upholstery:

1. Foam rubber. The cheapest, has low density, limited service life.
2. Batting. Used extremely rarely. It burns, absorbs moisture, and it is difficult to create an ideal surface. Good thermal insulator.
3. Izolon. The most effective sound insulator. Features a high service life. The most popular material.

To insulate the front door, insulation materials such as foam rubber, batting and isolon are used

Additional materials (insulation materials) serve not only their intended purpose. They also allow you to create a grooved surface that enhances the aesthetics of the door leaf. When repairing doors, the lining hides all defects on the surface.

General description of new leatherette fabrics

The classic definition of leatherette says that it is a rolled material based on woven fabric made from cotton thread, on the surface of which a layer of colored nitrocellulose is applied. Material manufacturers took into account previous shortcomings and decided to replace the woven base with a porous polyvinyl chloride film.

The surface began to be covered with polyester, polyurethane or a mixture of leather fibers and latex crumbs. In the first two cases, the new dermantins were called eco-leather, and in the last version, using a mixture, they were called recycled leather.

As a result, practically new materials were obtained, which differ:

• elasticity;
• wear resistance;
• breathability;
• strength;
• affordable price.

Tactile sensations make it practically impossible to distinguish synthetic materials from well-crafted natural leather. But the main aesthetic advantage of the new leatherettes is the ability to be painted in any color and create a beautiful surface texture. The price of the canvas depends on the components and ranges from 500 to 1500 rubles/m2.

Door trim kit: what it consists of and where to buy

If the necessary materials are not available and you need to purchase them, it is better to pay attention to ready-made kits for door upholstery. The designers thought through the matching of the material and fastenings, which ensures the decorative quality of the overall design. The standard kit includes:

• piece of leatherette;
• foam rubber or isolon as insulation;
• rubber gaskets;
• decorative nails.

When purchasing ready-made kits, you should pay special attention to the quality of the dermantine. To do this, you need to remove it from the packaging and evaluate the smell. If it is a strong synthetic “aroma”, manufacturing technology may be violated. As a result, the material will be more susceptible to wear. High-quality leatherette has a subtle and rather pleasant smell.

The door trim kit includes leatherette, insulation, rubber gaskets and decorative nails

Ready-made kits are designed for doors measuring 200x80 cm. It should be taken into account that the methods of upholstering a metal entrance door and a wooden one differ significantly. The price of the set and individual elements purchased at retail differs by an average of 20-25%. The overpayment is insignificant. And if you take into account that additional time will be spent during separate acquisition, then the extra financial investment is completely justified.

Important! When purchasing a ready-made kit for a non-standard door, only preliminary measurements of the door leaf are not enough. It is also necessary to think through the upholstery technology in advance, otherwise adjusting the dimensions may cause problems.

Traditional way of upholstering wooden doors

The easiest way to cover wooden doors with dermantine. The reason is the accessibility of fixing any fastenings to wood. The algorithm of actions for such upholstery is standard.

The canvas is measured and a calculation is made. The cut of leatherette must be larger than the size of the door so that there is a margin of at least 3 cm on all sides. It is necessary that the foam rubber or isolon lining be 0.2-0.4 cm smaller on all sides than the door leaf. When plowing externally, an additional indentation should be made in the hinge area.

It is easiest to upholster wooden doors with dermantine

The door leaf is laid horizontally - always on a stand, as a result of which convenient access to the sides of the door leaf is provided. Using a stapler, insulation is fixed to it around the entire perimeter.

Leatherette is applied over the insulation, its edges are folded, and the material is fixed to the door using nails.

To make the front door upholstered in dermantine look aesthetically pleasing, the gaps between the door and the canvas are closed with a roller. To make it, you will need a strip of leatherette about 15 cm wide, into which a material is placed that adds volume and allows it to hold the desired shape. More often it is padding polyester. In addition to aesthetics, such a roller prevents heat leakage and the penetration of cold air into the living space.

The roller is attached to the required sides with the front surface down, then it is folded and fixed on the door over the main covering with decorative nails. If the door opens outward, you will need 4 rollers, if it opens inward, 3.

