Front door defects: how to recognize and what to do?

The door is what separates our home from the outside world. Therefore, many signs and superstitions are associated with this subject. A beautiful front door is a sign of well-being, and an old and creaky one, on the contrary, is a precursor to failure. But even if you do not believe in these prejudices, buying a good door is an important task, because this is the first impression of the house and its owners.

          External look is of great importance when choosing an entrance door. A beautiful door pleases the eye, attracts attention, speaks of the taste and financial well-being of the family. However, a beautiful stylish model does not always justify all the expectations assigned to it. Sometimes serious defects and malfunctions are hidden behind a bright shell that can disrupt the full operation of the product. This is why external data is a secondary issue. First of all, you should pay attention to the quality and characteristics of the product. Here are some tips on how to avoid buying a low-quality product:

1. Documentation

The most important element confirming the quality of the product. Good manufacturers always provide appropriate papers and certificates containing production data, as well as indicating the legal origin of the product.

2. External characteristics

The door itself, all components and factory fittings must hold tight, not dangle, and inspire confidence in their look. Avoid buying a metal model with subsequent retrofitting. Incompetent professionals can easily spoil your front door after purchasing it. In this case, no one will issue a refund for a spoiled door.

3. Additional elements and fittings

Handles, locks, hinges, door mechanisms. Pay attention to the quality and performance of the door accessories. Everything should work smoothly, easily, from the first press. High-quality fittings do not bend, squeak, do not break from pressing the hand.

          The last point that requires your attention is installation. This process is just as important as guaranteeing the good quality of the product. The correctness and literacy of the installation directly affects the degree of safety. The more correctly the door is installed, the more reliably it will fulfill its function – to ensure the comfort and safety of people living in the house. Installing an entrance door requires not only knowledge, but also experience, dexterity and the necessary skills. That is why it is better to entrust this process to professionals. Even if you have a specialist of the highest category, we advise you to check the quality of his work.

Any cracks, irregularities, chips, cracks are a sign of improper installation. Over time, such doors will give additional micro-holes through which water will flow and dust will seep.

Signs of a properly installed door:

• if an armored door is level, it will never open or close on its own, no matter what angle it is at. The process of opening and closing is possible only with external influence;

• the smallest possible gap between the frame and the slab itself. This gap will later be closed by a seal, which is also used to provide additional sound insulation;

• sufficient clearance between the frame and the doorway in the wall. Sufficient means that it is possible to fill in the required amount of polyurethane foam, the main task of which is to strengthen the frame of the armored door. Sufficient doesn’t mean big. Too wide a gap is fraught with a deterioration in the security of the door, because it is much easier to break it;

• high-quality, moderately rigid, easily and smoothly opening door handle. Any malfunctions (creaks, clicks, tight or too loose opening) are a sign of a poor-quality installation. With such a door, there will most likely be problems in the future. Door hardware (handle and lock) should work perfectly from the first day of installation. Only in this case there will be no problems with its operation in the future;

• generously oiled hinges – a prerequisite for the normal opening and closing of the front door. 

You can only accept and approve of the contractor’s work by making sure that all stages of the installation are correct.