Basic rules for cladding a door made of metal, methods and procedure for finishing the entrance group

The most durable and high-quality door is metal. Its inner side is part of the interior of a house or apartment, and therefore must fit into the overall style; For these purposes, interior finishing of the metal entrance door may be required. High-quality interior finishing performs the following essential functions:

1. thermal insulation;
2. sound insulation;
3. tightness;
4. aesthetics.

The door can be decorated with massive handles, high-quality locks, peepholes and other fittings. They also use special hanging decorative elements that allow you to stylize the finish in antique, high-tech, Italian or Mediterranean style.

Basic rules for door cladding

First you need to figure out what types of metal doors there are. The best ones are made of steel; they provide maximum protection. Most often, steel structures are hollow inside, which reduces their weight. There are also composite structures in which metal parts are combined with wood. High-quality doors of this type are also quite reliable. The third type is aluminum. Despite the aesthetic appearance, the metal of such doors can be thin.

If funds allow, it is best to give preference to a steel entrance door. And if you want to choose the best quality products, pay attention to the following parameters:

• the door must be made of metal sheets of sufficient thickness;
• it must have stiffeners;
• the design may include special pins that limit the possibility of removal from the hinges;
• internal insulation;
• seals around the perimeter of the structure;
• several locks of different types;
• peephole with a wide viewing angle.

The finishing of a metal entrance door must be carried out taking into account the following rules.

1. It is necessary to ensure sufficient insulation, since in severe frosts the metal structure can freeze so much that frost appears on the inside. Therefore, the inside of the structure is finished with wood, leather and other insulating materials.
2. The threshold and slopes must be finished in a high-quality manner without gaps, cracks or damage.
3. If the finishing is made of wood, special treatment of this material is required to protect the surface from moisture and fungus. When finishing with other materials, care should also be taken to protect them.
4. It should be possible to easily remove the structure and then put it back in place, for example, to replace the lock.

What materials are suitable for upholstery?

To update the door structure, spending a minimum of time and effort, you can simply paint the door in any color. Sheathing a wooden door is more labor-intensive and time-consuming.

Different materials are suitable for upholstering wooden doors with your own hands.

• Laminate consists of finishing boards, the reverse side lined with waterproof paper. The modern construction market offers many design options for this material: wood, stone, tile, etc. Thanks to this assortment, you can create a beautiful decorative door design in any interior. In addition, laminate provides excellent heat and sound insulation. But due to the hygroscopicity of the material, it is used only for internal cladding.

• Plastic – a polyvinyl chloride finish with the addition of chemicals that increase the material’s resistance to high temperatures, ultraviolet radiation and moisture. It is easy to install and maintain. Vinyl plastic is widely used for finishing - a durable, elastic material that is easily attached with glue to wood, concrete, and metal. Usually plastic is not sheathed on the outside of products; it is mainly used for interior decoration.

• If leatherette , then experts advise covering the door with leatherette made from synthetic fabric. This material is elastic, stretches easily, does not crack even at high temperatures, has high strength, can be found in a variety of shades and is suitable for upholstery on both the inside and outside of the fabric.

• Finishing doors with MDF panels is popular due to their resistance to moisture and mechanical damage. This is achieved by covering with polyvinyl chloride film. You can decorate your front door with MDF yourself.

• An excellent solution would be to cover an old wooden door with clapboard. This material consists of wooden slats of small thickness, equipped with special grooves for ease of fastening.

• Marine plywood looks like solid wood. It is treated with stain and coated with frost-resistant varnish, so it can be used to decorate entrance doors.

Expensive way

The interior decoration should look impressive and have good resistance to mechanical stress. Therefore, natural wood is considered the best finishing option.

Solid wood

It is best to use solid wood, and for luxurious decoration you can choose precious wood: rosewood, yew, mahogany. Oak panels are of particular quality. This finishing of metal entrance doors will last for decades.

A less expensive option would be to finish with plain wood panels. In this case, the wood must be treated with protective agents to avoid drying out due to temperature changes. This finish can be varnished and decorated with decorative elements. This is also a beautiful and durable option.

Budget method

If you weren't planning on spending a significant amount of money on your front door, there are many budget-friendly finishing options. They are easy to use, and if necessary, this coating is easy to replace. In addition to materials imitating wood, leather, dermantin, and powder coating can be used for the exterior decoration of a metal door. All these options give room to the imagination and allow the finish to blend most elegantly into the surrounding interior.

Lining

Among the most common options if you want a door with wood cladding is lining. In addition, the finishing process is not too complicated, you can do it yourself, and finishing with clapboard yourself will significantly reduce the cost of repairs. To do this, you will need working tools that are found in every home - a hacksaw and a screwdriver.