For aesthetics, the gaps between the canvas and the loot are closed with a roller

Technological features of metal door upholstery

It should be noted that today metal doors are upholstered much more often than wooden ones. This happens because many people do not purchase ready-made options (they are not satisfied with the thickness of the metal), but order them instead. Custom-made products are indeed much stronger and more reliable, but their aesthetic characteristics are low, and the thermal conductivity of the metal is high. Covering the door with dermantine improves performance.

Covering a door made of metal with artificial leather is somewhat more difficult than one made of wood: firstly, the door leaf itself has significant weight; secondly, it will not be possible to fix the coating directly to the door with nails; thirdly, the additional time required for the glue to dry delays the process.

Methods for upholstering a metal door:

• all overhead materials are fixed with glue;
• a sheet of plywood is attached to the door leaf, repeating the dimensions of the door, then the technology of upholstering the wooden leaf is taken as a basis.

The second option is the most common. A sheet of plywood is purchased, the same size as the door leaf, and fixed to the metal with glue.

Metal doors are covered with dermantine much more often than wooden ones

Important! Be sure to allow the time specified in the instructions for use until the glue completely hardens.

For upholstering an iron door, it is better to use epoxy or rubber based adhesive. Such chemical compositions provide a strong and long-lasting connection.

MDF door upholstery: tips for quality performance

MDF wood boards are considered a fairly durable material. It is resistant to moisture penetration and temperature changes, but with prolonged exposure (and this is typical for entrance doors), damage in the form of chips and cracks still appears. In such situations, leatherette upholstery can be a simple and inexpensive way to update the door leaf.

Doors made from wood chips are often used in budget construction. Slabs are used without a decorative top layer; its functions are performed by the upholstery. With the help of leatherette, door blocks acquire a presentable appearance.

With the help of dermantine, MDF doors acquire a more presentable appearance

The technology for upholstering MDF doors is in many ways similar to the process of reupholstering wooden panels:

• using a furniture stapler, the insulation is fixed to the door leaf;
• then the dermantine and the roller are attached directly.

The main problem is the use of nails with decorative heads. MDF is a dense material; driving nails into it requires some effort. Impacts on the cap can damage the aesthetics of the latter. The most acceptable option is to use a pneumatic nail gun instead of a hammer. The tool is quite expensive; it is not advisable to purchase it to decorate one door, but you can rent it for a short period of time at a very reasonable cost.

Related article:

Entrance door: dimensions, characteristics and features of design selection

Constructions of non-standard sizes. Basic criteria for choosing an entrance door. Examples of the best entrance doors and their characteristics.

The use of such a device will not only preserve the integrity of the fasteners, but also drive the nails at the same level (the tool has an option that allows you to set the level), which is extremely important both for fixing and for decorative purposes.

Lining components

Canvases can be made using different technologies. Durable door overlays are made from MDF, plywood and veneer. There are plastic options - various films, vinyl.

The peculiarity of each type is the creation of a unique design.

Soft linings are considered very flexible and dense materials, which guarantee not only thermal insulation and sound insulation. The upholstery of wooden doors differs from the design of iron ones. The material is not attached to all bases using special self-tapping screws. The glue has the highest adhesion and helps hold the parts together.

It is recommended to carefully study the installation technology and draw up a plan before starting to create a door design.

Door reupholstery: how to make an old door leaf new

With all the high qualities of wear resistance, the “warranty” period of leatherette on the front door is 10-15 years. It can remain intact for 30 years, but the top coating gradually loses its aesthetics due to exposure to detergents, direct sunlight, etc. In such cases, the front door is re-upholstered, that is, replacing the outer coating - dermantine.

Possible options for decorating doors with dermantine

The upholstery is removed and a new one is attached in its place. This process usually does not cause difficulties and is not physically expensive. Particular attention should be paid to the condition of the insulation. It must be replaced in the following cases:

1. The foam stuck to the door leaf. Consequently, the process of its decomposition has begun and soon the relief of the upholstery will be damaged.
2. During careless dismantling, parts of the insulation came off. Only a specialist can restore integrity; independent “patching” (gluing or nailing) will certainly affect the aesthetics of the external forms of the door.
3. It is planned to radically change the decorative design. In previous places of fixation, the insulation may not straighten out, that is, it may not return to its original position. This will cause unnecessary dents to appear on the surface.

Replacing door trim is sometimes the realization of a desire to change the boring appearance of a doorway. It is worth noting that reupholstery is the most economical way to update.

