How to insulate the door so that it does not blow. Let's not let a draft into our house! Do-it-yourself insulation of the front door

20.06.2020

Entrance metal doors have two main tasks: to reliably protect the owners from intruders and create comfortable conditions residence. Comfort, in turn, is always associated with warmth in an apartment or house. Therefore, warming the doorway of the front door is the primary goal of the owners after installing a new door unit. After all, he, along with windows, is the main conductor of cold into the room. It is necessary to insulate the box, door leaf and slopes.

In this paper, we will consider in detail all the stages of thermal insulation of the frame and door leaf. The nuances of the process of slope insulation are discussed in detail in the material: “Finishing the slopes of the front door”, which makes it possible not to touch on this topic here.

The choice of insulation for the front door

Insulation of the front door in an apartment or a private house involves several operations for thermal insulation of the doorway:

insulation of the technological gap;
creating a thermal break in the frame door frame;
thermal insulation of the door leaf inside and outside;
sealing the gaps between the box and the canvas from drafts;
installation of second doors.

Each stage of work requires its own heaters.

Insulation of the technological gap

The distance between the wall and the door frame (technological gap) in the vast majority of cases is foamed with mounting foam. At the same time, some experts prefer a cement-sand mixture, which, in our opinion, is not the best solution:

cement mortar conducts heat better, which means that the path to the room will be ajar for cold;
throwing mortar into the opening between the box and the outer casing from the side of the apartment will require skill and patience, because the gap between the wall material and the iron block of the door is only 2-2.5 cm.

Thermal insulation of the door frame

In all economy class doors, the door frame is not insulated. The metal conducts heat well, which requires the creation of a thermal break inside the profile. For these purposes, you can use:

expanded clay;
sawdust;
mounting foam.

For information: recently, a thermal cord has been laid to heat the door frame, which can be turned on and off at any time.

Of these materials, foam holds the best heat, but it is also the most expensive. The use of bulk insulation is much cheaper, but there is a problem when filling horizontal structural elements with them. If the profile is partially filled from below, expanded clay or sawdust spills out of the vertical racks, then filling the top becomes a problem that cannot always be solved. Foam has no such problems.

Conclusion: if the door is really insulated, and thermal insulation processes are not imitated, the box should be insulated with polyurethane foam.

Installation of seals

Insulation of the front door in the apartment will not work if there are no seals on the porch. They are on sale:

rubber;
thermoplastic elastomers, also referred to as thermoplastic elastomers (abbreviated TPE);
artificial rubber;
silicone;
foam rubber.

In this case, it is best to buy insulation for the front door from artificial rubber or rubber. Silicone material is much more expensive at comparable technical specifications with the materials mentioned above.

Foam rubber has a service life of 4-6 years, after which it deforms and skips cold air from the entrance.

Door leaf insulation

Thermal insulation of the door leaf is possible in two ways:

The inner part of the door leaf structure is filled with insulation - the technological method is possible only with a removable sheet from the inside of the door (it is not welded).
The heat-insulating material is mounted on top of the door from the outside or inside, which does not exclude the double-sided option of insulation.

In this regard, both general and specific requirements are imposed on canvas heaters. As for the general materials:

must be environmentally friendly;
have a low heat absorption coefficient;
do not absorb water;
have an operational resource commensurate with the service life of the doors;
be affordable to the mass consumer.

Specific ones depend on the place of thermal insulation. So, when insulating a door with upholstery, the insulating material must be elastic, capable of significant deformations, which is not the case with rigid foam insulation.

As a filler, polystyrene, expanded polystyrene (penoplex), basalt wool, synthetic winterizer, foam rubber, isolon and other materials have gained wide popularity.

Good for filling the interior of the door leaf Styrofoam. It has a low weight (the door does not become heavier), high strength and wear resistance. The advantages should also include simple technology laying - easily cut to the size of the cells formed by the stiffeners.

Improved foam is gaining popularity - polystyrene foam(trademark "Penoplex"). Many builders believe that this is the same material. In form - yes, in fact, these are different heaters, as evidenced by their comparative characteristics.

Thermal conductivity index:

0.036–0.050 W / (m K) - foam;
0.028 W / (m K) - expanded polystyrene.

Water absorption (%):

4.0 - foam;
0.4 - expanded polystyrene.

As can be seen from the comparison, expanded polystyrene retains heat better with a smaller thickness.

Basalt wool- one of the rare building materials, which is difficult to find flaws. Him:

affordable price;

ecological cleanliness;

low coefficient of thermal conductivity;

resistance to high temperatures and aggressive environments;

long time operation.

Minus one - when wet, it sharply loses the ability to protect the apartment from the cold. This is not a problem for apartments, but for private houses in rural areas (dachas) and the city it is better not to use it, since in winter the door freezes from the outside and warms up from the inside, as a result of which condensation forms inside the door leaf, which reduces the thermal insulation capacity of basalt wool by 10 -15%.

A very effective insulating material is isolon- the result of foaming polyethylene with propane. Him:

very good thermal insulation performance;
low water absorption - less than 1%;
increased flexibility and elasticity;
simple laying technology;
low specific gravity;
high service life - up to 100 years.

Among the minuses, a very high price should be noted.

Sintepon is a lightweight, voluminous, elastic non-woven insulation in which synthetic fibers are held together with glue or thermally. However, its use is justified only in apartments - when the outside temperature drops to -10 o C, it becomes useless.

Widely used for door insulation and elastic foam rubber consisting of 90% air. It has excellent thermal insulation properties and easy installation. The disadvantages include rapid flammability, a shorter service life and difficulties in transportation - it cannot be compressed, as the original quality characteristics are lost.

Insulation of the entrance metal door with your own hands can be done with isolon, foam rubber, mineral wool obtained from basalt and batting.

Batting, as a heater, has not found wide application in construction. But for upholstery doors fits almost perfectly. Only knitting-stitching material is used, in which:

a high level of thermal insulation, both from low and high temperatures, which synthetic materials do not have;
the ability to absorb noise of various origins;
environmental friendliness - made from natural fibers, mainly wool.

