Decided to install a new metal door, but do not trust third-party installers? No problem! You can handle all the necessary activities on your own. Read the provided guide and get started.
Dimensions of the new door: important nuances
In order for the installation work to go as quickly as possible and with minimal inconvenience, even at the stage of choosing a new one, carefully consider the implementation of the necessary measurements.
Before you go to the store, measure the doorway. This work is complicated by the presence of a rather thick layer of mortar around the perimeter and, of course, the door frame. Because of them, it is quite difficult to clearly define the boundaries of the opening, which causes a number of inconveniences in the measurement process and can distort its results.
To ensure that measurements are as successful and accurate as possible, read the following recommendations:
- before the direct installation of the structure, we release the lower part of the opening up to the floor. The material by which the loot is raised, as well as the thresholds and other elements, will be dismantled;
- increase the top of the doorway, i.e. lifting is prohibited;
- the side parts, if necessary, can be slightly expanded. Here it is important to determine the width of the supporting transverse element, which is also the upper face of the doorway. The width of the installed door should be approximately 2-2.5 cm less than the same parameter of the supporting element.
Based on the foregoing, the frame of a new metal door should be 4-5 cm lower and narrower than the opening.
After taking the necessary measurements, proceed to the preparation of working tools.
Work set
- Perforator.
- Roulette for measurements.
- Sledgehammer.
- Bulgarian.
- Saw.
- Wooden plank.
- Hammer.
Additionally, you need to prepare material to fill the gaps between the walls of the opening and the frame of the new metal door. You can use cement mortar or polyurethane foam. Foam is more comfortable to handle.
Also prepare fasteners. Traditionally, reinforcing bars with a diameter of 1-1.2 cm or metal anchors are used.
Preparing the opening for a new door
Let's start with the dismantling of the old door. At this stage, we are not particularly careful. We just try not to destroy the walls if there is no need to expand the doorway. In particular, you need to carefully work with walls made of bricks and foam blocks.
We remove the old canvas or unscrew the hinges from the loot, in accordance with the design features of the door.
With a saw or grinder, we make several cuts along the perimeter of the door frame, and then take it out of the opening with a crowbar.
We clean the perimeter of the opening with a perforator from excess old plaster and cement mortar.
At this stage, we pay special attention to the bottom of the doorway. Often, after dismantling the box, a rotten wooden beam or old masonry is found in the lower part of the opening. We get rid of the damaged elements, and in their place we lay out a new brick, or we fix the timber of the required height.
After installation, the new metal door should be flush with the hallway floor. It is important to consider whether the floor will be filled with a screed in the future or such work is not provided.
The main part of the installation
At this stage, we enlist the support of an assistant - it is impossible to properly mount a metal door alone.
Check out the instructions from our new article.
Door frame fixing options
It was previously mentioned that the box can be fixed in several ways. In total, 3 main methods are used.
Eyelet attachment
The most common mounting option. The box is attached to the eyes using pins or anchors. At metal doors of a new sample, the eyes are welded to the frame.
Fixing is done in the following order:
- through the hole in the eye, a 10-15-centimeter recess is created in the wall with a perforator;
- a pin or anchor is inserted into the prepared recess. The pin must be prepared in advance. To do this, it is enough to take a reinforcement with a diameter of about 1 cm, sharpen one of its edges a little, and flatten the other with a hammer, forming a head;
- fasteners are driven into the recess until it stops;
- the pin is fastened with the eye by welding, the anchor is tightened with a socket wrench.
The procedure is the same as in the previous method, but holes for fasteners are created right at the end of the metal box.
Also well suited for mounting a metal door. The box is fastened with an outer border to the opening, and a hook is welded on the inside for fastening to the wall.
This method is best suited for buildings with solid walls and eliminates the need for drilling holes.
Finishing touches
After fixing the box, we hang the canvas and make sure that its course is correct. To do this, first we open the door by about 45 degrees, and then by 90. It is important that in these positions the canvas does not move spontaneously.
We make sure that there are no backlashes when the metal door is closed. If there are no problems, we proceed to fill the gaps between the walls and the box.
For sealing, you can use foam or cement mortar with the addition of alabaster. Foam is easier and faster to work with. However, the solution is characterized by higher strength.
We fill all the gaps with the selected material. To fill with foam, we use a special gun. In the case of using cement mortar, it is best to distribute it with your hands, and not with a spatula or trowel. The consistency of the cement mortar must be such that it does not float. The best option is a loose state, resembling a curd mass.
Checking the locks. Glue a seal around the perimeter of the new door. We fix the outer platbands. To fix them, we use bolts or rivets.
