Rating of the best metal doors to the apartment in 2019

Often during repairs in an apartment or after moving to a new home, the question arises of replacing the door with a better and more durable one. As practice shows, the door must be made of steel sheet. But regarding other parameters and details, it is often necessary to consult with professionals. Let's find out how to choose a door and consider the rating of the best metal doors for an apartment.

Attention, you can read about which metal entrance doors are most in demand in 2022. here.

We get acquainted with the device of a reliable door

The safety of metal doors is affected by the thickness of its base, the outer sheet of steel, as well as the presence of stiffeners in the structure. At first it seems obvious that these parameters should be as large as possible. But on the other hand, this increases the mass of the door, as a result of which the hinges will wear out faster due to high inertia.

How a steel door works

Any quality door should have several basic elements. The frame should be made of a U-shaped profile, a sheet of steel is attached to it using spot welding. Stiffening ribs should be provided on the inside of the door.

In the vertical direction, at least two stiffening ribs must pass, and in the horizontal plane, their number must be at least three. In this case, the rib passing in the middle part of the door can be broken by the lock. The space between these ribs is filled with heat-insulating material.

The apartment side of the door is closed with any suitable material. Hinges with bearings are used to fasten the door frame. As an additional protection, a special anti-removal pin is used, which extends when the door is closed.

door frame

For the manufacture of this part of the structure, one of the following materials can be used:

• corner;
• bent sheet;
• profile pipe.

The latter option is most often used, provided that the metal thickness is up to 5 mm. The door frames of the first two options are more deformed by bending and twisting. In addition, the profile pipe is easier to fix in the thickness of the wall, it has good stability and is not difficult to install.

The advantage of a bent sheet box is its good heat and sound insulation properties, but they are less durable compared to boxes made of a profile pipe.

Door leaf thickness difference

This parameter is determined depending on the width of the profile, which is used for the base of the structure. For security reasons, this parameter is better to do more. But a door that is too thick can be unnecessarily traumatic. In this regard, it is better to stick to the standard thickness of 5 to 7 cm.

Sheets of steel from the inside and outside

These parameters determine the final mass of the door and its resistance to breaking. An inexpensive door will have a thickness of steel sheets no more than one and a half millimeters. Such a sheet is easy to open with a simple canning knife. Too much thickness increases the weight of the door, but does not affect the burglary resistance. Therefore, it is better to use a steel sheet with a thickness of about 3 mm. This creates both convenience and protective qualities.

It does not make sense to buy a door with a steel sheet welded on the inside. This is impractical, since during a break-in, the presence of an inner sheet does not affect access to the lock in any way.

The role of stiffeners

These elements are necessary in order to prevent the web from twisting during rough breaking. They prevent part of the door leaf from bending or being squeezed out of the door frame.
There are three options for stiffening ribs:

• in the longitudinal version, the ribs are welded in a vertical direction;
• the transverse arrangement implies a horizontal direction;
• the option when there are both directions is called combined.

The latter option is considered the most successful, as it makes the door leaf as rigid as possible.

Distinctive features of doors made in China

The very first thing you should pay attention to is the thickness of the steel, which is often less than 1 mm. Press on the door to check. If it bends, then such a door will not provide any protection. In addition, its low weight also speaks of the low quality of the door.

Other signs by which a fake can be distinguished are a door peephole located at a low height and a shiny layer of coating on the door. Poor-quality Chinese-made doors often have problems with locks. Instead of a high-quality filler, cellular cardboard is inserted into such doors, and one can only dream of having stiffeners.

door insulation

Good door insulation prevents odors and sounds from entering the apartment and retains heat. First, for insulation, the inner space of the door between the stiffeners is filled. To do this, use mineral wool. It has excellent heat and sound insulation properties, is not subject to combustion and does not emit harmful substances. Some door manufacturers use polyurethane foam or expanded polystyrene instead of mineral wool. These materials do not absorb moisture, but at the same time, a significant disadvantage of these materials is their fire hazard.