Weaknesses include:

high weight - specific gravity 200-400 g / m 2;
the ability to absorb water in large quantities;
uneven distribution of fibers during operation of the door, resulting in zones with a thick and thin layer of material.

Materials and tools

Each type of insulation requires its own materials and tools.

For technological clearance

To seal the space between the door block and the wall, you will need:

mounting foam in tubes;
masking tape;
polyethylene film;
knife or scissors;
foam gun.

For information: each can of foam has its own sprayer. But it is difficult to work without a pistol in many cases. Therefore, professionals take their use for granted.

For door frame

To perform a thermal break in the box profile will help:

an electric drill with a drill of the same diameter as the feed tube of a construction gun;
mounting foam;
construction pistol;
removable blade knife.

For the porch

You can fix the problem called "blowing from the cracks between the door leaf and the frame" using:

seal in one piece;
universal or special glue;
scissors or a construction knife.

For internal insulation

Replacing the door leaf filler requires the following materials and tools:

thermal insulation material;
polyethylene film for waterproofing insulation;
wooden bars;
self-tapping screws;
glue;
metal corners to stiffen the box of bars;
electric drills with a set of drills for metal;
construction knife;
scissors;
wood saws with fine teeth;
screwdriver or Phillips screwdriver;
an awl or thin nail;
sandpaper P60.

Attention: how to insulate an entrance metal door in an apartment with the help of upholstery is discussed in detail in the article: “Do-it-yourself upholstery of doors with dermantine”. Therefore, it is not advisable to consider the technology of external insulation in this material.

Instructions for warming

Consider step by step how to insulate the entrance iron door quickly and correctly.

Technological gap

Insulation of the doorway in the area of the technological gap is carried out in the following sequence:

from the side of the room, the box and the door are closed with plastic wrap and masking tape - the tape is glued to the steel profile of the box, the film covers the door leaf;
the gap is abundantly wetted with water from a spray bottle or plastic bottle. Installers will say that dust is removed in this way. In fact, spraying is carried out for another purpose: to give moisture to the foam in order to improve its structure; the polymerization process is much faster and better at high humidity; foam does not fall off the wetted surface;
the bottle is shaken and turned over. Through a thin tube, a small portion of foam is applied to the back of the outer casing in a continuous strip. Work is carried out from the bottom up. Performing the operation in two steps will not allow the expansion foam to come out between the metal trim and the wall on the outside of the doors;
the work is carried out in two steps, which does not allow the foam, when expanding, to come out between the metal casing and the wall on the outside of the doors. 15-20 minutes after the foam has gained volume, the rest of the gap is foamed, but not more than half of the remaining free space;
after polymerization of the foam, the protective materials are removed from the doors.

Important: the foam protruding from under the box must be cut off immediately, and not wait for it to completely harden. At the same time, shallow oblique cuts should be left on the cut surface, which will relieve excessive pressure on the box and speed up the hardening process.

door frame

Work on the insulation of the frame of the box must be carried out before installing the doors. To do this, partially use the holes for the anchor bolts, and where they are not enough, drill with a drill. The diameter of the drill should allow the tube of the foam bottle to freely enter the frame.

It is desirable to maintain the distance between the holes by 45-50 cm. Drill from the outside of the ends. It is necessary to fill the interior of the door frame from the bottom up. Before work, the holes that go inside the box are sealed with masking tape (the door leaf is protected from foam).

vestibule

The technology for gluing the sealant can be seen in the work: "Do-it-yourself soundproofing of the front door." Here we dwell on some of the nuances that were not reflected there.

The seal profile is selected depending on the size of the gap. For large gaps better fit a seal similar to the Latin letters O and D. For gaps of 3-5 mm, a section resembling the letters V or P is suitable. And for small gaps, you need to buy a C- or K-shaped seal.

Doors inside

And now let's look at how to insulate the front door in a Chinese-made apartment. Immediately, we note that there are two problems that should be solved in a complex:

no stiffeners;
the filler is corrugated cardboard, which is nominally considered a heater.

The work is carried out in the following sequence:

the handle and locks are removed from the door, while not only the external elements, but also the locking mechanisms;
the door is removed from the hinges and placed on the table or floor;
screws are unscrewed, on which the inner sheet of the canvas is held;
the sheet is removed and set aside;

the internal space of the structure is measured;
a lattice is assembled from a wooden block, which should fit snugly into the frame of the canvas. To stiffen the corners of the frame, a screed is made - metal corners are attached;
stiffening ribs are installed in the lattice: two vertical and three horizontal. When installing them, the main thing is not to get horizontal bars on the handle and locks;
at the installation site of the lock mechanism, a wooden block is cut out;
glue is applied to the metal in several places with dots - the more such dots, the better;
under inner size canvases, with an overlap of about 10 cm, a plastic film is cut out and covered with metal. In places with glue, it is tightly pressed against the sheet;

Attention: under the expanded polystyrene (penoplex) the film does not fit.

a crate is laid on the film;
insulation is cut out to fit the size of the cells and placed in the cells of the crate. To prevent the material from moving during the operation of the door, it is glued to the film and wooden planks. In case of errors in size, if gaps have formed, they are filled with foam. The polyethylene overlay is wrapped onto the crate and attached to it with a stapler or glue;
in the places where the locks and handles are located, the insulation is cut out;
the insulation material, together with the lattice frame, is covered from above with a film that is attached to the tree;
the gaps between the crate and the frame are filled with foam;
the set aside sheet of the door leaf is returned to its place and fastened with self-tapping screws;
put the handle and locks;
the door is hung on hinges.

Doors outside

Some models of Chinese doors are non-separable. In this case, they are insulated from the outside. You can sheathe them with leatherette with a large amount of insulation between the door and dermantin, but in this case the problem of the rigidity of the canvas frame is not solved.

