Housing should be safe and comfortable. Owners of private houses and apartments are thinking about installing a second entrance door. In this review, we will consider the advantages and disadvantages of double structures, and select suitable types and installation methods.
Advantages and disadvantages Source zakupka.com
Why is it needed?
The first door leaf is responsible for the safety of the home. The models are assembled from strong materials and equipped with complex locks with secrets. The purpose of metal armored structures is to protect the inhabitants, often to the detriment of indoor comfort.
Installing a second entrance door minimizes the shortcomings that were not taken into account in the first one. A double block does a better job of retaining heat in a home than a single block. An additional air gap between the two canvases maintains comfort in the hallway. Advantages of structures in a private house:
- cold air does not leak through the lock;
- does not freeze in winter;
- There is no directional sun, so it doesn’t get hot.
Pros:
Although I myself am not a fan of paired doors, while studying this topic, I saw several arguments in favor of such a solution, which, although not completely, but partly changed my opinion.
Increased insulating properties
If someone constantly smokes in your entrance, opens windows even in winter, or likes to make noise, then a second door is an excellent and even necessary solution.
Experience shows that an additional door significantly increases the insulation characteristics of the doorway. In this case, we are talking about the entire spectrum of possible “irritants”: sounds, temperature changes, drafts, foreign odors.
Improved protection against burglars
If the thief is not an amateur who spontaneously decided to rob the first apartment he comes across, then before “going to work” he will conduct reconnaissance. First of all, this consists of studying apartment locks and selecting the most suitable tool for them. However, the disadvantage of this approach is inflexibility and unpreparedness to meet unforeseen obstacles. With a high degree of probability, when faced with the second door, such a thief will prefer to retreat.
Note! To scare off a burglar, the second door must have high-quality locks, and not “consumer goods” that even an inexperienced criminal can open with any available tool. It is also important that the locks on the inner door are different from those installed on the outer door.
The ability to hide the unsightly appearance of an external door
Many apartment owners, when moving in after purchasing, the first thing they do is install a simple, unsightly door or leave the option from the developer, which is also usually not famous for its performance characteristics or appearance. Although most often residents plan to replace the door later, in practice this process can be delayed, to put it mildly.
In this case, a good solution may be to install a second high-quality door, which will hide the shortcomings of the external one and at the same time significantly increase the protection of the house from thieves. As mentioned above, a second door with high-quality locks often forces the criminal to abandon his plans.
Backup option in case of lost keys
A standard door has two locks, and two doors have four locks. Of course, you can close each of them, but this is not always convenient. Therefore, many people use only one lock on each door, for example, only the top ones.
The main advantage of this solution is that there is no need to replace all locks if the keys to them are lost. If this suddenly happens, then the resident simply switches to other locks.
Types of doors
Additional canvases are distinguished by material. The choice of model depends on the characteristics and tasks that the structure must perform. 4 types of raw materials are used as the second entrance door.
Tree
Reliable doors with panels will harmoniously fit into the interior of the hallway. Wood absorbs extraneous sounds well and prevents the cold from the metal sheet from freezing the room. Models made of hard rock are suitable for the entrance structure, otherwise scratches and chips will appear on the material. With proper use, wood will last for decades. The surface can be painted or varnished.
Second wood panel Source dekormyhome.ru
Plastic
The structure of the doors resembles balcony blocks. The second entrance door is created according to the requirements of the owners. The colors can be adjusted to the interior design of the corridor. Pros of the models:
- high sound absorption;
- good thermal insulation;
- low weight;
- simple maintenance.
Material for production
An important point when choosing raw materials is the quality and strength of the first door. If it is reliable, it is recommended to pay attention to the appearance of the additional sash so that it matches the interior. In most cases, they try to make it the same as the interior ones: laminated, wooden or veneered.
You can also install a plastic model if this corresponds to the design concept. The most unsuitable option in a city apartment is glass, but metal is quite suitable. In this way, thieves can be misled: a second inexpensive entrance structure (wooden) will be suitable for the entrance, and a real armored barrier will be hidden behind it.
Entrance second metal doors
How to install correctly
You can entrust the installation of the door to specialists or do it yourself. The procedure is very painstaking and requires attentiveness and accuracy from the performer. Any negligence during operation will negatively affect the performance characteristics of the additional sash.
Mounting options
Installing a second entrance door can be done in two ways. The choice of technology depends on the parameters of the opening. The monoblock version is suitable for simultaneous installation of both panels. The doors are attached to one wide frame, which speeds up the procedure and further insulates the structure.
Separate installation is suitable when the first entrance door is already in place. With the help of canopies, one element is added to another on a single finished block. The sizes of both canvases must match exactly. At the slightest deviation, the structure is deformed. During work, the structure is leveled, and the resulting cracks are carefully foamed.