The process of self-installation of a new metal door is almost completed. You just have to decorate the slopes on the inside of the doorway at your discretion (plaster, plastic, drywall, etc.). They will hide the fasteners and give the composition a normal appearance.
Find out the answer to a question of extreme importance - from our new article.
Successful work!
Entrance door prices
Entrance doors
Video - Do-it-yourself metal door installation
Installation of entrance metal doors is a laborious process that requires certain skills. However, in order to save money, some people decide to do it themselves. In this article, we will take a closer look at this procedure.
First of all, we will prepare a tool for installing metal doors. So, you will need the following:
- Perforator (preferably as powerful as possible). In its absence, you can use an impact drill with the appropriate nozzles.
- Measuring instruments - tape measure, plumb line, level (ideally laser).
- Bulgarian with a large circle.
- Board, saw - this is needed to create pegs.
- The material for filling the joints is polyurethane foam or cement mortar. The first option is simpler, and the second is more durable.
- Fasteners (anchors, rods, etc.). It is better to buy them complete with a door.
- Hammer and chisel.
- Wrench for tightening fasteners of the appropriate size. Or a screwdriver with the correct nozzle.
If you do not have a puncher or grinder, and you do not plan to buy such an expensive tool, you can rent it. In many cities of the country there are organizations providing such a service.
A few words about measurements
The first step is to measure the width and height of the opening. You need to measure not from the box, but from the concrete (or brick) base. Only after that you can go to the store. There are two options:
- Order a door for the size of the opening.
- Buy a finished model with close parameters.
In the first case, the purchase will cost much more, but you don’t have to spend energy on expanding (narrowing) the opening. If the current canvas is a new sample, then it will be possible to choose a model that is ideal in size. In "Khrushchev" and other typical houses built in the USSR, as a rule, openings of non-standard sizes. Therefore, the installation technology involves expansion. This operation will require a lot of physical strength.
Before placing an order, decide in which direction the closure will be made. If your apartment is located against the wall and there is a distribution box hanging on it (with automatic machines and counters), then it is best that the handle is located on the other side. In this case, the canvas will not knock on the box.
We make expansion and preparation of the opening
Proper installation of a metal door begins with fitting the opening. If it fits in size, then you only need to level the original surface. To do this, we use a thick cement mortar. It is recommended to make alignment in several layers. We throw the mixture manually or with a spatula, after which we level it with a spatula.
Enlarging the opening is a very loud and dirty stage of work. Therefore, let your neighbors know about this so that you can choose the time when they will not be at home. First, we apply markings along the perimeter (U-shaped). So there are two options. The first is to take a powerful grinder with a large (at least 40 cm in diameter) disk on concrete and simply remove a layer of concrete of the required thickness. In this case, there will be a lot of construction debris.
The second, more gentle option:
- We take a puncher with a drill larger than the thickness of the wall.
- We drill through holes in the wall along the entire perimeter with a minimum step.
- Using a hammer and chisel, we hollow out the excess concrete.
Important! It is necessary to leave a technological gap of several centimeters so that the position can be adjusted. The cracks will be sealed later.
This technique will take more time, but you will bring less discomfort to your neighbors. Finally, we level the surface.
Main front of work
How much it costs to install an entrance metal door worries many. Such a service will cost at least 4 thousand rubles (depending on size and complexity). Therefore, doing the work yourself is a rational option, especially when it comes to an inexpensive model, because installation in this case can cost more than the purchase itself.
Tip: if the weight of the complete structure is small, and you have enough strength to work with it, then you can not remove the canvas from the box.
So, you need to do the following:
- The first step is to check the operation of the canvas. We insert the structure into the opening.
- We check with the help of a level and a plumb line the verticality and compliance with the dimensions. It is necessary to achieve perfect accuracy - a misalignment of even a few millimeters will disrupt operation. If any surface irregularities are found, they must be eliminated.
- Having achieved perfect fixation, the box needs to be fixed. To do this, insert wooden pegs into the existing gaps (at least 4 pieces for each side).
- Having done this, once again check the evenness of the position.
- Now we fix it with fasteners. In budget models, anchors may not be included, they will need to be purchased separately. It is advisable to consult with a sales assistant when buying.
- The main rule is that there should be at least three fixation points on each side. Only then will the correct installation be guaranteed.
- First we fix the side on which the loops are located. There are mounting holes on the box - through them we drill for the installation of anchors. If they are absent on the jamb, they will first have to be made with a drill with a drill for metal. We do 3 for each side with approximately equal steps.
- After drilling the holes, insert the bolts and tighten the nuts securely. This procedure is carried out for all parties.
- We insert the canvas (if we removed it). We check the smoothness of the move: the door should not spontaneously open. We install it in different positions. She must not walk in any of them. If such moments are observed, it is necessary to adjust the fasteners.