The problem is solved in the following way:

all protruding parts of the handle and locks are removed from the inside of the door;

the door is removed from the hinges and placed on the floor with the outer side down;
its width and height are measured;
a crate is made from a wooden block with a section of 20 * 20 mm - the large size of the bar will make it difficult to access the keyholes;
stiffening ribs are installed;
the grill is attached with screws to the door;
cells are filled with insulation.

The process is completed by finishing the inside of the door with a panel made of MDF, PVC or laminated fiberboard.

Conclusion

Insulation of doors allows you to improve living conditions in a house or apartment. In this case, the work must be carried out comprehensively, installing thermal protection:

on the technological gap;
slopes;
door frame;
vestibule;
door leaf.

The technologies are not complicated, the whole cycle of work can be done independently. Small difficulties can arise only when choosing a heater. For technological gap and door frame the best option- polyurethane foam, slopes - cement-sand mixture, vestibule - sealant made of rubber or rubber, door leafs - foam for internal insulation and batting for upholstery with dermantine.

How to insulate the front door

The guarantee of future comfort depends on the chosen material, for the sake of which the insulation was started. And if a few decades ago only felt, foam rubber and dermantin were available, today the choice is much greater. And here is what the manufacturers offer:

mineral wool;
Styrofoam;
Styrofoam.

Mineral wool, like polystyrene, is most often taken as the basis for insulation for metal door panels.. Both materials perfectly retain heat indoors and are not affected by microorganisms. Mineral wool is also worth noting because no rodents will spoil this insulation.

Mineral wool absorbs moisture

But these materials have some restrictions on their use.

Styrofoam belongs to the category of combustible insulation, so its use for working with wood is possible only when processed with special compounds. And the “disease” of mineral wool is subsidence. Over time, the skin may be at the bottom of the canvas and stop retaining heat. In addition, mineral wool accumulates moisture inside itself, which adds weight to the entire structure. Therefore, such material should not be used for warming a bath or sauna.

The use of isolon is more justified to achieve the goal of retaining heat. This material is made on the basis of foamed polyethylene, which gives it a minimum thermal conductivity. The advantages of the material include the fact that a canvas with a thickness of 10 - 15 mm will be enough for work. This allows you to keep an attractive appearance door leaf, without thickening it and without making it bulky.

Izolon has low thermal conductivity

Expanded polystyrene has excellent performance. The door insulated in this way will become a reliable and safe barrier between warm home and cold street. Among the advantages of expanded polystyrene, its incombustibility should be highlighted. When a flame occurs, it will gradually disappear on the surface of this material.

For inexpensive insulation, you can always use foam rubber.. The material is comfortable in all respects and for a beginner home master will be a real find. Foam rubber will forgive the mistakes made and allow them to be painlessly corrected.

Tool

It is impossible to get the job done without the right set of tools. To create insulated wooden entrance doors you will need:

Roulette and pencil;
Stationery knife;
Hacksaw;
Hammer;
Screwdriver;
Smooth rail or metal meter;
Mounter or nail puller;
Construction stapler.

It is necessary to prepare tools and sheathing material

If necessary, this set can be expanded, but for most operations it will be enough. It should be noted that the hacksaw is easily replaced electric jigsaw. This tool allows you to complete the work with the same quality, but much faster. And if the house does not have a screwdriver, then you can take a simple drill. The main thing is that it has a reverse, which will allow, if necessary, to unscrew any self-tapping screw or screw.

In addition to the tool, it is necessary to prepare the sheathing material. For most door panels, it will be enough to use a leatherette that has an attractive appearance. This material has good performance and wear resistance, so the canvas does not need to be repaired for a long time.

And if you like to do everything with your own hands, then we recommend you instructions on how to

Preparatory work

To perform the insulation of the door leaf, you should go step by step, stage by stage. This approach allows you to achieve good results and eliminate errors. And first you have to do the preparatory work.

In order for nothing to interfere with work, it is required to remove the door leaf. This is done with a rig or a nail puller. It is enough to pry the canvas from below and it will rise from the hinges. If rotary axis slightly rusted, then it must be lubricated with machine oil. After that, with small translational movements, you can stir up the hinge and remove the door leaf.

When the door is outside the box, it is necessary to remove all existing elements from it. Hinges, handles, peephole and lock are carefully unscrewed and removed to the side. If the door is not made only of wood, then it is necessary to remove the inner lining sheet in order to gain access to the inner space of the door leaf.

Cutting and laying insulation

The next step in warming the door leaf will be laying material that will make it warmer.. To do this, you need to arm yourself with a clerical knife. Thermal insulation is cut along the length and width of the canvas so that there is no empty space left. If the door is a frame with voids, then they need to be filled with insulation.

The insulation is tightly inserted between the bars

All pieces must be tightly inserted between the bars to prevent the formation of cold bridges. At the same time, the material should not bubble, which will indicate an excessively large stock. In this case, it is worth cutting off the excess material a little. Once everything is adjusted, you need to fix the insulation with staples. Quickly and efficiently, this allows you to make a construction stapler.

New door trim

The next step will be the upholstery of the prepared wooden doors.. For this purpose, you can use soft materials such as leather substitute or leatherette. The upholstery fabric is cut off with a margin of length and width of at least 10 cm. This is necessary for bending the material, which should have some thickening around the entire perimeter of the door leaf.

As a finishing material, you can use dermantin

It is best to fasten dermantin on special nails. They have a large decorative cap, which gives the skin a more attractive look. You can also run copper wire over the nails. If you pull it, it will work additional mount both for insulation and for exterior decoration.

analogue soft materials stands for MDF. This type of finish is used for frame canvases. In this case, each panel is attached to the kleimer, and nailed along the perimeter.

Installation of hinges and fittings

When the canvas gets a new look, it is necessary to install the removed fittings in place. The hinges must take their nests exactly as they were installed before work began. seat for the lock, it is necessary to carefully cut it out so that there is no damage around it on the upholstery of the door leaf.

If necessary, insulation can be combined with.