The quality of the insulation is also affected by the presence of seals. They can be made from silicone or rubber. These elements prevent foreign odors from entering the home and increase soundproofing qualities. In recent years, there are doors on sale with not one, but with several seals. However, in practice, several sealing circuits do not affect the quality of the insulation in any way, but only increase the cost of the door. You also need to take care of finishing the slopes.The cracks in the walls left after installing the door allow extraneous sounds and smells to freely enter the apartment, and also speak of the negligence of the homeowners.

Door locks

Since there are so many types of locks, it is quite difficult to fully consider this issue. All models have their own distinctive characteristics, which determine the features of their installation and operation, but there are some general rules.

Types of locks

The front door lock must have a mechanism that fits entirely inside the door. Padlocks or padlocks are unreliable and should not be used at all. Be sure to use the latch, it greatly simplifies the locking of the door.

Number of castles

The choice of the number of locks should be based on security and forethought considerations. From this point of view, the best option would be to have two locks of different designs. In the event of a break-in, an attacker would need two different sets of tools and take twice as long to break the door. And foresight is explained quite simply - if one of the locks fails, it will be possible to temporarily use another lock and change the broken one without haste.

In terms of security, the most reliable is the cylinder lock. The inner part of the mechanism of this lock consists of several pins. In order for the lock to open, they must be arranged in a certain order. But the disadvantage of such a lock is that, due to the design features, it can be knocked out of the door leaf.

In a lever lock, the main part consists of special plates - levers. It is somewhat easier to open, but difficult to crack, since it is entirely inside the door leaf.

Additional protection measures

These measures are necessary to increase protection and to create additional difficulties in hacking. Therefore, it will be useful to find out which of the following is included in the door package.

Door hinges are external and internal. Each of these loop types has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, external loops look unaesthetic at their large sizes and can be cut with a special tool. At the same time, a door equipped with internal hinges is more expensive. To place the hinges, you need a place that is allocated due to the useful opening of the door. With such hinges, the door does not open completely, and if you try to increase the opening angle, you can damage the door frame.

When choosing between a door with internal or external hinges, one must take into account that there is little chance that a burglar will cut the hinges by making too much noise. In addition, doors with such hinges usually have special anti-removable pins that will not allow the door leaf to be pulled out, even if the hinges are completely cut off.

Anti-removable pins are devices that are located inside the door leaf. When the door is closed, they are recessed into the thickness of the door frame, which prevents the removal of the leaf.

The latch makes hacking much more difficult. It cannot be accessed from outside the door, so if the latch is closed, the door cannot be forced open.

The peephole should have a wide viewing angle so that everything that is being done outside can be seen.
The door must open outward so that it cannot be squeezed out with a jack.

As for the exterior finish of the door, it is worth preferring hammer paint coating. This paint looks like the door was painted with paint and then beaten off with a hammer.Compared to other coatings, this finish has several advantages:

• It can be used on any surface.
• It does not require additional coverage and perfectly masks all the bumps.
• The paint dries in a short time and is easy to use.

Video tips for choosing a metal door:

Popular door manufacturers

There are a lot of companies engaged in the production of entrance doors on the modern market. To make it easier to understand this variety and choose a reliable and high-quality door for yourself, we present you a selection of companies whose doors have become the most popular among buyers.

Neman

One of the best domestic companies that produce doors represents a successful combination of good price and good quality. The range of Neman doors is quite wide and provides good protection for the home. For the manufacture of doors, sheet alloy steel is used. Each door is equipped with at least two locks. If the client wishes, the number of locking elements can be increased. Moreover, locks and other fittings can be selected from another brand.

• products have all safety certificates;
• affordable cost of products;
• use of innovative technologies.

• inexpensive products are not of the highest quality.

The average price is from 50,000 rubles.

Became

This company also pleases with the quality of its doors. Each stage of door production, including design, is carefully controlled. This allows us to produce exceptionally reliable products with high safety performance.