- To adjust the position, loosen (tighten) the nuts. Pay due attention to this aspect - in the future it will be impossible to make adjustments.
Final stages of work
On this, the installation of the entrance metal door with your own hands is almost completed. Now you need to close the joint that has appeared. Mounting foam is a simple, but not the most reliable option. In addition, its use greatly facilitates the work of crackers. Therefore, we strongly recommend the use of cement mortar, in which alabaster should be added.
The work is simple:
- We close the joint from the side of the apartment with any even material at hand (plastic panel, board, etc.). This will prevent the mixture from falling out into the corridor.
- Armed with rubber gloves, we throw a solution into the slot from the side of the entrance. It must be filled out completely.
- Using a spatula or trowel, level the solution.
- We go into the apartment and remove the barrier.
- We make putty on this side.
The cement mixture dries for a day (sometimes two). Therefore, at this time, try to reduce the operation of the door as much as possible in order to prevent cracking of the solution. Do not forget to check the operation of the locks and handles - they should work smoothly. In case of the slightest defects, ask for a replacement. We recommend immediately lubricating all moving parts (keyholes, hinges, etc.). WD-40 is perfect for this.
Installing metal doors will reduce heat loss, increase sound insulation and ensure the safety of property. There is nothing difficult in the technique, but before starting work, you need to familiarize yourself with the intricacies and nuances of installation.
Opening dimensions: important nuances
In order for the installation of the front door to go without surprises, before choosing a new design, you should correctly make individual measurements of the opening. It can be difficult to immediately determine its exact boundaries, since this is complicated by the presence of an old box and / or uneven slopes around the perimeter. How to avoid the risk of getting false results?
To determine the exact dimensions, follow the instructions below:
- before starting installation work, you need to remove the lower part of the box to the base, dismantle the loot, sills;
- do not raise or increase the upper part of the opening;
- if you need to slightly expand the sides, the width of the jumper is determined, which also serves as the upper side of the opening. For a private house or apartment, the width of the opening should be at least 18 cm narrower than the lintel (the minimum support of the lintel on the wall is 9 cm, this is the most important parameter for the reliability of the wall).
The minimum value for each direction is taken into account. Based on the dimensions obtained, the frame of the new front door must be made smaller in height by 2-3 cm and 4-5 cm in width.
Installation Tools
To do the work yourself, you will need the following tools:
- Bulgarian;
- perforator;
- yardstick;
- sledgehammer;
- wooden plank;
- saw and hammer.
The principle of the device of a reliable modern design Additionally, you need to prepare material for sealing the gaps between the walls of the doorway and the box of the metal structure. To do this, you can use mounting foam or cement mortar.
Installation must be carried out using fasteners (metal anchors or reinforcing bars 1-1.2 cm thick).
Dismantling the old door
The old structure should be dismantled while maintaining the walls or expanding the opening. You need to carefully work in a house made of brick or aerated concrete. First, the canvas is removed and the hinges are unscrewed (taking into account the features of the door structure). If the hinges are removable, then the door opens, a crowbar is placed under the lower part of the canvas and, lifting the doors, they are removed. Non-separable hinges must be unscrewed.
Removing the canvas After removing the canvas, you should determine the method of fastening the box and find the fixation zones. For a metal door in the country, pieces of reinforcement or an anchor could be used, which in the connection area must be cut off with a grinder, knock out or squeeze out the old box.
If the box is made of wood, then you need to cut the side parts in half, pry with a crowbar and break it out. Then, in the same way, you need to remove the lintel and remove the threshold.
Removing the box Then the slopes are dismantled, the wallpaper is removed, putty or plaster, brick fragments are beaten off. That is, all weak areas are removed, after which the resulting opening is evaluated. The resulting large voids are filled with cement mortar bricks, and medium-sized defects can be ignored. Clean rough protrusions with a hammer or grinder.
Dismantling result You also need to pay attention to the lower part of the opening, where there may be obsolete masonry or a rotten bar. Damaged parts are removed, replaced with a bar of the required dimensions or bricks, and the gaps are filled with cement mortar. Aligning the opening will ensure successful installation of the door.
Installation of an iron door in brick and concrete walls
To properly install the iron door according to GOST, it is recommended to call an assistant. First, a box is placed in a standard opening, the possibility of vertical insertion in several planes is checked by a level. If you need a slight correction of the surface of the opening, you can use a chisel, puncher or grinder.
Checking the verticality of the installation After the box is evenly positioned, it is placed on spacers and temporarily fixed with wooden or plastic wedges.
Spacers should have a height of 1.5-2 cm 
After that, the steel sheet is fixed and the placement of the box is adjusted. It is necessary to check the absence of unnecessary tension and deformation in the box. If there are no such problems, then the canvas is removed, another part and jumpers are attached.