The insulated door is mounted back

Mounting the seal

Installing frost-resistant insulation on the door leaf is only half the battle to eliminate the penetration of cold air into the living space. Even with closed door there is a small gap between it and the box through which the cold will penetrate. Eliminating drafts is the next task for the home master.

To perform this work, you should choose the optimal type of seal. Today, manufacturers can offer the following types of this material:

foam seals;
Silicone seals;
Rubber seals.

The first type of seal allows you to quickly and inexpensively solve the problem of drafts. It is ideal for the doorway of a building such as a summer house, where there is no great intensity of opening and closing doors.

Foam seal - inexpensive, but also short-lived

The use of a silicone door seal will allow you to get rid of a draft for a longer time than a foam analog can do. The shape of the product guarantees a tight pressing of the canvas to the box, which will not allow air masses to move inside the room.

The best option is a rubber seal. Due to its characteristics, it allows you to get a warm opening for a long time even with the most intensive use. In addition, the variety of forms this product makes it possible to install it on all types of door blocks.

With intensive use of doors, a rubber seal is used.

Having chosen the desired version of the seal, it remains only to install it in place. There are two main mounting options:

With adhesive strip.
With a harpoon in the groove.

The fastest way to install a new seal on the door is when using self-adhesive products. But this type cannot please with durability, so many experts recommend a harpoon mount in a groove.

It will be quite difficult to choose a small groove in a quarter without disassembling the boxes. Therefore, it is allowed to carefully nail the sealant with small carnations. Fastening must be done in the very corner of the quarter. This will allow the leaf to take its position in the door block without difficulty and provide reliable protection against drafts.

Of iron, they are the most durable and best protect against uninvited guests. But, despite the obvious advantages of the metal, it has its drawbacks. This is the coldest of all materials, since it has a greater thermal conductivity, and besides, it is also not able to protect against excessive noise. Therefore, it is important to know how to insulate the front metal door.

The main thing when insulating a metal front door with your own hands is the right material. The most popular insulation are fibrous or foam boards. The practical properties of materials, as well as the principle of insulation with their help, are largely identical. The main difference lies in the mechanical properties and fire safety.

Fiber materials

Fibrous materials include mineral and glass wool, which are available in the form of solid boards or in rolls.

They are characterized by a high level of thermal insulation and absolute incombustibility. In addition, fibrous insulation is excellent, providing residents with comfort and silence in the apartment. The difference between mineral and glass wool is in the raw materials from which they are made. Thermal insulation properties are almost identical.

The main disadvantage of fibrous materials is their low hygroscopicity. This means that when wet, the fiber will decrease in volume, and at the same time lose its heat-insulating properties.

Therefore, such materials are strictly forbidden to be used in conditions under which condensation may form - i.e. where the door is on the border of contrasting temperatures (door to the street). Fibrous insulation can be used for installation in warm entrances of high-rise buildings.

Foam insulation

Foam insulation is a rigid board made of foam polymer materials. The difference between polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam material is that the first is filled with air, and the second is filled with nitrogen. Nitrogen makes the stove more resistant to damage and burning.

Both types of material are characterized by high moisture resistance., so they can be safely used both in an apartment building and in a private house.

Plates are available in various thicknesses and sizes, so you can choose the best insulation for any design.

The only drawback of the material is its high cost compared to other heaters.

How to insulate a metal split front door

The main difference between the one-piece doors is the design. In the first case, a frame with stiffeners is already provided inside, in the second case, it must be done independently.

In the case of a detachable structure, it is enough to remove the lining layer from the inside of the apartment, and set aside for the duration of the work.

Consider step by step how to insulate an iron front door with a detachable structure:

Lay the door panel on flat surface, remove all overhead elements, and then the lining layer.
Cut the selected insulation in accordance with the size and shape of the cells.
Cover the metal surface with glue or apply liquid nails.
Lay the insulation in the cells of the frame and press it to the surface.
Screw back the facing layer.

If the casing was damaged during dismantling, it can be replaced with another one. suitable material. Facing performs not only a decorative, but also a practical function, as it enhances the noise and heat insulation effect, and also protects the insulation from moisture.

This is how the process looks if you use a solid insulation - foam rubber or polystyrene foam. If cotton wool is chosen as a heater, then before laying it, the door is covered with a film over the entire inner surface.

It should protrude beyond the canvas by 1.5-2 cm. Then the cotton wool is cut into strips in accordance with the size of the cells, but with an overlap of 1-1.5. After laying the insulation in sections, the structure is covered with a second layer of film and fixed with adhesive tape. As a result, cotton wool will be reliably protected from moisture.

We insulate the Chinese one-piece door

In most cases, Chinese doors are either hollow inside or filled with honeycomb cardboard, which, although it should serve as a heater, actually does a poor job. Therefore, the buyer of Chinese products will definitely wonder how to insulate an iron door from the inside.

The process of warming a non-separable structure is almost identical to the method described above. But before you insulate a metal non-separable door, you will have to install a strong frame on the inside of the canvas, which is necessary for attaching the cladding.

Door preparation

The canvas must be removed from the hinges, laid horizontally and all overhead elements removed from it. After that, try to remove the lining layer. In case of Chinese doors It will not be possible to unscrew the casing, so it will most likely have to be cut off.

Frame installation

It is undesirable to choose metal as a material for the frame, because. the purpose of the alteration is insulation, and iron, as already mentioned, has a high thermal conductivity. Therefore, it is better to take a wooden beam, which is installed around the perimeter.

After that, you need to install the stiffeners. Moreover, you can not put only horizontal or only vertical partitions - it is better to combine 2 types of floors. This will help keep the material from sagging or shifting.

The width of the bar must correspond to the maximum width of the protruding part of the frame.

Laying insulation

In the resulting sections of the frame, you need to place the selected heat-insulating material. It is fixed by surprise or with glue. Even better, if both methods are combined. Therefore, between the insulation or frame elements, the gaps should be minimal.

