Second entrance door to the apartment: installation and operation, features and nuances

It happens that some time after installing a new entrance door, the need for additional protection of the room arises. Of course, in most cases the main door structure is chosen to be quite strong and reliable, but a second entrance door installed in parallel with it will provide the highest level of thermal insulation and safety.

Advantages of an additional door

Considering the fact that at the time of installation of the main entrance door it is not always possible to install a door structure with high sound insulation rates, extraneous noise very easily penetrates into the room. By reducing the possible penetration of extraneous sounds and odors, two entrance doors will reliably protect the entrance to the apartment from illegal entry. Such a system, thanks to the creation of an air buffer zone, helps to effectively protect the room from extraneous odors and sounds.

In addition, the presence of a second entrance door allows you to create a complete interior in the apartment. Considering that several doors always open into the hallway at once, the external design of the entrance door structures can be the same as the rest of the doors.

Flaws

Unfortunately, any product has its drawbacks. The option of installing a second entrance door and its use is no exception. So the main disadvantages of such a “two-door” system are:

The need for additional free space in the apartment under the door;
Opening the canvas into the room;
The need for additional expenses for the purchase and installation of doors;
If installed incorrectly, the product will not perform its basic functions.

Main advantages and disadvantages

When deciding to install a sliding door in a pencil case, you need to weigh all the pros and cons of the design. an advantage :

Space saving. The absence of a swing sash eliminates the formation of a dead zone. You can place furniture close to the wall and it will not interfere with the opening of the canvas.
Reduces the likelihood of injury. A person walking in the dark sometimes hits the end of an open swing door. The sensations are unpleasant and sometimes dangerous. No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to hit the end of the sliding panel.
Increased service life. Due to the rollers, the weight of the door leaf is evenly distributed across the frame lintels. The box becomes more resistant to loosening and does not warp. The linen hidden inside the pencil case is protected from pets and will not be smeared by children.
The sliding design visually expands the space , creates a zoning effect, and emphasizes the modern style of the interior.

The disadvantage is the high cost . A high-quality roller mechanism is expensive. Additionally, the costs of purchasing or manufacturing a pencil case are taken into account. It is difficult to install a cassette for a sliding door yourself. If you have no experience, you will have to hire specialists.

Another disadvantage is the reduction in sound insulation . There is a gap at the bottom and top of the end of the door leaf. It will not be possible to ensure silence in the room. Additionally, odors will penetrate from the kitchen through the gaps. The problem will have to be solved by installing a powerful hood.

Choice of door material

In most cases, the second entrance door is made of wood or metal. As a result, each product has both advantages and disadvantages. To determine the most suitable option, it is worth familiarizing yourself with all the characteristics and nuances of the operation of both designs.

When it comes to security, steel doors have proven themselves to be effective. Of course, this does not take into account budget canvases with a fairly thin layer of metal. A well-manufactured and installed structure is very difficult to tear down or damage.

Along with this, steel doors are inferior to wooden ones in terms of thermal conductivity. Most models tend to become covered with frost in the cold season or are capable of accumulating condensation inside the canvas. To avoid such processes, steel doors are insulated with various materials, and the inside is covered with wood-based sheets of various thicknesses and textures.

However, many metal doors, even with insulation, are not as effective at keeping cold air out of the apartment as products made from natural wood. Based on these factors, it is most effective to install two entrance doors from different materials: one from steel and the other from wood. Thus, the structures leading to the apartment will harmoniously complement each other, covering the existing shortcomings. In this case, as the first door it is necessary to place a strong metal sheet with insulation and an internal wooden covering. It is best to choose a second product made entirely of wood or made in a combined way.

Do-it-yourself cassette door installation

Before you start making a pencil case for a sliding door, determine the width of the opening. The design of the entire system will depend on this parameter. There are two types of cassette coupes:

Single leaf. Door blocks are designed for standard narrow passages to the bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.
Bivalve. Door blocks are designed for wide passages. Often such openings are installed in the living room or when combining rooms. The design consists of two separate cassettes installed on opposite sides of the aisle. The result is combined single-leaf systems, where each leaf rolls back in the opposite direction.