Door frame fixing options
In order for the door structure to hold tight and be resistant to breaking, you need to firmly attach the box in the opening. There are two methods for this: through the existing holes in the box and through the mounting plates (lugs). There are no significant differences between these methods, however, eyelets are more suitable for thick walls than panel houses cannot boast.
If fastening is carried out through the box, then a smaller gap can be made - 5-15 mm. Some installers combine the two techniques when the door design allows it. Whatever method of fixing the box is chosen, anchor bolts or reinforcing pins with a length of 12 cm or more are used for fastening.
When installing an entrance metal door with your own hands, please note that there should be at least three attachment points on the side ends, and two each at the top and bottom. First, the side with loops is attached, starting from the upper area, then the correct installation is checked with a level.
Eyelet fastening
If there are lugs in the box (welded plates), then fasteners through the holes in them, where a piece of reinforcement or an anchor is driven in. But if there are no holes in the plate, they are pre-drilled, two reinforcing pieces are driven in and the plate is welded to them. With such an installation, careful control of the location of the box is necessary, since the verticality of the door may be disturbed by its displacement.
Fastening through the box
When using anchors, their heads must be recessed inward. A perforator is taken, a suitable drill and an anchor (the dimensions of the drill correspond to the anchor) with a length of at least 12 cm. After drilling the loops, the anchor is placed and hammered. It must be drowned to the inner edge of the box. If reinforcement is used, then holes are drilled in accordance with its diameter.
The main installation stages of the installation of the structure
A light door leaf can be hung in place and the correct installation of the box can be checked. For a steel structure weighing approximately 100 kg, two fasteners are not enough. Fasteners are placed in the area of \u200b\u200bthe hinges and the lock, after which the horizontal and vertical placement of the box is checked. Then the canvas is hung, after which the fasteners are fixed and tightened.
Installing a door in foam and aerated concrete walls
A feature of aerated concrete is its low resistance to stress (fragility), so it will not work to mount entrance doors according to the standard for brick walls. In this case, a frame is made of a metal corner, which is held in the wall thanks to the stop. Jumpers that tighten two corners are placed in the area of \u200b\u200bfastenings (holes or lugs) on which the structure will be held.
The metal frame evenly distributes the load from the door to the wall Filling gaps with mounting foam
If there are no backlashes at the closed door, then the gaps between the box and the walls are filled. Low expansion foam must be used. For its normal polymerization, the filled cavities must be moistened with water from a household spray bottle. Then gradually they are filled with foam over the entire width of the box. The solution should have the consistency of curd mass. But there is no need to worry that the box can be opened, since the expansion force of the foam will not be enough.
Gap filling
Finishing touches
After the box is fixed, the canvas is hung and the correctness of its course is checked. At the same time, we open the sash at 45 and 90 degrees. In such positions, it should not move arbitrarily.
Further, a sealant is glued around the perimeter, fixed on rivets or bolts. If necessary, closers can be mounted. The procedure for self-installation of the front door will be completed after (you can use drywall, plastic or plaster). This will hide the fasteners and make the whole composition complete and aesthetic.
A well-installed front door not only guarantees the safety of your property, but also improves sound insulation and reduces heat loss. Installation of a metal door can be done independently, but it is better to agree in advance on help with a friend - together you can put even the heaviest canvas. In this article we will talk about the rules and features of the installation of entrance doors.
Preliminary work - we dismantle the old door and prepare the opening
The installation of metal doors is a responsible task, the safety of your loved ones will depend on the correct solution of which, therefore, you need to do the work competently, accurately and without haste. To install a new canvas, it is necessary to dismantle the old door in advance, and this must be done as carefully as possible so as not to damage the opening. If the old canvas with removable hinges, then first open the door, place a crowbar under the lower edge, lift it and remove it from the hinges. If you have non-separable hinges, then you must first unscrew them - we recommend starting from the bottom.
Next, you need to dismantle the slopes, remove the wallpaper and beat off the plaster in order to prepare for the dismantling of the box. You should determine exactly how the box was attached and find these fasteners. Metal boxes are usually fixed with anchors and pieces of reinforcement. At the junctions, they need to be cut off with a grinder, after which it remains to knock out or gently squeeze out the box. You do not need to apply excessive force in this case, you can damage the opening, which will require additional repairs.
The wooden box is much easier to pull out. It is enough to cut the side racks in the middle and, prying them with a crowbar, break them out of the opening. After removing the sidewalls, it will be possible to remove the threshold and the lintel without any problems.