Installing the decorative layer

The final step in the insulation and finishing of the entrance metal door is the installation of the inner cladding. More often for these purposes, MDF, plywood with decorative coating or dermantin.

It is allowed to insulate a metal door from both sides, i.e. the frame is installed both from the inside and from the outside of the apartment. In this case, different materials can be used for the decorative sheathing of the structure, for example: a fiberboard sheet for interior decoration, and lining for exterior.

Another option for insulating a one-piece door is to fill the cavity with foamed insulation (vermiculite or perlite). However, this method is only suitable for structures with securely welded seams, otherwise the insulation will easily seep through the holes. In addition, without disassembling the door, it is difficult to be sure that the entire interior space will be filled.

Do-it-yourself door insulation

To insulate an iron door with your own hands, in addition to the insulation itself, you need to prepare the following set of materials and tools:

sheet for interior cladding - fiberboard, OSB, plywood;
wooden beam;
mounting foam;
glue or liquid nails;
materials for fasteners;
plaster;
sealing tape;
jigsaw, screwdriver, spatula.

We discussed the process of insulation for each type of door in the previous paragraphs of the article.

Let us consider in more detail the features of installing the inner layer of the finish:

From a sheet of the selected material, you need to cut a canvas that matches the size of the door. Moreover, the resulting sheet must exactly match the outer perimeter of the frame.
Using a jigsaw, holes are cut in the canvas for the keyhole, eye and handle.
The sheet is attached to wooden frame with glue and self-tapping screws around the perimeter. An equal distance of 30-40 cm should be observed between the fasteners.
Overhead elements are mounted in the prepared holes.
The door peephole and other fittings are fixed with sealant during installation.

The final stage of the interior cladding will be the decorative design of the surface. For this, fiberboard, eco-leather or any other sheathing technology can be used. The main thing is that the finished version harmoniously fits into the interior of the room. A door insulated according to the described algorithm will be a good protection against noise and cold.

box insulation

It must be understood that the insulation of the door alone is not enough to achieve a sufficient level of thermal insulation. Most of the heat from the apartment leaves through the cracks between the canvas and the door frame.

Therefore, attention should be paid to the insulation and this part of the structure. To begin with, remove the remnants of the old insulation and plaster from the wall, moisten the surface with water and foam the gaps. After the foam has dried, treat the box with plaster. So the insulation will be protected from moisture and light, which means that it will perform the functions assigned to it with great success.

The final stage of insulation will be the laying of a sealing self-adhesive tape around the perimeter of the door frame. Sealing tapes vary in size, so you can choose the best material depending on the size of the gaps (maximum gap - 7mm). Before sticking the tape, the surface must be prepared by carefully degreasing it. Otherwise, the seal will not last long.

Common mistakes when warming

Insulation of metal doors is a fairly simple and understandable process, so it is not necessary to involve professionals to carry out the work.

Having decided on an independent alteration, it is important to adhere to the described algorithms. And in order to avoid unnecessary mistakes, take note of simple tips:

When insulated, the door becomes thicker than it was originally. This fact must be taken into account when selecting accessories - locks, handles, peepholes.
Do not perform insulation work while the door is in a vertical position. This will not only complicate the process, but also lead to displacement of the insulation.
When using mounting foam to fill the joints, it is worth considering its ability to expand. When dried, its volume increases by 2-3 times, which can violate the integrity of the structure.
When installing a new iron door, it would be useful to leave the old wooden one. Thus, the air space formed between the canvases will help enhance the heat and sound insulation properties.
If, after laying the insulation in the cells of the frame, gaps have formed, they can be eliminated with the help of pieces of foam or mounting foam.

Following these tips will help you achieve good results and avoid annoying mistakes when insulating your home. Knowing how to insulate an iron door on your own, you do not have to turn to the help of professionals.

main purpose steel door- protection of the home from burglary. However, in addition to its primary function as a guard, a well-insulated metal door makes a significant contribution to the overall energy efficiency of a home. Heat loss through the purged and freezing doorway, an uninsulated door and an inefficient ventilation system without a heat exchanger can reach up to 20%. Based on this, the importance of installing a reliable and high-quality steel door becomes clear. This article discusses how to insulate a metal door.

Why is there a vestibule at the entrance?

In order for the entrance group to become energy efficient, it is necessary to install two doors - an outdoor steel door that opens outward, and the second - an internal, simple wooden one that opens inside the house. In this case, an air gap is formed between them, and air, as you know, is the best heat insulator. Such a tandem will keep the heat in the house, as well as protect the inner door from freezing and fogging in severe frosts.

However, homeowners do not always have the opportunity to equip a full-fledged vestibule.

Also, often at the entrance group, due to lack of funds, they put inexpensive doors that are not distinguished by high workmanship. Result: such a design and a metal frame freezes from the inside of the room in frosts, up to the formation of ice, and it seeps through the cracks between the door leaf and the frame.

Accordingly, the funds spent on heating fly out into the pipe. The way out of this situation can be self-insulation of a metal door and, no less important, a door frame.

Step one - choose a seal

In any case, to obtain a quality result, you must first develop a plan. This thesis is especially relevant when construction works. Therefore, before taking on the insulation, first of all we inspect the doorway. At a low-quality door, due to a loose seal between the door leaf and the frame, cold outdoor air enters the house from outside.

Beer69 FORUMHOUSE user

Do not chase the large thickness of the door and, accordingly, the size of the insulation layer inside it. The main thing is how to insulate a metal door - this is a clear geometry of the “frame-door” assembly, which depends on the thickness of the leaf and stiffeners. Street frost to a greater extent passes through the junction (the gap between the door leaf and the frame), and not through the door leaf. The best performance is achieved when installing a double box with two sealing circuits.

Even the number of locks and the points of their location affect the tightness of the web to the rubber seal. It is optimal when the door locks (2 pcs.) Are located slightly below and slightly above the middle of the leaf.

From the point of view of frost resistance, the best type of lock device is a lock with a lever (plate package) type of mechanism.

