Rating of the best metal doors to an 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 required 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, about which entrance metal doors are in greatest demand in 2024, you can read here.

Getting 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 the high inertia.

How a steel door works

Any quality door should have a few 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 must be provided on the inside of the door.

In the vertical direction, at least two stiffeners should pass, and in the horizontal plane, their number should 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 thermal insulation material.

The side of the door from the side of the apartment is closed with any suitable material. For fastening the door frame, hinges with bearings are used. As 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 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 curved sheet box is in its good heat and sound insulation properties, but they are less durable compared to boxes made of shaped pipes.

Difference in door leaf thickness

This parameter is determined depending on the width of the profile used for the base of the structure. For security reasons, it is better to make this parameter larger. 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.

Steel sheets from the inside and outside

These parameters determine the final mass of the door and its resistance to burglary. An inexpensive door will have a steel sheet thickness of 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 burglary resistance in any way. Therefore, it is better to use a sheet of steel about 3 mm thick. This creates both convenience and protective qualities.

It makes no sense to buy a door, on the inside of which a steel sheet is also welded. This is impractical, since during burglary, the presence of an inner sheet does not in any way affect access to the lock.

The role of stiffeners

These elements are necessary in order to prevent curling of the canvas during a rough break. They prevent a part of the door leaf from bending or squeezing it out of the door frame.
There are three options for the device of stiffeners:

• in the longitudinal version, the ribs are welded in the vertical direction;
• transverse arrangement assumes 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 to look for is the thickness of the steel, which is often less than 1 mm. Press on the door to check. If it bends, it means that such a door will not provide any protection. In addition, the low quality of the door is indicated by its low weight.

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

Door insulation

Good insulation of the door prevents odors, sounds and heat from entering the apartment. First, for insulation, the inner space of the door between the stiffeners is filled. For this, mineral wool is used. It has excellent heat and sound insulation properties, does not burn 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 insulation is also affected by the presence of seals. They can be made of silicone or rubber. These elements prevent extraneous odors from entering the home and increase the soundproofing qualities. In recent years, doors have been commercially available not with one, but with several seals. However, in practice, several sealing circuits do not affect the quality of the insulation, but only increase the cost of the door. You also need to take care of the finishing of the slopes. The cracks in the walls left after installing the door allow foreign sounds and smells to freely enter the apartment, and also speak of the negligence of the home owners.

Locks for doors

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

Varieties of locks

The front door lock must have a mechanism that fits entirely inside the door. Padlocks or overhead locks are not reliable and are best not used at all. It is imperative to use a latch, it greatly simplifies the door locking.

Number of locks

The selection of the number of locks should be based on safety and foresight considerations. From this point of view, the best option would be the presence of two locks of different designs.In the event of a break-in, an attacker will need two different sets of tools and it will take twice as long to break a door. And the 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.

From the point of view of safety, 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 break, since it is entirely inside the door leaf.

Additional measures for protection

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

Door hinges are available as external and internal. Each of these types of hinges has advantages and disadvantages. For example, the outer hinges look unaesthetic at their large size 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 stands out due to the useful door opening. 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, it should be taken into account that there is little likelihood that a burglar will cut the hinges, 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 leaf from being removed.

The latch makes it much more difficult to break into. There is no access to it from outside the door, so if the latch is closed, breaking the door is impossible.

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

As for the outer finishing of the door, here it is worthwhile to prefer the coating with hammer paint. This paint looks like the door was painted with paint and then hit 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 irregularities.
• 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 engaged in the production of doors represents a successful combination of favorable prices and good quality. The range of Neman doors is wide enough 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. At the request of the client, the number of locking elements can be increased. Moreover, locks and other accessories can be chosen from another brand.

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

• inexpensive products are not of the highest quality.

Average price from 50,000 rubles.

Has become

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 extremely 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 leaves are made of solid metal sheets 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 an 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 overlays are used, which provide protection in the area of ​​the door and frame joint, pins against removal, at least two locks of different designs. Additionally, you can install gates and a night slide. The exterior finish can also be chosen at your discretion from several options - it can be a 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;
• diverse lineup.

• some models do not correspond to the brand quality.

Average price from 27,600 rubles.

Legrand

A distinctive feature of Legrand doors is the originality of the finish, besides 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 range of the company includes standard and modified doors. Therefore, each client will be able to choose a door regarding their requests. For the canvas, sheet steel with a thickness of 1.5 mm is used in combination with insulation with mineral wool or basalt insulation. Additional armored inserts are used in the place where the lock is attached. The castle can be selected at will.

• production according to all requirements;
• it is possible to independently choose a complete set;
• original design solutions.

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

Average price from 24,500 rubles.

Torex

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

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

For the production of most models, two types of steel are used. This significantly increases the door's safety and reliability. Polymeric coated MDF panels are used as an external finish. The frames are made of 2 mm solid bent profile.

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

• high price for some models and expensive service.

Average price from 13,500 rubles

Guardian

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

To avoid unnecessary expenses, the possibility of complete control of the client over the door assembly is provided. There is a choice of handles, locks and exterior finishes.For the production of the door leaf, two sheets of steel and stiffening ribs are used, inside the door is filled with a non-combustible filler. To reduce the risk of burglary, additional armor plates are used.

The range includes doors with fire protection properties. Such doors are subject to additional checks before they are allowed for sale.

• minimum gaps between the door and the frame;
• wide assortment for all price categories;
• production in accordance with all quality standards;
• use of cotton wool boards for insulation.

• long production time of the door.

Average price 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 since then has been producing exceptionally high-quality products. The explanation for this is simple - earlier the plant worked for the needs of the defense industry, the quality of the products has been preserved since those times.

The assortment of the plant has everything you need to create the reliability and strength of the 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 external finishing;
• high quality burglar-proof locks;
• vertical locking is provided for some models;
• excellent sound insulation and fire protection;
• structural strength is provided by stiffening ribs.

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

Average price from 17,000 rubles.

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