Next, you will have to prepare the opening: remove all brick fragments and uneven pieces of putty, get rid of everything that does not hold well and can simply fall off without regret. Now you need to evaluate the opening. If there are large voids, they can be filled with pieces of brick using cement mortar, you can ignore minor defects and potholes, but it is better to cover the gaps with mortar. If there are significant protrusions, they will also have to be removed first. To do this, you can use a hammer with a chisel or grinder.
Pay special attention to the floor under the door frame. In old houses here you can find a wooden beam, already rotten and crumbled. If present, it should be removed. If outwardly the beam seems strong, it needs to be checked for strength with an awl - stick the awl with force into the tree, wobble a little and pull it out. So you need to make several holes. If the awl enters the wood with difficulty and only to a shallow depth, and the hole remains small after removing the needle, everything is in order with the beam and you can not touch it. Otherwise, you will have to remove the tree and put in its place exactly the same bar, previously impregnated with a protective compound from decay. Instead of a beam, you can lay a cavity with bricks and pour concrete.
We are preparing a new canvas for installation - what to look for?
To improve the safety of the home, the installed frame, frame and the door leaf itself must be made of steel (metal). To ensure a high level of noise and heat insulation, the canvas is additionally laid with a heater. After that, the door is sewn up with metal or sheet material. In some cases, a rubber seal is installed around the perimeter of the porch, which not only increases the sealing, but also reduces the sound intensity that occurs when the door slams shut.
When buying a door made of iron, you get a set with a lock installed, but the handles are supplied separately. It is better to install them before, screwing them with screws or bolts. Next, you need to check the operation of the latches and existing locks, they should work smoothly, without problems and effort on your part. If the elements of the web work normally, you can begin its installation.
In the case of installing a door with access to the street (in a house or cottage), it is recommended to lay the box outside with a heater. As a heat-insulating material, stone wool or polyurethane foam can be used. The frame is simply filled with foam, and the stone wool is cut into strips and inserted into the frame, where it holds due to the force of elasticity.
Next, you need to paste over the steel box around the perimeter with masking tape. It will protect the painted elements of the door from possible damage. You can remove the adhesive tape only after you finish working with the door slopes.
Rules for mounting a frame in a concrete and brick wall - a simple instruction
The easiest way to install doors in which you can pre-remove the canvas. The canvas is removed from the hinges and a frame is inserted into the previously prepared opening. The frame should not simply fit into the opening, it should be placed on small mounting spacers about 20 mm high. The frame must be strictly level, therefore, the thickness of the gaskets should be changed until the desired result is achieved.
After aligning the door horizontally, you should also set it vertically - be sure to make sure that the racks are strictly vertical, do not deviate from the opening either back or forward. A level or building plumb line will also help you with this. Having installed the box evenly and correctly, wedge it with prepared wedges, these can be plastic products from the store or self-carved from wood. On long racks, you need to install three wedges, and on the top - two. It is best to put them in close proximity to future frame attachment points, but try not to block these places.
When the frame is wedged, it is necessary to re-check the correct position in the vertical and horizontal planes. Even the slightest deviation should not be. Now you can mount the box in the opening. There are two different types of mounting fasteners:
- 1. Steel eyelets welded to the box.
- 2. Through holes.
Regardless of the type of fasteners, installation takes place according to the same principles. The only difference is that boxes with holes can be installed in less thick walls. This is very important, because it is far from always possible to install doors with eyes into an apartment in a panel house.
We mount the box through a through hole and through the eyes
First, let's look at the features of fastening the box through the holes. The steel frame in the opening is fixed to the anchor or part of the steel reinforcement with a diameter of 10-12 mm. The exact diameter of the fasteners is chosen taking into account the dimensions of the purchased door. When using anchors, they must be fixed in such a way that their head passes into the outer hole and does not pass into the inner one. The size of the reinforcement must exactly match the diameter of the holes in the box.
Having bought all the necessary fasteners, you need to make holes. To do this, you will need anchors, a drill and a puncher. The drill must be of the same diameter as the selected anchor, with a length of at least 300 mm. To determine the optimal depth to which the drill should plunge into the wall, it is enough to stick masking tape on the drill. With it, you will mark how deep the drill went into the base.
It is better to start mounting the fasteners from the side of the hinges. Work very carefully so as not to accidentally move the leveled box. First, make a hole on top, install the anchor and finish it with a hammer so that it enters the wall to the edge of the box, now you need to insert a screwdriver into the slot and knock on it with a hammer. When the anchor is driven in, it will need to be slightly tightened with a screwdriver, making it a few turns. Now check the evenness of the frame with a level to make sure that it has not moved.
Install the mount at the bottom in exactly the same way, and then check the flatness of the box vertically and horizontally. If you are installing not very heavy doors, then you can already check how they fit into the frame. Just hang them on the hinges and check how evenly they sit, for cracks, distortions and other problems. Be sure to check the functionality of all locks.