Installation options for the second door Source bym.com.ua
A common threshold is required between the two canvases. In an apartment, the element is assembled from wooden beams or bricks, adapting to the characteristics of the first door. To make it convenient for those entering the cottage to step over, the structure is joined with a concrete screed, and the surface is decorated with tiles.
How to do it yourself
If you have the skills and construction tools, you can install the second entrance door yourself. Due to the size and weight of the canvas, we recommend carrying out the procedure with an assistant. The new assembled box is mounted in a pre-prepared threshold, leaving a gap (at least 12 cm) from the first block. The indentation is needed to accommodate handles and keys protruding from locks.
Wedges are inserted under the structure, 2 pieces on each of the lower sides. Use a level to check the correct location. Measurements are taken horizontally of the threshold and vertical of the rack. The inclination is adjusted by the movement of the bars.
Installing a double entrance door to an apartment: installation features
It is not difficult to install a second entrance door yourself. You just need to follow the instructions and follow the recommendations of experts. It is important to act carefully, competently, choose suitable materials, and seal all the cracks well. You also need to prepare all the tools and accessories in advance to avoid fuss during the installation process. You will need a hammer drill, a screwdriver, a level, a gun with foam, a tape measure, a drill, a mallet, a hammer, and a hacksaw. To secure the door block you will need anchors and screws. The number of hinges is selected depending on the weight of the sash.
Before installing the second door, you need to read the instructions. It is given below:
- Assemble the door frame. It can be without a threshold or with a threshold. The box is assembled groove to groove. First, connect the upper three parts with the letter P. Then measure the height of the passage. Saw off the excess part of the vertical posts.
- Insert the assembled structure into the passage. Fix it with wedges. Check evenness in all planes. Level if necessary. Secure with self-tapping screws or bolts.
- Place two or three canopies on the door frame. There must be a gap of at least 2 mm between the frame and the panel. Pieces of hardboard are placed in it around the perimeter.
- Hang the sash on the hinges. Align its position.
- Fill the cracks with sealant. Excess pieces of polyurethane foam are cut off after it has completely hardened.
- Install all fittings.
- Secure a rubber seal around the perimeter of the door frame. It will prevent the appearance of drafts in the apartment.
This technology is relevant for doors made of MDF, wood, and chipboard. If the doors are plastic, it is better to entrust their installation to a professional technician. When installing a second door, one rule must be taken into account: the distance between the two panels must be at least 25 cm.
Do-it-yourself fastening and insertion of fittings: awnings, handles, locks
To attach the hinges to the door, mark 200 mm at the top and bottom of the end of the door leaf. We fix with a pencil the places where the canopies begin. Place the loops between the marks so that the edge of the loop bar aligns with the edge of the end of the fabric.
Having made loops in two places, we draw them along the perimeter of the canopy with a knife.
This marks the boundaries of the loop surface. It is advisable to run the knife several times and go a little deeper. When the contour of the loop is clearly marked, use a chisel to remove the top layer of covering under the canopy.
Do-it-yourself lock mortise and door hardware installation
We do this carefully so as not to damage the coating outside the perimeter of the canopy. The hinge should fit into the recess flush with the surface of the door. Then, having previously marked the holes, we fasten the canopies with “original” self-tapping screws.
We attach the hinges to the box in the same way. At the same time, we take into account that the distance from the top of the frame to the beginning of the hinge will be greater by 3 mm, and from the bottom by 10 mm (these are gaps). We recommend watching photos and videos of installing interior doors with your own hands.
Arched double doors in the living room
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We choose a place for inserting the handle and lock. As a rule, door handles are installed at a distance of about a meter from the bottom of the door leaf. You can insert the lock a little higher or lower for your convenience.
Having stepped back the required distance from the edge, we place the lock body against the canvas. Mark where the door handles will be. Using pens and a drill, we cut out a hole slightly smaller in diameter than the handles.
On the end surface of the door we outline the perimeter of the recess for the lock.
Using feathers (feather drills), we make a recess for the lock mechanism. It should fit completely into this recess. As in the case of hinges, use a chisel to remove the layer around the perimeter of the plate covering the lock.
Massive wooden doors in the room
Useful advice!Fittings are an important accent in the composition of the door. Check out the photos in the catalogs and choose models of handle locks that are suitable in style and of good quality. Remember, a cheap thing cannot be of high quality.
When all the holes are prepared, install the handle and lock, fixing their position with screws.
In the same way, but on the box, we cut out a recess for the strike plate and make a recess for the lock tongue. Having attached the bar, we check how the latch works when closing the door. If the calculation is correct, we finally screw the striker. It’s worth watching educational photos and videos on how to attach the fittings to the doors.
Foaming the seams
The entire distance between the box and the opening must be foamed with foam. This is a simple and interesting task, the main thing is to foam the entire space and after drying, cut off the foam with a knife.