Polinka FORUMHOUSE user

At inexpensive doors, the wind often walks between the canvas and the frame. To eliminate this, you need to lay a high-quality self-adhesive seal around the entire perimeter.

The main purpose of the seal is to seal the junction of the door to the door frame. This prevents frost, extraneous noise, dust and wind from getting inside the room.

If, as a result of examining the sealant, it turned out that it does not fulfill its function: it is damaged, has lost elasticity, is laid with violations, then it must be replaced. Before going to the store for a sealant, you need to:

choose the material of the seal;
determine the thickness of the seal;
choose the shape of the seal profile.

The seal can be made from:

rubber;
silicone;
polyurethane;
plastic;
foam rubber.

Most often, rubber seals are used to seal the door-frame junction. They are durable, resistant to adverse weather conditions, low cost. Silicone sealant has similar qualities. Due to the ease of installation, polyurethane self-adhesive seals have become widespread.

It is also important to choose a sealant of the desired thickness and profile. To do this, you need to measure the gap between the door leaf and the frame. For guidance, you can follow the following rules:

If the gap does not exceed one to three mm, then you can choose a rectangular seal.
If the gap is 3 mm, you can choose a seal with a C, K, or E-shaped profile.
With a gap of 3 to 5 mm, a seal with a P or V profile shape is used.
If the gap is more than 5 mm, then a seal with an O or D profile shape is installed.

If the sealant is glued with silicone adhesive, then before applying the adhesive, the surface must be cleaned of the old sealant and degreased. When gluing the sealant, special attention must be paid to the corners, because when cutting the seal, gaps may remain in them.

Step two - insulate the door frame

Many novice developers believe that it is enough to buy and install a well-insulated metal door, and the entrance group will become energy efficient. Such a factor as the most powerful cold bridge, which is a metal door frame, is often overlooked.

Warm and dry FORUMHOUSE user

I “looked” at the door frame through the thermal imager and was surprised how much it stands out in color against the general background of a well-insulated door. I previously assumed that the metal freezes badly, but now I am convinced of how great the heat loss in this node is. You need to insulate the box. The only question is how to do it.

Gaining popularity lately metal constructions with thermal break. In this case, the inner and outer surfaces of the web and the box are separated from each other by a material with low thermal conductivity. As a result, the cold bridge is eliminated.

Using the principle of thermal break, it is possible to modify the metal frame of a cheap door. For this, the metal (metal box) is isolated from the warm room. This can be done by installing an additional wooden box and a platband. As an option - gluing the contour before this metal box heat-insulating strip of isolon.

SergeiSt FORUMHOUSE user

The insulation inside the steel door is more needed for sound insulation than for thermal insulation. Therefore, in the struggle for energy efficiency, it is necessary to close all metal parts of the door from the inside of a warm room. This is exactly what we do by closing and isolating the metal circuit (door frame) with a wooden extension with a rubber seal.

What such a node looks like can be clearly seen in this figure.

Also, a wooden box, due to the texture of wood, ennobles the entrance group.

In addition to the method described above, how to insulate an iron door, such an option for insulating a door frame as foaming its internal cavity is often offered. To do this, holes are drilled along the perimeter of the steel frame, through which, from a can, mounting foam is injected inside. Let's do an experiment to see if this method is justified. Let's take any metal pipe, fill it up and put it out in the cold. Let's leave it for a while and then touch the metal with our hand.

Mounting foam, expanding, can lead to deformation of the door frame or stain the door leaf. You also need to remember that polyurethane foam can get into the crossbar cavity and, after drying, jam the crossbars and disable the lock.

Andrey-AA FORUMHOUSE user

I decided to insulate the metal front door in the country house by foaming the door frame with mounting foam. Foamed from the heart. As a result, foam through small cracks hit the crossbars and froze. Trying to open the door, I first broke the key, then I decided to drill the lock or even turn the door with a crowbar. Having somewhat calmed down and thought, I opened the box with a grinder and, putting my hand in, pushed out the crossbars with my fingers. Until the end of the frozen foam flowed out of the slot. I had to, in order not to spoil the canvas, to glueits cellophane and construction tape. Then I waited for all the foam to dry so that it could be removed from the crossbar cavity with a chisel.

Conclusion: you need to be careful with foaming the box!

Andrew 203 FORUMHOUSE user

Foaming the box improves sound insulation to a greater extent than serves the purpose of insulation. This should be done only with the door open and then, before closing it with a lock, wait for the foam to completely harden. After that, the holes for the crossbars must be cleaned with a drill, or a narrow chisel or other tool.

Step three - insulate the door leaf

Having completed the previous two steps, we proceed directly to the insulation door structure. There are two options here:

Internal insulation of the door cavity. Why does the door need to be removed and disassembled.

If the door cannot be disassembled, then it will have to be insulated on the surface of the canvas.

For the first option, we do the following:

We're filming.
We dismantle decorative panel.
We insert into the cavity (between the stiffening ribs) a foam plastic or extruded polystyrene foam.
We seal the cracks and install the decorative panel back.
We put it in place.

A door insulated in this way can be upholstered with clapboard, glued with artificial leather, finished with a brushed board. There is a wide scope for creativity here. Do not drill holes in the door leaf and try to foam it from the inside or pour granular foam through these holes in the cavity. If you blindly insulate a metal front door, such an upgrade can lead to jamming and failure of the locking mechanism.

If the metal door leaf cannot be carefully dismantled without destroying it (it is rolled), then the insulation will have to be mounted on top of the door.

WAAD FORUMHOUSE user

The forum member did this - first he drilled holes and foamed carefully door frame, which ensured its 100% sealing and increased sound insulation. The outer part of the door was pasted over with an advertising film. Then, using liquid nails, I glued extruded polystyrene foam 2 cm thick onto this film.

Sticking the film on the door will allow you to later dismantle the insulation without a time-consuming operation to remove glue from the door leaf. The film is easily separated if heated with an industrial hair dryer.

Also as a temporary option, for emergency or accidents, you can temporarily "insulate" the entrance to the house in this way.