If you are endowed with creative abilities, then you can lay the lining not in a straight line, but diagonally, or alternate the direction, creating interesting patterns.

Laminate

Laminated fibreboard, commonly referred to simply as laminate. It looks neat and is inexpensive. You can choose the color and style depending on the furniture with which the hallway is furnished. If there is laminate on the floor, you can also do everything in the same style.

Dermantin

Doors were often decorated with dermantin during the Soviet era. This is a fairly durable material that holds the insulation well, but it is powerless against sharp objects. If the upholstery of a metal entrance door is made of dermantine, it is better to avoid damage. Spot repairs are not enough; the insulation will come out and the entire finish will have to be replaced.

Faux leather

This is a plastic material that allows you to create a beautiful surface. A wide variety of colors, spectacular appearance, ease of cleaning - all these are undoubted advantages. With such cladding, metal entrance doors acquire good sound insulation, and in combination with finishing with insulation, this effect is enhanced. To clean, just wipe the coating with a damp cloth. In addition, this finishing option is financially beneficial.

Door trim made of metal MDF

Quite a new version of metal door cladding. Compared to wood, MDF has a more attractive price, but is not inferior in environmental friendliness: it does not emit toxic compounds into the indoor air.

Other advantages of the material include:

• MDF does not deform during temperature fluctuations;
• performs the functions of insulation;
• has a significant service life;
• the surface is easy to clean and can be washed;
• You can make any color, embody the most original design solutions.

However, MDF coatings are very difficult to restore if scratches or other damage appears on it. In this case, you will have to replace all the finishing material. When ordering MDF for cladding, it is necessary to take all measurements as accurately as possible, while simultaneously ordering the same from the department for platbands. The most durable option and at the same time the most durable is veneered MDF. More often they use oak or birch veneer, sometimes it is ash, beech and even mahogany. But then the cost of coverage increases significantly.

Other options

In both composite and iron structures, upholstery fabric and wood are not the only materials that can be used to upholster a metal entrance door. There are several other options that are used somewhat less frequently in practice, but allow for beautiful and neat finishing.

Wood veneer

Veneer is thin slices of wood that are removed using a planer. The cut can be very thin - just a few millimeters. Thanks to this, veneer can be laid out in a pattern and even formed into a mosaic. If you lay elements overlapping, you can design three-dimensional parts. The veneered structure should be treated with care, avoid exposure to moisture and direct sunlight.

Veneer can be made from natural wood or MDF. Depending on this, you can determine its durability - natural wood will last longer.

If you are planning to purchase wood veneer, it is better to choose an adhesive-based product. It is laid on the prepared surface, forming a pattern, and then fixed with a hot iron or other method according to the instructions.

Powder coating

Powder coating is a special paint that is applied to a metal surface using a spray gun. The paint contains protective polymers, which protects the metal from rust, as well as chips, scratches and other damage. This coating is universal and inexpensive; you can choose any color that fits into the interior of the room. In this case, the insulation is installed inside the structure. Powder-coated metal doors are well suited for minimalist interiors and high-tech finishes.

Materials used for cladding entrance doors

In principle, any finishing materials can be used for this procedure; the choice always remains with the owner of the house. There are even such unusual cases when the door is lined with stone; this solution looks very original, but it is not suitable for every interior. Therefore, it is better to use other materials that are much easier and more convenient to work with. The most commonly used cladding options are:

• MDF;
• laminate;
• lining;
• powder coatings.

Tools and materials for preparation

Internal finishing of a metal entrance door will require the use of the following available tools, which can also be used for external finishing:

• prepared panel or other elements (lining, veneer) that you will attach to a metal base;
• screwdriver for fastening work;
• primer for metal, if the surface has not yet been treated;
• fastening elements;
• fittings that are installed after all work is completed - door handles, peepholes, locks and decor.

In addition, keep in mind that some finishing options require complete dismantling of the door to perform the necessary work. This applies, for example, to laminate finishing and front panels.

Finishing slopes near the front door

On the outside of the apartment or house, after installing the front door, everything is improved with the help of platbands or other materials. From the inside, everything is usually much worse - concrete, brick, and fastening elements of the door system catch your eye. To hide all this, you have to select materials and finish it yourself. The process is simple and does not require much time or financial investment.

The main function of the slope is to give the doorway a normal appearance. It allows you to secure the door frame more securely, increasing the structure’s resistance to burglary. That is, the slope is a necessary element, and not just decoration.

Basic methods

Finishing is carried out based on the technology of slope formation - a variety of materials can be selected for cladding. The most important thing is to decide which installation method will be used.

Let's consider the main technologies, because the choice should be approached responsibly:

• Sealing using mortar or plaster.
• Gluing finishing materials with solutions.
• Frame cladding with finishing materials.