When making a pencil case for sliding doors with your own hands, take into account the type of wall. The usual non-load-bearing interior partition is completely dismantled. In its place, a structure with a niche is being erected. A sliding door with a plasterboard partition forms a false wall, which is a cassette. The construction of a new wall allows you to save useful space by maintaining the original thickness.

A load-bearing wall cannot be dismantled. The frame of the pencil case will have to be attached to the surface and covered with plasterboard on top. The result will be a double thickening of the wall and a reduction in space, but there is no other way out.

The cassette compartment door is installed after the finished floor has been installed. By this time, the final leveling should be completed, and the thickness of the floor covering should be taken into account.

Installation procedure

In order for the design of an interior compartment door to be made without errors when you make it yourself, you will need to draw a drawing and then transfer it to the wall. Using markings, they determine which areas need to be dismantled.
When drawing up a drawing, you need to calculate the dimensions of the sliding door cabinet. Measurement starts from the sash. Its width is multiplied by 2, which determines the length of the guide rail. The height of the racks of the pencil case is calculated taking into account the thickness of the jumper, the guide, as well as gaps of about 5 mm at the top and bottom of the end of the canvas. The pencil case is made 2 cm wider than the sash. The depth of the cassette is usually limited to 8 cm.
After performing the calculations, the dimensions of all elements are indicated on the drawing. To make a false wall, a profile is prepared. If the pencil case is mounted on a load-bearing wall, then you will need one row of racks. When assembling a false wall, instead of the removed partition, two rows of supports are installed to form a niche. The length of the racks is equal to the distance from the floor to the ceiling, since profiles are attached in these places.
An upper jumper is installed inside the niche, and a guide is fixed to it. A similar element is mounted to the floor. It is advisable to place a rubber band under the rail to dampen the sound of moving rollers.
The assembly of the sliding system depends on its type. Rollers can be located on both sides of the sash or only on the upper end of the leaf, and a guide knife is attached to the bottom. After installing the roller mechanism and fittings, the sash is hung on the rail. There should be a gap of 5 mm between the ends of the blade and the guide element.

They try to roll the hung door on rollers. The movement should be smooth, easy, without rumble or jumps. It is important not to forget about the limiters that serve as a stop for the sliding sash.

After successful testing of the sliding structure, the niche frame is sheathed with sheets of plasterboard. Further actions are aimed at decorative finishing of the false wall and framing the ends of the cassette, forming the door frame.

Combined second door and its manufacture

When making a second entrance door using a combined method, there are several options for its implementation, but it should be remembered that not all methods are appropriate in one case or another. Thus, installing additional reinforcement on the second leaf is unjustified if there is an armored main door. In this case, it is enough to equip the structure with a rigid metal frame with surface cladding with wood overlays. In this case, in the process of insulation it is permissible to use any suitable method and material.

The manufacturing principle itself does not cause difficulties in knowing how to use a welding machine and consists of the following steps:

Manufacturing and installation of door frames;
Frame assembly;
Insulation and decoration of the product.

Manufacturing and installation of door frames

One of the most suitable options for making second entrance doors to an apartment is to use a cut profile pipe with dimensions of 40x20 mm. Initially, the pipes are welded to one another in the shape of the letter “L” in cross-section. Thus, the output is a quarter for the canvas.

The rectangle of the door frame is assembled from welded blanks. During the work, it is necessary to pay special attention to the correct diagonals of the structure. All corners of the product at the exit must be straight. Deviations from the requirements may result in the box not matching the fabric.

Frame assembly

To install the frame, a metal pipe with dimensions of 20x20 mm is required. Subsequently, covering the frame on both sides, the dimensions of the product will correspond to the depth of the quarter of the door frame and have a size of 40 mm.

In most cases, the frame assembly is done inside the door frame. Initially, to ensure the correct placement of parts, it is permissible to use tacks, which are cut during installation. The assembled frame must be strengthened with several jumpers. The interior of the frame is strengthened by welding metal rods in the form of a lattice.

Insulation and decoration

The process of insulating the second entrance door begins with the installation of a decorative sheet on one side of the product. It is secured using self-tapping screws screwed into pre-prepared holes in the profile pipe. The free space inside the canvas is filled with polyurethane foam.