From within, in doorway, a dense and heavy fabric is hung, which, when leaving or entering the house, leans to the side. It should look like a curtain or curtain. The fabric is hung not close to the door, but at a small distance from it (5-10 cm). If the depth of the opening allows, then you can hang two curtains, also at a short distance from each other. It turns out a mini-tambour. Due to the air gap, heat from the house will not go outside.

To ensure comfort and coziness in the house, it must be well insulated. One of the main measures to reduce heat loss is the thermal insulation of entrance doors. Qualitatively and properly insulated door helps to save significant money on energy bills during the heating period. In addition, it does not let sounds inside from the street or from the entrance.

Varieties of heaters for doors

Consider the main types of heat-insulating materials that are used to insulate the front door:

Corrugated cardboard. This is a honeycomb filler, which is characterized by low cost, but its heat and sound insulation indicators are also low. Although the material is made of cardboard, the presence a large number cells provides it with sufficient rigidity. Corrugated cardboard tolerates temperature changes well, so manufacturers often use it to insulate budget entrance doors. The main advantage of this insulation is its low weight, so a large load is not created on the canvas and on the loops. Due to the low moisture resistance and short service life, corrugated cardboard is not suitable for high-quality insulation of entrance doors.
Corrugated cardboard is commonly used to insulate budget front doors.
Mineral wool. The material has high heat and sound insulation characteristics, tolerates temperature changes well. To insulate the front door, it is better to use basalt insulation, as he is less afraid of high humidity. The main disadvantage of mineral wool is that it shrinks over time. This minus is especially relevant in the case of the insulation of the front door, since the material is located vertically. In addition, when opening / closing the canvas, shocks occur, as a result of which the cotton wool quickly settles. To minimize this drawback, additional stiffening ribs can be installed in the door, which will partially prevent shrinkage. It is also recommended not just to lay, but to glue mineral wool to the surface of the door leaf..
The disadvantage of mineral wool is that over time it shrinks.
Styrofoam. This is the most popular and affordable material for insulating the front door. Its main advantages: long service life, reasonable cost, good moisture resistance, low thermal conductivity. Installation of foam plastic is simple and quick, and due to its low weight, the load on the hinges and the web increases slightly. Among the disadvantages of this material, it should be noted low soundproofing characteristics, as well as the fact that when heated, it emits harmful substances.
The foam has a long service life, affordable cost, good moisture resistance and low thermal conductivity.
Liquid polyurethane foam. For door insulation, it is rarely used due to the fact that its application requires special equipment. After spraying on the surface of the door, it quickly hardens. The result is a monolithic coating without cracks and gaps. Polyurethane foam has good adhesion, so for its installation it is not necessary to use a frame and fasteners. He is not afraid of changes in temperature and humidity. The disadvantages of this method of insulation are the high cost and specificity of the application. Some craftsmen use mounting foam to insulate the front door. This is the same polyurethane foam, but already in a can.
At home, you can fill the cavities in the door with mounting foam
Foam. It has fairly good heat and sound insulation characteristics, is not afraid of humidity and temperature changes and does not shrink. The disadvantage of polypropylene plates is that, compared to other heaters, they have a higher thermal conductivity.
Foam plates compared to other materials have a higher thermal conductivity
Felt. It is a natural insulation made from wool. It used to be very popular, but now it has been replaced by more modern materials. Felt has good thermal insulation characteristics. Its main disadvantage is that it absorbs moisture well.
Felt has good thermal insulation characteristics, but absorbs moisture.
Foam rubber. Among the advantages of this insulation, it should be noted the low cost and ease of installation. The main disadvantages: high moisture absorption, with temperature changes, it starts to crumble very quickly, which leads to a decrease in thermal insulation characteristics.
Foam rubber has high moisture absorption, with temperature changes it starts to crumble very quickly
Foiled polyethylene foam. Although the thickness of this insulation is small, it has good thermal insulation characteristics. Due to the presence of a foil layer, most of the heat is reflected back into the room. This is one of better ways door insulation, which is suitable for both wooden and metal sheets. Such material is mounted with glue. On sale there is foamed polyethylene with a self-adhesive base. Enough to take off protective film and attach it to the door.
Foil polyethylene foam usually has a self-adhesive base, which greatly facilitates its installation.
Sealing tapes. In addition to ensuring high thermal insulation characteristics of the door leaf, it is necessary to eliminate the possibility of heat leakage through the gap between the door and the frame. To do this, special sealing elements are glued around the perimeter on the canvas or on the door frame.
The sealing tape is fixed on a self-adhesive backing

To obtain the maximum result when insulating the front door, experts recommend using several heat-insulating materials at the same time. Most effective solution is the installation inside the foam sheet, followed by leatherette lining on a lining of foam rubber or felt, but there may be other combinations.

Installation of insulation on various types of doors

The installation technology of the insulation will be slightly different depending on whether it is being installed on a wooden or metal sheet.

To carry out the work, you must have the following tools and materials:

Installation of insulation on metal doors

In most apartments, metal entrance doors are installed, so the question of how to properly insulate them is very relevant. Metal doors can be:

detachable, that is, on the inside of the canvas, the sheathing is attached to the frame with self-tapping screws. It may be an option when the door has only a sheathing on the outside and a frame, and there is no interior decoration;
one-piece. The door trim is connected to the frame by welding, so the design is non-separable.