For the production of entrance doors, a profile with a special design is used, which provides additional strength characteristics.Door leafs are made of solid sheets of metal with a thickness of at least 2 mm. It is possible to make an order on an individual basis, which allows you to get a door of the original design. To increase the strength of the door, customers can optionally install additional armored inserts that significantly increase the burglary resistance.

The doors of this company have a number of advantages: additional pads are used that provide protection at the junction of the door and the frame, anti-removal pins, at least two locks of different designs. Additionally, shutters and a night valve can be installed. Exterior finishes can also be chosen at your discretion from several options - it can be polymer in a film or powder, laminate, wood or veneer.

• many solutions for exterior decoration;
• taking into account all the wishes of the client;
• quality service;
• varied range.

• some models do not correspond to branded quality.

The average price is from 27600 rubles.

Legrand

A distinctive feature of the Legrand doors is the originality of the finish, in addition, the doors are of high quality. MDF panels with a special polymer coating are used as finishing materials in the production of these doors. This allows you to achieve a variety of decorative solutions. Also, natural wood is used for decoration, giving a luxurious and aristocratic look to any room.

The company's product range includes standard and modified doors. Therefore, each client will be able to choose a door according to their requests. For the canvas, sheet steel 1.5 mm thick is used in combination with mineral wool or basalt insulation.Additional armored inserts are used in the place of fastening of the lock. The lock can be chosen at will.

• production according to all requirements;
• there is an opportunity to choose a complete set;
• original design solutions.

• small thickness of steel sheets used for the manufacture of door leaf.

The average price is from 24500 rubles.

Torex

Torex is one of the best companies in the production of steel entrance doors. In the production process, the possibilities of automation are used to the maximum. This enables the company to produce a huge number of models.

The range of doors is available to most average buyers in our country, but there are also models aimed at more affluent customers. Doors with fire-resistant properties are produced separately. This range is in high demand among government agencies.

For the production of most models, two types of steel are used. This greatly increases the security of the door and its reliability. As an external finish, MDF panels with a polymer coating are used. The frames are made of a solid-curved profile with a thickness of 2 mm.

• high fire resistance of doors up to 6 hours;
• compliance with all safety standards;
• a wide range of models;
• attractive door trim.

• high price for some models and expensive maintenance.

Average price from 13500 rubles

guardian

The Guardian company has a huge assortment, which allows you to take into account all the requirements and preferences of the client.Particular attention in the production of doors is given to sound insulation, fire resistance and original design.

To avoid unnecessary expenses, the possibility of complete control of the client over the complete set of the door is provided. It is possible to choose handles, locks and exterior finishes. For the production of the door leaf, two sheets of steel and stiffeners are used, inside the door is filled with a non-combustible filler. To reduce the risk of hacking, additional armor plates are used.

The range includes fire resistant doors. Such doors are subject to additional checks before they are allowed to be sold.

• minimum gaps between the door and the frame;
• a wide range for all price categories;
• production in accordance with all quality standards;
• the use of cotton-mineral plates for insulation.

• long lead time for doors.

The average price is from 23,000 rubles.

Elbor

This company differs from the previous ones in that it has the longest production history. The plant was opened in the mid-70s and has been producing exceptionally high-quality products ever since. The explanation for this is simple - previously the plant worked for the needs of the defense industry, the quality of products has been preserved since those times.

The range of the plant has everything you need to create the reliability and durability of doors. The company produces doors of various price segments from Economy class to luxury and elite models.

• a wide range of design solutions;
• the ability to choose options for exterior finishes;
• high-quality burglar-resistant locks;
• for some models vertical locking is provided;
• excellent sound insulation and fire protection;
• structural strength is provided by stiffening ribs.

• complaints about service and poor-quality installation;
• high prices.

The average price is from 17,000 rubles.

As you can see, a wide variety of models of steel entrance doors are now on the market. Therefore, it will not be difficult to choose the appropriate option that fully meets not only all safety requirements, but also has an attractive design.