After the sealant has dried, the excess is trimmed and the second decorative sheet is installed. Its fastening is carried out simultaneously by two methods: by gluing and self-tapping screws. Such measures are necessary since installation is carried out through a cover plate and a large number of screws will significantly spoil the appearance of the product.

Not only veneer, but also chipboard and MDF sheets can be used as a decorative and protective material. Thanks to this coating, it is impossible to visually determine the way in which the second entrance door to the apartment was made, as well as the materials used to fill the structure.

Kinds

The result of the process of choosing an entrance door often depends on the appearance and design features of a particular model.

Based on the types of materials used for manufacturing, second doors can be divided into those made from:

metal;
metal-plastic;
natural wood;
combined materials.

The internal entrance door to the apartment may have a solid (solid) leaf or window openings. Depending on the goals and stylistic features of the hallway design, the opening can occupy 2/3, 1/2 or 1/3 of the total surface. Compositionally, the opening is located in the center or in the upper part. The width of the door also varies from narrow vertical to wide square.

Many owners of apartments and houses choose a design so that the door is the same as all other interior doors. This helps create stylistic unity in the design of the entire space.

Installation of the structure

Before installation, it is necessary to prepare all the necessary tools, including: a hammer drill, a construction kit, a screwdriver. In some cases, a welding machine may be required to install second entrance doors.

Of course, the best option is to simply install a second blade without the need to make adjustments to the position of the main one. However, this happens quite rarely. Quite often, installing a second entrance door requires a complete rebuild of the doorway. This procedure is performed if it is necessary to move the frame of the existing door leaf, or change the direction of door opening. At the same time, adjustments to a wooden structure are much easier than to a steel product.

The second entrance door is installed in the opening only after the existing door has been temporarily removed. This is necessary not only to facilitate hanging the product, but also to ensure the integrity of the main door. The main condition is to comply with the direction of opening of the sash.

The installation principle is virtually no different from the installation of the main structure. The frame of the product is assembled and adjusted to the size of the opening. The box is fixed using wedges and spacers. The existing mounting holes are filled with construction foam, and after drying they are leveled and plastered.

To hang the canvas, the second entrance door to the apartment in the open position is raised and put on the hinged holes on the corresponding pins. If necessary, the position of the blade is adjusted. After this, the main canvas can also be installed in its place.

Varieties and features

All sliding systems are identical in design. They may differ in dimensions, material, design of rollers and guide rails . The dimensions adhere to standards that imply a door height of 1.9–2 m and a width of 0.6 to 1 m. For large openings, built-in double compartment doors are installed in the wall. If you need to deviate from the standards, the cassette is made to order in the required sizes.

The factory design is supplied in its entirety. The pencil case is already folded and ready for installation. When manufactured independently, the cassette is assembled from a thick board, timber, or galvanized profile. The door leaf can be adapted to any suitable size.

Of the additional devices, the system is most often equipped with a door closer . The mechanism creates a smooth closing of the sash. For complete convenience, the sliding interior door, hidden in the wall, is equipped with automation. The canvas opens when a person approaches and closes after he passes through the doorway. The automation is triggered by sensor signals. The canvas is moved by an electric motor.

Automation is rarely installed in residential premises due to cost and impracticality. Autonomous systems are in demand in stores and other buildings where a large flow of people passes through the day.

Application of a door built into a niche

Built-in doors are suitable for arranging the entrance to rooms and other living spaces that require saving space. In families with active children, there is a need to open and close doors frequently. For such purposes, sliding mechanisms will be more practical.

Thanks to the original design, hidden doors fit harmoniously into any modern interior. They are considered the best option for narrow corridors. If there is a niche in the hall or bedroom, doors hide built-in wardrobes and separate dressing rooms. By experimenting with a variety of materials, the door leaf can be made multifunctional, for example, used as a mirror.

In large rooms, warehouses, accordion-type systems are installed in a wide doorway. It is used as a partition to divide space into several zones. If you need to decorate both a wall and a passage, you will need several sliding panels. With this solution, all panels are moved one at a time using a cascade principle.

Sliding structures are used for glazing terraces and special seating areas. With their help, the room can easily be transformed into an open space in the warm season.

Features of installing mobile interior doors

When arranging a pencil case to hide doors, the type of structure (single or double leaf) and the parameters of the door leaf are taken into account.