Insulation of a detachable metal door

Installation of insulation on a detachable metal door is carried out as follows:

The choice of material. At this stage, the type and size of the insulation are determined. To do this, measure the length, height and thickness of the canvas. If the door does not have an inner lining, then you must additionally purchase a sheet of plywood or fiberboard, which then closes the insulation layer.
You can use laminated plywood, then carry out finishing no insulated door required
Removing the cladding. To simplify the work, it is better to remove the door from the hinges and put it on a horizontal surface. After that, unscrew the screws and remove the lining from the inside. Inside the metal door there are stiffening ribs, between which heat-insulating material will be installed.
Remove trim from the inside of the front door
Heater installation. In accordance with the cells in the frame, a heat-insulating material is cut out. Its size should be slightly larger so that the insulation fits with a slight interference. The insulation is fixed to the metal surface " liquid nails"or other glue.
Styrofoam or other insulation is fixed to the metal surface with glue
Sheathing installation. After filling all the cells inside the door, the removed trim is put in place. If a fiberboard sheet is installed, then markings are made in it for the handle, eye and lock cylinder, and then screwed to the frame. Self-tapping screws must be installed opposite each stiffener and 3-4 pieces between them.
The final stage. With the help of a file and sandpaper, the edges of the fiberboard sheet are processed so that it exactly matches the dimensions of the door.

Filling with liquid polyurethane foam

The hollow space of a metal door can be filled with liquid insulation. In this case, all seams on the canvas must be sealed so that the material does not come out.

It is difficult to use this method at home, since special equipment is required to obtain liquid polyurethane foam. You can use mounting foam, but there is no guarantee that it will be possible to evenly fill the inside of the door.

Video: metal door insulation

Insulation of a one-piece metal door

When insulating a one-piece structure with mineral wool, polystyrene foam and other similar materials, one must be prepared for the fact that the thickness of the web will increase and its appearance from the inside will change.

Dismantling of accessories. All fittings that will interfere with the work are removed from the door.
Remove accessories that will interfere with the work
Additional frame device. For this, wooden bars with a section of 25x20 mm are used, which are fastened with self-tapping screws around the perimeter of the door leaf. In order to screw in a self-tapping screw, first make a hole with an electric drill, which should be slightly smaller than the diameter of the self-tapping screw. The bars are installed along the perimeter of the canvas, as well as parallel to the short side of the door to create cells for the size of the insulation.
Frame bars are stuffed around the entire perimeter of the door and horizontally to create cells for insulation
Insulation lining. In the gaps between the slats of the created frame, a heater is installed and fixed with glue.
Sheathing installation. A sheet of fiberboard prepared in size is attached to the frame using self-tapping screws.
Finishing. If laminated fiberboard is used, then you can leave it that way. Otherwise, a layer of foam rubber is fixed on the fiberboard, after which it is covered with leather or leatherette.
Usually, after insulation, the doors are upholstered with leatherette or leather.
Hardware installation. It is necessary to install the removed fittings in place. Please note that after such insulation, the thickness of the door leaf will increase, so the handle, peephole and larva must be of the appropriate size.

One-piece metal doors can also be insulated with foil-foamed polyethylene. It is fixed on a self-adhesive base, has a small thickness and high thermal insulation characteristics, so it is not necessary to mount an additional frame. After laying the insulation, the canvas is sheathed with leatherette. The use of foil material can significantly increase the thermal insulation characteristics of the door, while its thickness increases slightly.

If you plan to install a new front door, if possible, you should leave the old one, since the presence of air space between the leaves allows you to improve the heat and sound insulation of the room. This is possible when the thickness of the doorway is large and it is possible to install tambour doors.

Installation of insulation on wooden doors

In approximately 90% of all cases, wooden entrance doors are insulated from the outside.

The order of work will be as follows:

Removing the door leaf. To simplify the process of warming a wooden door, it is better to remove it from its hinges and lay it on stands, for example, on 2 or 4 stools.
On the door removed from the hinges, it is much easier to carry out all the work.
Dismantling of accessories. Accessories are removed from the canvas, which will interfere with the work.
Installation of foam rubber, isolon or felt. In this case, the heat-insulating material is glued to the surface of the door. After that, it is recommended to further secure it with small nails or staples.
Foam rubber is glued to the door leaf
Insulation lining. If insulation is performed board materials(polystyrene, mineral wool), along the perimeter of the door create a frame of wooden slats, and also make several transverse stiffeners. After that, the heater is fixed. The disadvantage of this method is that the thickness of the door increases. It is possible to insulate wooden doors with rolled materials, for example, foam rubber or foamed polyethylene foil. They are glued directly to the surface of the door leaf.
Installation of slab insulation in a crate of slats leads to an increase in the thickness of the door leaf
Installation of finishing material. After laying the insulation, the doors are sheathed with leatherette or leather.

If mineral wool is used to insulate the door, then it must be closed with a hydrobarrier, as it is afraid of high humidity.

To obtain the maximum effect, in addition to warming the door leaf, the following activities are also carried out:

door frame insulation. First you need to understand what condition it is in. To do this, dismantle the slope and inspect the gap between the box and the wall. If necessary, the damaged mounting foam is cut off and this space is filled with a new one. After that, they put the slope back and insulate it;
door frame insulation. Along the perimeter of the door, sealing elements are glued to the canvas or to the box. They can be both foam rubber and polymer.

If you perform the insulation of the front door in the described sequence, then you can be sure that in winter there will definitely be no heat loss in this place.

To get the maximum effect, you need to use several heaters at the same time.

Video: wooden door insulation

Replacing the door insulation

Sometimes situations arise when it is necessary to replace the insulation on the front door. Most often this happens in the case of using mineral wool, since during operation it settles and the thermal insulation characteristics of the door deteriorate. To perform these works, in addition to the already mentioned tool, you will need a spatula, which is used to completely remove the glued insulation from the door surface. You can handle it with a knife, but with a spatula it will be much faster to do the job.

Insulation replacement procedure:

Video: replacing the door insulation

Replacing seals

If you notice that extraneous smells and sounds from the entrance began to penetrate into the apartment and a draft appeared near the door, then you need to replace the seal:

It is not difficult to replace the insulation and sealing elements on the front door on your own, so any home master can do this work.

Video: installing seals

A wide variety of thermal insulation materials can be used to insulate the front door, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. To obtain the maximum effect, several heaters must be used simultaneously. One of the best options would be to insulate the canvas with foam, install a reflective insulation and upholstery with leather or leatherette, as well as install a sealing tape around the perimeter.