With heavy door panels, such experiments should not be carried out. They weigh about 100 kg, so the test will require more fasteners than the current 2. To test, you need to install all the fasteners on the side of the hinges and at least one fastener on the side of the lock. After that, the evenness of the installation of the frame vertically and horizontally is checked, and only then you can hang the door and check the quality of its opening, the performance of the locks, etc. If the check did not reveal any problems, you can continue to install the door; if any troubles are found, you will have to remove the frame and reinstall it.
The checked canvas is removed from the frame, the anchors are finally tightened, and then all other fasteners are installed, for which there are holes in the frame. After installing the fasteners, the door is again hung in its place. Now you need to fill the mounting gaps with foam. It is best to use foam with a low expansion coefficient - this will make it easier for you to work. To improve the polymerization of the foam, pre-moisten the filled cavities with water with a household spray bottle. You need to foam the cavities across the entire width of the door frame, so you will improve sound insulation and reduce the likelihood of drafts.
If foam gets on the canvas, it must be quickly removed with a damp sponge or cloth. After a few minutes, it will be much more difficult to remove the polymer without harming the painted canvas. And if the foam has not yet had time to harden, then removing it is very simple. The final polymerization will be completed in about a day, after which we can assume that the installation of the door is completed and you will only have to hang the slopes.
If you need to install a box with lugs, it will also need to be installed on linings, aligned and wedged. Then there are two possible options for continuing work:
- 1. If there are holes in the eyes. Under them, you need to drill holes in the wall, cut off a piece of reinforcement, insert it into the hole and hammer it.
- 2. If there are no holes in the eyes. Such lugs are made of thick metal. To attach such a frame, you will need to drill two holes near the attachment point, drive in two pieces of reinforcement near the plate and weld an eyelet to them.
Installing an eyelet frame requires even more care from you. When performing work, it is very easy to move the frame from the chosen place, and it will take a lot of effort to adjust its position.
Features of installing doors in wooden and aerated concrete houses
In wooden houses, the doors are usually mounted not directly to the wall, but through a pit or casing. An okosyachka is a wooden beam, which is movably fixed to the wall. The beam is fixed with a tongue-and-groove connection and it will be held due to the force of elasticity. The door frame will be fixed already on this beam, and not on the structural elements of the house.
Casing installation requires cutting a special groove in the opening. A T-shaped casing is created from the timber, and the width of the spike should be slightly larger than the width of the groove to ensure reliable fastening. The bars are hammered into the opening with a sledgehammer. The height of the side posts should be at least 3 cm less than the height of the opening. This is a compensation gap, which is covered with mineral wool, so that the doors do not warp when the house shrinks.
A box is fixed on the installed casing. Anchors in this work will not be required, it is enough to use powerful screws or self-tapping screws. Under them, you need to pre-drill holes, but the diameter of the drill will be much smaller than for anchors. The hole should be located only in the casing beam, not reach the wall of the house.
Installation of pigtails and casing is a very important measure, since wooden houses are constantly shrinking and drying out. During the first year after construction, doors and windows are not installed at all; the house will undergo too serious changes during this time. In the next year, shrinkage becomes less pronounced, but continues throughout the entire life of the facility. Because of this, it is impossible to fix the doors rigidly, they can easily jam and even bend, or they will not allow the house to sit down and lead to deformation of its structural elements.
Installing a door in an aerated concrete house with your own hands also has its own characteristics. This material does not withstand shock loads well, therefore, according to the method described above for concrete objects, the door cannot be fixed. The only way out is the preliminary creation of a metal frame from a corner, which is installed in the wall due to the stop. The tightening corners-jumpers are located in the places of fasteners through the mounting holes or lugs.
Regardless of the material from which your house is built, you can install iron doors in it yourself, without seeking help from professionals whose services significantly increase the cost of replacing the door leaf.
Doors can be different, interior or entrance, wooden or metal, simple and equipped with various additional automatic systems. And in each case, the installation of doors of appropriate complexity must be carried out.
Door manufacturers usually install the doors themselves, provide a guarantee for the work performed, and, of course, charge a certain fee for this.
Naturally, the installation of doors involves the involvement of a team of professionals, but at the same time, the work can be done independently. Knowing the rules for installing interior doors, and the nuances of installing a metal door, the whole procedure can be completed together in 3-4 hours.
For those who choose the latter option, consider how to install a metal front door with your own hands.
Nuance. As a rule, the manufacturer does not provide a guarantee for a door that is installed by third parties, and also does not perform its adjustment.
Installation of entrance metal doors - instructions
1. Preparatory stage
Door installation tool
The set of tools required for work is shown in the photo.