The following are the stages of installing extensions, door frames and → locks, but this will be discussed in other articles on the site.
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Assembling a double door frame
The very first thing you need to decide is where the door will open and on which side the porch will be.
Where is the narthex at the door frame
The second thing is to prepare a quiet, clean and spacious place so that no one walks there and you can safely put the entire door frame there.
Measuring the top bar
You need to measure and cut the top crossbar, to do this we add up the two panels in width, add the gaps between the panel and the frame on both sides and another one between the two panels, and also add two times the thickness of the vestibule.
It is most convenient to take gaps of 0.4-0.5 cm, since less will be more difficult to work with, and more is not necessary.
Top strip width = (door leaf width * 2) + (gaps * 3) + (rebate thickness * 2).
Total, for example, (2 canvases of 80 cm each) + (3 gaps of 0.5 cm each) + (2 thicknesses of the narthex of 3 cm each), we get 167.5 cm.
“Having measured 7 times,” we cut off the crossbar.
We measure the racks
The length (height) of the racks consists of the height of the door leaf, the gap between the door leaf and the top bar, and the gap between the door leaf and the floor.
Again.
The height of the racks = the height of the door leaf (generally 200 cm) + the gap between the leaf and the top bar (0.5 cm) + the gap between the leaf and the floor (1-1.5 cm).
For example, 200 cm + 0.5 cm + 1.5 cm = 202 cm.
“We measure 7 times” and cut off the posts.
Choosing grooves for racks
We apply the rack to the crossbar perpendicularly, the way they should be, align the side edges of the rack and the crossbar strictly flush (every mm is important here). We mark the location of the recess of the protruding part of the door block on the crossbar on both sides. We check the dimensions again and, if everything is correct, select these places with a hacksaw, chisel and hammer, carefully!
Box assembly
We insert the post into the groove on the crossbar, press it firmly and evenly with one hand (or hold it with another person) and use a screwdriver and drill to drill holes through the posts into the crossbar to the length of the screws.
Here it is important to drill evenly so that the drill does not drill through the block from the side or go to the side, into its front part. We tighten the screws. The box must be aligned tightly, with a minimum of gaps.
Having assembled the box, we proceed to marking and installing door hinges.
Where are double-leaf (double) doors used and where to install them?
You can install double doors wherever your heart desires. But, there are a couple of conditions: the doors must correspond to their intended purpose, that is, external doors must be installed outside, and interior doors must be installed indoors.
The second condition is the width of the opening where you install the door. If it is double, then there are no problems, but if it is single, then it is necessary to widen the opening. Here you need to be careful, since this is a redevelopment and expanding the opening from a single or one-and-a-half to a double, especially in a load-bearing wall, is necessary after agreeing on the redevelopment and the appropriate permission from the BTI.
Expansion of a doorway in a load-bearing wall requires permission and appropriate strengthening of the opening
Let's assume that you have a double doorway, or you have taken all the necessary actions and, with the permission of the BTI, expanded your opening or created a new one. If you have an old double door installed in your old double opening, it will need to be removed first, so let's start there.
Required Tools
To cut the door frame bars you will need the following tool:
- Or an electric miter saw, which allows you to get a better cut and speed up the work process.
Miter saw
- Or a hand saw with a fine tooth and a miter box.
Hacksaw and miter box
- Also, a miter box and a hacksaw can be a single tool, almost a miter saw, but with a manual drive.
Miter box with hacksaw
What other tools and materials will be needed to assemble a double door frame:
- hammer;
- screwdriver;
- chisels, 2 pieces - wide, about 20 mm and smaller, about 10 mm;
- wood drill 3 mm;
- self-tapping screws 3.5*50-60 mm;
I recommend: How to paint an old wooden window with your own hands
DIY tools for installing sliding doors
To install sliding interior doors with your own hands, there is no need to have a special tool. For DIY installation you will need the usual “standby” kit:
White wooden sliding doors with glass inserts
As for the accessories, you can stock up on a number of wooden wedges and a square beam measuring 50 or 40 (mm) for attaching the guides.
What to consider when installing a second door
Installing an additional sash is clearly a practical solution, but its implementation requires certain technical conditions. Installing a second entrance wooden door or inexpensive metal door requires taking into account the following nuances:
- The minimum distance between doors cannot be less than the height of the handles. Here it is better to provide a 10-20 mm margin so as not to spoil the surface finish by tightly pressing the protruding elements.
- The handles can be spaced apart in height so that they do not rest against each other. This will save space.
- Both canvases should be hung with loops on one side to make them easier to use.
- The inner door will always open towards itself, so there should be enough space in the hallway for such a maneuver.
- Each door must have its own threshold so that the insulating properties are not reduced.