Reupholstering the front door is considered the most economical way to update

Helpful advice! If the door leaf is old, you should install metal corners on it before upholstery. A reinforced door will last much longer, and the upholstery on it will not deteriorate for many years.

Covering interior doors with dermantine: a creative expression of style

Covering interior doors with leatherette is not a mass trend. The emergence of this method is associated with the increasing popularity of decorating living space in loft, eclectic, and country styles. They upholster flat door leaves that do not have panels or any other protrusions. More often these are doors made of chipboard or MDF in the most simplified design - in the form of a rectangle. At first glance, it may seem that there are no special secrets in how to sheathe a door of this type.

In fact, the technology is complex and consists of the following:

1. According to the shape and size of the door, 2 dermantin sheets are prepared (the interior door is upholstered on both sides) with the edges already bent and fixed. Moreover, the size of the bends must be the same, otherwise curved lines will appear on the front part.
2. The door is placed horizontally on the stand and coated with glue using a paint roller.
3. The prepared leatherette is applied to the lubricated surface and pressed against the door with a dry roller using movements in one direction.

Upholstery of interior doors with dermantine is popular in styles such as loft, eclectic, country

If you plan to upholster the doors yourself, you should take into account that the dimensions of the dermantine should ideally match the door ones. Otherwise, the protruding edges, in addition to having an unaesthetic appearance, will interfere with the free movement of the door leaf. For reliability, you can secure the edges of the upholstery with decorative nails. You should select hats with caution: a large number of them or impressive sizes make the door visually significantly heavier.

Instructions for attaching the roller

To make a roller, take a strip of dermantine 10-15 cm wide, into which scraps of insulation or material specially produced for this purpose are placed. The step-by-step process of attaching the rollers to the door leaf is as follows (regardless of whether the attachment is made under the upholstery or on it):

• From the remains of the dermantine (after cutting out the pattern for the door), strips are cut out for the rollers - one for the side where the handle and locks are, two for the top and bottom, if the hinges are external. If hidden, then 4 blanks are cut. Width - 10-15 cm, length - 6-7 cm larger than the size of the side of the door where they will be nailed (2-2.5 cm on each side). The overlap is necessary to form a beautiful angle where the adjacent rollers join;
• For the side of the door with external hinges, five strips are cut out - two are attached opposite the hinges to the door frame (so as not to interfere with the movement of the leaf when opening), three on the door itself;
• dermantine strips are nailed (wooden door) or glued (metal) to the edge of the door leaf face down so that the formed roller protrudes beyond the edge of the door no more than 3 cm;
• the insulation is laid in the form of a bundle (you can use a ready-made one or make it from scraps of insulation);

• the strip is wrapped to form a roller and attached to the door.

The roller is attached to the door frame in the same way. The only difference is that the rollers located on the frame should cover the door by only 5 mm, and on the hinge side they can be installed flush with the door leaf.

DIY door trim: some important tips

The above article has already covered the features of leatherette upholstery of doors made of various materials. The work can be carried out either by specialists or independently. This section provides information on how to properly upholster a door with dermantine with your own hands, step-by-step instructions. This work should be carried out in three stages.

First, the door leaf is measured, materials are purchased, and tools are prepared.

Important! When purchasing a ready-made kit for a non-standard door (the dimensions will be adjusted), you need to pay attention to the possibility of the pattern shifting. This can greatly affect the appearance of the design.

Then the actual execution of the work occurs. They should begin with an inspection of the surface of the door. Bulges and irregularities should be removed. If there are many defects, you can put plywood on the door leaf and fix it, and then upholster it. The door must be laid rigidly and evenly; the slightest inclination will interfere with the quality tension of the leatherette. Particular attention should be paid to the roller; it greatly influences the decorative effect of the upholstery.

At the final stage, the door is hung and the movement is tested. In areas of rubbing, dermatin will become damaged over time. Disadvantages associated with inaccurate placement should be eliminated before use.

For beginners trying to upholster doors with dermantine with their own hands, step-by-step photo instructions posted on the Internet can be a good help.

Finishing work

You can order a cheap option for door upholstery from specialists or do the work yourself. The work guide includes a number of steps.

Work order:

1. The canvas is removed and placed on a stand.
2. Decorative, iron components and outdated coating are removed. Small irregularities that may appear during cleaning will be hidden by thermal insulation.
3. The surface must be cleaned with an antiseptic before covering the door.

