Five common mistakes when choosing a front door

We began to save our time, there is always a lot of work, and there is not enough time for everything. If you dare to go to the store in New York, you will curse everything in the world in traffic jams. And to go from upstate to NY … No, thanks.

Five common mistakes when choosing a front door

More and more often, buyers order a front door via the Internet without looking at it in person, having read anonymous “experts” on the forums before that. And these are the delusions they find there. Let’s inspect through the five common mistakes when choosing a front door:

1. Steel not less than 3 mm

Such a sheet is suitable for armored vehicles but not for an ordinary household exterior door. It alone will weigh about 110 lbs. And if you count everything together (filler, fittings, panel), one slab will weigh under 220 lbs. It’s hard for an adult man to open such a door.  So, how can an older adult or a child cope with it?

For apartment doors, such characteristics do not make sense. Slabs will not be hacked by force. In our opinion, a sufficient steel sheet thickness is 1.5-2 mm.

2. Need a vertical drive

The vertical drive at the lock aims to increase the locking points to prevent wringing out of the slab. Spin is a powerful method that usually requires special tools. A good steel door is too strong due to the outer sheet of steel and stiffeners so that its door can be easily bent and squeezed out of the box. It is simply not necessary for an apartment, but the door will be broken open with vertical crossbars in a country house.

Locks with a vertical drive and deviators are more expensive than conventional locks. It is easier to install an alarm instead of them.

3. At least three hinges

Did you know that the weight of the door only hangs on one hinge? It is impossible to fit both hinges vertically perfectly when assembling, and the door sits on only one of them. A second hinge holds the door horizontally. The third is placed for heavy slabs to relieve the load on the upper hinge when the door is open.

Ignore the number of loops. Everything is calculated at the factory. If the door has two hinges, then this is normal.

4. Save on thermal break

Often doors are installed in country houses without a thermal break, which is correct only in one case – when there is a vestibule in the place. And even if it is available, it is better to play it safe and buy a door with a thermal break. So you are guaranteed to protect it from freezing. An ordinary door will first fog up, then be covered with ice, and its panel will swell, often even if covered with vinorite.

A thermal break is now considered the standard for entrance doors to a house. The choice of such doors is quite broad. Almost all main manufacturers have mastered their production. The price for doors with a thermal break is not much higher than ordinary doors, but they last much longer.

5. Entrance doors from the manufacturer are cheaper

Not cheaper, but more expensive, and here’s why.

                Manufacturers seldom sell the front door themselves. In addition to sales consultants, a large staff of installation specialists, delivery vehicles, and other expenses are needed. It is easier and cheaper for such a company to develop a dealer network than to sell directly. Plus, large dealer companies have many bonuses and promotions for buyers, such as free shipping. So when you search the Internet for “manufacturer’s front doors,” don’t expect the price to be lower.

We hope you find this article helpful and make it easier to choose a good front door. If you have any questions, you can always call or write to us and free consultation.