As you can see, there is no need for a highly specialized professional tool.
Preparing doors for installation
Preparing the purchased door also does not take much time. It needs to be unpacked and checked for completeness. Check how the lock works and make sure the hinges can be adjusted. To date, only hinged welded handicraft hinges are unregulated.
Advice. If the door does not have a protective film, it is recommended to protect it with a plastic film and stick masking tape on the door frame.
Preparing a place for installing doors
Preparation of the installation site involves the removal of furniture from the place of work, the removal of the floor covering or its protection, the removal of the plinth, protection of design elements from dust. In addition, it is worth immediately deciding in which direction the door should open and take into account the required gap size. So that in the future the floor covering does not interfere with the operation of the door.
2. Dismantling the old front door
For a new building, this stage is not relevant, but when replacing the entrance iron doors in an apartment or a private house, it should be taken with all responsibility.
Dismantling a metal door takes no more than an hour and is divided into two components:
- dismantling of the door leaf. If the door is installed on non-separable hinges, then it can be removed by opening and lifting it up. The door slides off the hinges easily. Given the weight of a metal door, a crowbar may be needed. If the hinges are collapsible, then they need to be disassembled using a screwdriver;
- dismantling the door frame (metal or wood). It happens that the door frame for a metal door is wooden, then you need to unscrew all the anchors and remove individual parts from the doorway. You may have to cut the wood into pieces and take them out with a crowbar. Most often, the front door is installed in a metal box. Then you need to cut the mounting rods and remove the box. And then eliminate all surface irregularities, remove unnecessary plaster and remove dust.
3. Preparing the doorway for the front door
This stage is also different from the installation of interior doors. And it has several features:
- The entrance metal door cannot be cut. Usually the door leaf is sold in standard sizes with a step of 100 mm. Naturally, it cannot be cut without violating the integrity and appearance. Therefore, to install the door, you need to change the parameters of the opening. The standard width of the doorway of the front door (metal) is 86-96 cm (according to fire safety standards). In such an opening it is convenient to bring furniture, household appliances, etc. into the house. As a rule, most of the manufactured entrance doors have this width, so you can simply pick up the door.
To reduce the opening, you can install a metal frame from a channel or square. The scheme for installing an entrance metal door in a wide opening is shown in the figure.
The disadvantage of this method is the appearance of cold bridges. They can be eliminated by arranging and insulating slopes.
To expand the opening, you need to cut down part of the wall. To do this, use the grinder. In a house cast from concrete, it is much more difficult to perform such work. Therefore, it is better to calculate the required width even before buying a door leaf.
Advice. Do not use impact methods to expand the opening, this may lead to cracking of the supporting structure of the building.
- The entrance metal door is heavier. The optimal thickness of the metal for the front door is 2-3 mm. A thinner sheet can be cut with improvised means. So, it can not be installed in any opening. So, for example, the wall of a brick house or a house built from hollow blocks does not have sufficient strength to withstand the weight of a metal door. In this case, a monolithic concrete portal is cast for the front door, which is connected with reinforcement to the wall. And already a door frame is mounted in it.
- The thickness of the door frame exceeds the thickness of the wall. According to GOST 31173-2003 "Steel door blocks", the box cannot be installed in a wall whose thickness is less than 150 mm. In this case, you need to think about thickening the wall.
- The load on the floor increases. To do this, the strength of the floor covering is checked in the doorway. If a wooden beam or brick was previously used during installation, it is better to remove them, and clean the place and pour concrete. For a lighter door, you can lay a new brick or an antiseptic-treated timber made of durable wood.
At the same stage, communication is arranged. For example, lighting, doorbell, etc.
4. Installing the door block in the opening
There are several ways to install a door block with your own hands.
The technology for installing door blocks - the diagrams are shown in the figure.
The choice of a particular option depends on the features and weight of the front door. For understanding, we briefly describe each method.
Method 1 - installing a door block using mounting plates (lugs)
Schemes 1-3 in the figure. The most popular of the mounting methods, because. many growers and shrubs make door frames with protruding lugs. Usually there are three of them on each side rack. The box is installed so that the plates are adjacent to the outer part of the wall. And the technological gap between the door frame and the wall was 10-20 mm.
A hole is drilled in the wall. Its depth depends on the thickness of the wall and should be 2/3, but not less than 100 mm. Further, through the hole in the eye, anchor or plumbing bolts are inserted, which are tightened with keys. Quite often, reinforcement is inserted into the eyes. A rod thickness of 12-15 mm is sufficient.
Advice. With hollow walls, anchor bolts are not used, and the length of the pin must be increased to 500 mm.
For reliable fastening, the pin is splashed (to form a hat) or welded to the eye.