How to cover a door with dermantine without removing it from its hinges

When upholstering the front door with dermantine, is it necessary to remove it from its hinges? It’s better to do just that; it greatly simplifies the process and ensures high-quality results. In cases where removal entails additional hassle in the form of removing trims that cannot be separated from the box without damage, you can do the upholstery by weight.

The upholstery of a hung door should start from the top and at the same time constantly monitor the level of tension of the canvas

In such situations, it is necessary to ensure comfortable working conditions:

• place the tools at arm's length so that you can always change the knife for a hammer, easily take nails from the tray, etc.;
• organize a sufficient level of access to the highest points of the door;
• fix the door leaf in the position required for the work;
• ensure sufficient illumination of the place.

To understand how to sheathe a hung door with dermantine, you need to decide on the measurement method. If the dimensions are taken correctly, the risk of making a mistake with the choice of technology is minimized. It is very important to perfectly lay the top horizontal side. Even with a minor mistake, it will be difficult to tighten the leatherette evenly in the future.

You should start covering a hung door from the top, constantly monitoring the tension level of the door leaf. Decorative nails can be passed along the vertical perimeter lines using a plumb line.

With proper sizing, the risk of damaging the fabric is minimized.

Briefly about the main thing

The entrance door can be updated quickly and cost-savingly if you cover it with leatherette. The procedure is suitable for updating doors to an apartment, private house or cottage; it does not require special skills or professional tools.

In order for the upholstery to last as long as possible, during the execution process it is necessary to adhere to technology that takes into account the type of fabric (wooden or metal). Manufacturing includes surface preparation, upholstery with insulation and leatherette, and at the end - decoration (if provided).

Question

Write in the comments what you think - is it worth using polystyrene foam for thermal insulation under leatherette?

Do-it-yourself door upholstery with dermantine: video materials

Better to see once than hear a hundred times. You can't argue with this expression. The information provided above about possible ways to upholster a door with dermantine with your own hands should be visualized by watching videos on the Internet. For example, the video below will give detailed visual information on how to replace upholstery.

There is no voice acting; actions on the screen are commented on in alphabetic text. Such viewing is much more effective in the sense that no sound errors or illegible expressions interfere with full perception, and pauses between changing phrases allow you to comprehend what you read. The information is presented in detail, emphasizing the most important points.

For those who find it more convenient to perceive voice information accompanying the process of replacing the front door trim, it is appropriate to recommend another video. A significant part of the information in the presented video material is devoted to ensuring sound insulation.

Helpful advice! On the Internet, you should watch videos on the upholstery of exactly the type of door you will be working with. The use of inappropriate technologies may lead to undesirable results.

Decorative trim on the door

To make the entrance door, upholstered in leatherette, more interesting and attractive, you can make drawings on it with your own hands. On doors with foam rubber or isolon lining, convex rhythmic patterns look original. These can be squares, rhombuses and other geometric shapes with angles.

This pattern is made using the same decorative nails that are used to fill the sides along the perimeter of the canvas.

Decorative design of the door upholstery will make it more original

Important! It is necessary to perform precise preliminary markings. The slightest displacement will lead to a violation of symmetry and proportionality.

If your own creative imagination cannot create an interesting option, you can turn to the Internet, where there are quite a lot of schemes. Most of them offer diamonds as the main design. This method of decoration visually increases the height of the door. To make the lines between the fragments of the pattern clearer, a decorative cord is used, which is fixed to the upholstery with nails.

You can make an asymmetrical pattern on the front door. It is more appropriate for brightly colored dermantine, pastel tones without a pronounced texture. This pattern is placed offset to the side where the canvas is hung. The decoration at the bottom of the door looks original. It is worth considering that the thicker the insulation substrate, the more expressive the pattern will be.

A displacement from the previously made markings can lead to a violation of symmetry and proportionality

Decoration options

In any case, the canvas is decorated on the surface of the dermantine and the choice of decorating elements is very large. This can be wire, cord or decorative nails.

Before you start decorating, you need to make markings, driving small nails into 1/3 of the points. A wire or cord is pulled over them, and only then are the nails driven in completely. By tensioning the wire or cord, a relief pattern is created.