Products with one door are installed in small rooms: bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms or hallways. Double-leaf hidden doors are used to create wide passages into spacious rooms.

Arrangement of pencil cases for hidden door structures is carried out only after finishing of the floor base.

Sequence of installation work:

Analysis of wall characteristics: material of manufacture, load-bearing/non-load-bearing, passage inside communication systems;
The choice of mechanism for moving the door leaf: with one upper or two (upper and lower) guides;
Arrangement of a pencil case for the doors inside the wall or along the interior partition;
Facing and hiding cassettes for sashes.

How to save money on pencil case doors?

You can make pencil case doors yourself. If you are doing the repairs yourself, you can try to save money and make a pencil case. There are two options:

1. Build a false plasterboard wall along the main wall

, and between them build a cassette from the profile, installing a mechanism for the sliding door. The cost of such work may not differ much from the cost of a cassette. In addition, instead of freeing up space, we capture it by increasing the thickness of the wall.

2. Build a wooden cassette from plywood

. One of the well-known door manufacturers makes just such cassettes, offering them for its doors. But walling up wood in a wall, especially in plaster, is at least not practical. Wood can dry out and become deformed over time.

You can make a cassette yourself or entrust it to master finishers using the same logic that you can make doors yourself. For example, the difference will be the same as between a purchased stool and a homemade one.

How to decorate the doorway of a pencil case?

We are talking about the fact that you can install any doors in a cassette. But what about refining the opening of such doors? The frame, trim, and extensions are made for a swing door, and almost none of the manufacturers make components specifically for pencil case doors. In such cases, you have to work with what you have and use a simple box or extras to make a box for the pencil case doors.

Our craftsmen have long developed the technology for manufacturing components for cabinet door cassettes. When purchasing doors and cassettes from us, we can do this for you by sending a ready-made installation kit along with the cassette.

At what stage of the renovation is a pencil door installed?

The decision to install a pencil case door should be made before starting repairs. It is especially important if you do not have a suitable doorway and need to prepare it - widen the standard opening or build a false wall. You should also buy a cassette for pencil case doors and install it at the beginning of repairs during rough work at the stage of leveling the walls.

Thus, the pencil case doors are installed in two stages. At the beginning of the repair, a door cassette is installed, and only at the end of the repair, after the final finishing is completed, the door leaf is installed and the doorway is refined.

Assembling and installing the cassette is very simple, no more difficult than furniture from Ikea. Detailed instructions and the simplicity of the cassette design will allow anyone to do this. The main thing is to install the cassette evenly. A more complex process is installing the door leaf and decorating the opening.

Single-leaf or double-leaf sliding door – which one is better to choose?

Designs with two doors have the same advantages as single-leaf models, but at the same time they become an ideal solution for designing a wide opening space. When used, models with two doors provide more space at the entrance to the room.

If the main goal of installing sliding cassette systems in the wall is to save space, then it is better to give preference to products with one panel. In this case, the thickness will be much less. Folding varieties can also have one or more doors. The most affordable version is the “accordion”. When opening such a system, it seems as if there are no doors at all.

There are not many varieties of sliding models, since the design is standard. The products differ only in the material of the canvas, dimensions, additional capabilities and design characteristics. For installation in an interior opening, the door can have traditional dimensional parameters, which are typical for standard openings, or it can have unusual dimensions if the product is ordered individually.

According to the classic GOST dimensions, the canvases have a width of 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 centimeters. If the opening is more than 1000 mm wide, then it is better to install structures with two doors.

The cassette mechanism can support canvases made of any material. It often happens that consumers separately select a cassette, a pencil case and a panel, and after purchasing all the necessary elements, assembly is carried out. There are no difficulties for this process, since the pencil case is non-separable - it is delivered in its entirety.

If we consider additional equipment that will improve or complement the main functions of the door, then sliding door models for the wall can be equipped with closers and automatic closing systems.

Bivalve

This is where all the options and varieties end. However, all of the above will be quite enough to equip the room with attractive, functional, comfortable designs, regardless of the type and purpose of the room. In rare cases, entrance sliding doors into the wall come across for sale. However, it is better not to install such products in a house or apartment. This solution is better suited for the design of commercial buildings.