There are other methods, but these are more popular among professional builders and DIYers.

Sealing with mortar or plaster

One of the acceptable methods of finishing doors is sealing with mortar, but it is also necessary to take into account the high labor intensity. This approach provides the maximum level of protection and good sound insulation. The result will be a structure that will not sag or have voids inside.

This option, although it has advantages, is quite cramped in terms of design. Finishing the interior is possible using painting or textured plaster.

Bonding finishing materials with solutions

If, in addition to filling the voids with mortar, the slope is lined with various materials, then the appearance of the doorway can change significantly. When fully implemented, this method combines the advantages of the first option, but does not have its inherent disadvantages.

Frame cladding with finishing materials

This finishing option involves installing finishing materials on a pre-fabricated frame made of wood or metal. As a result, a lot of money is saved, and it is also possible to achieve an aesthetic appearance. When using a frame structure, it is much easier to obtain high evenness characteristics and achieve all levels, which is important.

Where to begin

Regardless of the chosen option for finishing door slopes, first of all, you need to start with preparatory work:

1. The door leaf and frame are protected from damage using masking tape.
2. All places that protrude and may interfere with the installation process are removed (cut off the mounting foam).
3. The entire working surface is swept and primed. Experts recommend using deep penetration soils.
4. Power cables and wires are being laid that will serve to illuminate the hallway. If the slope is made using frame technology, then it is better to postpone the installation of wiring until later.

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Stages of work

You can divide the finishing of the entrance door inside the apartment into three stages:

1. Preparatory processes (already described above).
2. Installation of the slope using the selected method and material.
3. Finishing is the last operation and decorative design of the opening.

The procedure for finishing the entrance group

If the surface is not prepared for work, you must first thoroughly clean the metal with sandpaper, then degrease the surface with a solvent and coat it with a good metal primer. Now there are primers that can be used to cover rust, but it is still recommended to first carry out the metal cleaning procedure. The primer will serve as the basis for the coating and protect the metal from corrosion and other harmful influences. This preparation must be completed before installing any coating you choose.

Once you have decided on the choice of finishing material, you can begin installation. There are two ways to attach facing materials:

• fastening on the inside of the door leaf;
• screwing or gluing materials to the front surface of the canvas.

Panels made of solid wood, MDF, as well as panels made of other materials are fastened using self-tapping screws. The screws are covered with covers on top.

If you are installing lining, laminate or other typesetting material, you first need to prepare a frame of wooden slats, which will be attached to the canvas using self-tapping screws. Insulation is placed in the cavity, and clapboard or other material is installed on top, attaching it to the frame.

When facing with artificial leather or dermantine, the panels are covered with the desired material and then mounted on a metal surface.

Do not forget that when finishing wooden and metal doors it is necessary to install a threshold, form slopes, and install seals for thermal insulation. To form slopes, the easiest way is to use drywall followed by plastering, and fill the voids with mineral wool. Polyurethane foam is often used for these purposes, but there is a danger that it will burst into voids and the slopes will deform over time.

If you do the finishing with clapboard yourself, then the slopes can also be finished with clapboard, it looks impressive.

In addition, there is the option of forming slopes for the front door using plastic panels. This is the cheapest and easiest method to implement, and the plastic panels are easy to clean. Such panels look harmonious in combination with powder-coated doors.

Finishing with laminate

Today this material is very often used for cladding. Laminate as a finishing material has many advantages.

It is chosen because of the following advantages:

1. It imitates wood, but is much cheaper in price compared to natural wood.
2. Laminate is not afraid of exposure to ultraviolet radiation, it does not fade and is not afraid of temperature fluctuations.
3. The cost of the finishing material is low, everyone can afford it.
4. Dust is invisible on the laminate; it practically does not settle on it.
5. If you wish, you can purchase products that look like stone or any other material: there are no restrictions in decor and colors.

Laminate also has several disadvantages. So, this material is afraid of high humidity. Therefore, they cannot be used to decorate the exterior of a metal door in a country house. If, however, the panels are mounted on an external door, they must be covered with a special moisture-resistant film. Also, when finishing a door with laminate, it is quite difficult to insulate it.

Laminated planks come in different thicknesses from 6 to 12 mm; the larger it is, the stronger and better the coating. There are several classes of laminate. In apartments and country houses classes 21 and 22, as well as 23 are used. In non-residential premises (offices, government institutions) classes 31 or 32, as well as 33 are used. Along with the class, the wear resistance and impact strength of the material increases, but its price also increases significantly.

Metal painting

If you plan to paint the surface, choose a quality paint. Aerosol acrylic paints are well suited for such purposes. They are durable when applied to a metal surface and have anti-corrosion properties. They are often used when painting doors that are used in difficult conditions. An undoubted advantage is the large selection of shades.