Advice. To make it easier to start the reinforcing pin, you can sharpen one end of it.
The scheme of installation through the eyes is shown in the photo.
Advice. When installing the door, it is better to orient the eyes inside the room. This will protect yourself from cutting the door.
Method 2 - installing the door block through the door frame (box)
Scheme 4 in the figure above or drawing in the figure below.
It is used if the door is installed in the opening with the device of internal and external slopes. In this case, the wall thickness must be at least 150 mm to avoid internal damage.
To install the door block in this way, holes 100-150 mm deep are drilled through the mounting holes in the metal of the door frame. An anchor bolt is inserted into them and tightened with a key, or reinforcement is started. If holes in the door are not provided, they are drilled with a drill. The value of the technological gap between the wall and the door frame is 5-10 mm.
Advice. When installing the door in this way, take care to protect the door covering. Powder coating can be painted over, while polymer coating cannot be restored.
The installation diagram of the door block through the box (door frame) is shown in the photo.
Method 3 - installing the door block by concreting the door frame
The newest of the existing, but has already found its supporters. It provides for concreting the door frame, as shown in the diagram.
The essence of the method is that a hollow door frame is used, in which a concrete solution is placed.
The installed box is leveled using a level, anchored (fixed) in the wall using anchors and left until the mortar has completely hardened.
Installation of an entrance metal door - rules
The choice of one method or another does not mean that the metal front door will be installed correctly. When performing installation, you must adhere to the following sequence of work with the obligatory use of a building level or plumb line.
- measure the width of the door in three places (top, bottom, middle);
- install the door frame strictly according to the level. This will avoid distortions in the future. Initially fix the door against the wall using wedges. This will help to easily and timely adjust its position. In this case, it is recommended to place the wedges as close as possible to the corners so as not to damage the cover of the box;
Advice. The vertical must be checked from the outside and from the inside of the box.
- drill holes in the wall. The dimensions of the holes must correspond to the dimensions of the fasteners;
- insert pins or bolts into the holes and securely fasten them;
- ensure a tight fit of the threshold to the floor. After all, it will have the greatest load;
- install door hinges, lubricate them, remove unnecessary (excess) grease.
5. Hanging the entrance metal door
The door must be installed with the necessary clearances. The size of the door gaps in the door frame is constant around the entire perimeter. This will ensure the normal functioning of all locking mechanisms and hinges.
After the door is installed, the ease of opening it is checked and the hinges are adjusted. We'll show you how to do it right.
How to adjust the hinges on the front door
To adjust the door hinges, you need to release all the fasteners on the middle hinge, and leave one tightened on the bottom and top hinges.
If the gap exceeds the norm from above, then it is necessary to loosen the fasteners on the lower hinge. Once the door leaf is in place correctly, you need to secure the loose screw on the top hinge and then the rest of the screws on the bottom hinge. After that, the screws are fixed on the upper hinge and last of all on the middle one.
Advice. You can check the quality of the installation of the front door as follows. Put a sheet of paper on the threshold or counter and close the door. Pull on the sheet. It should pull out with some effort.
6. Filling technological gaps with foam
Before you start filling the gaps between the door frame and the wall with foam, many professionals advise to remove the door leaf to prevent foam from getting on it. However, the masters advise to close it with a film and blow out the openings with the door closed. This will allow you not to overdo it with foam, which can even inflate a metal box.
Advice. With a significant gap between the wall and the box, it is better to seal them with foam, and only then foam them.
During the day, the foam will solidify completely and it will be possible to cut it off. If wooden wedges protrude, it is recommended to cut them off and in no case hammer them. This can lead to deformation of the door frame, which is eliminated only by performing work again.
Advice. The threshold should not be blown with foam. It collapses from constant stress. It is better to seal the base and cracks with concrete.
Installation of entrance metal doors - video instruction
7. Decorative design of the entrance metal door and opening
It includes the design (finishing) of slopes, fastening of trim, installation of a door closer, etc.
8. Caring for the entrance metal door
A properly installed metal door does not need maintenance or lubrication. Therefore, all care comes down to careful operation and care of the door leaf from the inside:
- for powder coating, you can use aggressive detergents;
- when finishing with vinyl skin and MDF panels, it is better to use a damp cloth without chemicals;
- when decorating with a laminate, you can use any type of care, the main thing is to wipe the door dry;
- when using veneer in door trim, it is better to use special wood polishes for cleaning;
- a soft cloth is used to clean the handles and locks, and the moving part of the lock is periodically lubricated with technical petroleum jelly.
Conclusion
This manual contains all the nuances of installing an entrance metal door. Adhering to the above recommendations, everyone will be able to perform the correct installation of the iron door with their own hands.