How to weld an iron front door yourself. How to make an iron entrance door

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Despite the fact that there are many models of entrance doors on sale, in some cases suitable option It's quite difficult to choose. Some are not satisfied with the dimensions due to the non-standard opening at the installation site, others are afraid of hidden defects in the product, and others are embarrassed by the high cost of the kit.

Making a metal door yourself, with proper organization of the process, has a number of advantages. For example, you don’t have to worry about the quality of the design; it can be assembled according to any acceptable drawing, and there won’t be any problems with the design - there are many techniques. In addition, the costs of assembling and finishing the block will be minimal.

Preparation stage

Work should begin with dismantling old door and complete cleaning of the opening. Only after a thorough examination of the condition of the base can one conclude whether it is suitable for installing a metal structure or not. It may be necessary to narrow (expand) it in accordance with the required dimensions and further strengthen it. The latter is typical for buildings made of cellular concrete, wood, as well as from other materials with a significant degree of wear. Consequently, the necessary technological operations are carried out.

After obtaining a passage in the wall with the correct geometry, you can begin taking measurements. Based on this, a drawing of a metal door is developed. In addition to determining the dimensions of the frame and sash, you should also choose a design diagram. First of all, in which direction is it more convenient to open the canvas, where is it better to install locks, hinges (their number) and fittings (handle, peephole) on it. Sometimes it is advisable to make a “one and a half” version. In it, the small sash is rigidly fixed, but if it is necessary to temporarily expand the opening (for example, when moving large loads), it is easy to open it.

The design of a metal door is drawn up taking into account the fact that there should be a small gap (about 15 - 20 mm) between the jamb and the base. It is called editing. It allows, firstly, to correctly align the frame, adjust its position, and secondly, to additionally insulate the opening around the perimeter.
The hinges on the door are placed at an equal distance from each other, and their number is determined by the weight of the leaf; With its light weight, two canopies are enough. But in any case, their distance (top and bottom) from the sash cuts is selected to be about 150 mm (for openings of standard height).

Materials and supplies are being prepared. When working with iron, welding will be required. Plus, a hammer drill (electric drill with a chipper) and a grinder. Everything else is ordinary household tools, a square, a tape measure. It’s a little more difficult with materials; you’ll have to choose.

Corners or profiles (with a side of 4 cm) are suitable for the frame. Here it is worth focusing on the purpose of the structure, the requirements for its stability and the option for further finishing. If it is expected high-quality insulation, increased strength, then a door made of a profile pipe - The best decision. But stiffening ribs can also be made from a corner.
The frame covering is made of sheet steel. It is necessary to optimally combine such indicators as the total mass of the canvas and its strength. But in any case, it is not recommended to use metal less than 2 mm thick.
Fastening elements. Any iron door, whether homemade or purchased, is fixed in the opening anchor bolts. The only exception is for models mounted in wooden (frame) buildings. As a rule, when self-installation doors at their entrance, they are attached to special frames or to the base using welding or large hardware.

Everything else - seals, thermal insulation and Decoration Materials, fasteners, fittings - at the discretion of the master.

If you lack experience in making steel doors with your own hands, it is better to limit yourself to overhead hinges. Hidden canopies are much more difficult to install and require a professional approach.

The procedure for manufacturing metal structures

A do-it-yourself iron door, regardless of its diagram and drawing, is assembled according to one algorithm. Initially, individual elements are made.

Box

There are no problems with it, but provided that all measurements and cutting of blanks are made correctly, in strict accordance with the drawn up drawing. It is not difficult to weld individual parts into a single structure of the correct geometry. You just need to work on a perfectly flat, hard surface and constantly monitor the angles. Once the jamb is assembled, all seams are carefully polished with a diamond disc.

It is mandatory to weld hinges and fastening strips with drilled holes to the box. Using the final details, it is fixed to a wall made of any material.

Door leaf

The frame manufacturing technique is absolutely identical.
For reinforcement, stiffeners are installed according to the selected pattern.
A groove is cut for the lock tongue.
Frame sheathing on one side. It is produced by fastening steel sheets by welding, with a slight overlap. In the area of the hinges it is about 5 mm, along the length of the frame it is about 10 - 15. It is recommended to “tack” the cladding with several seams, no more than 40 mm in length. To ensure reliability of fastening, the intervals between adjacent sections are selected within 20.

Depending on the design, at this stage of assembling a metal door, the lock fastening elements are installed, the hinges are welded (those parts that are attached to the leaf) and a window for the peephole is cut out.

If the sash is supposed to be insulated, then it is immediately laid thermal insulation material; it is placed between the stiffening ribs, which prevents it from sagging under its own weight.

All that remains is to weld the second sheet of metal to the wrong side of the frame and also cut a hole in it for the peephole and the lock cylinder.
The last thing to do with the sash is to carry out a control check of its geometry and sand all joints, welds and paint with primer to prevent metal corrosion.

If the “one and a half” scheme is chosen, then all technological operations for the small blade are absolutely identical, with the exception of the eye and door lock. But upper and lower stops should be provided for fixation in a stationary position.

Finishing

Making a metal door with your own hands is not all. It must be formatted accordingly. With blocks installed in outbuildings it is quite simple; as a rule, they are painted. But if we're talking about about the door at the entrance to a residential building (apartment), then it is advisable to decorate it. The choice of option is at the discretion of the owner, and some recommendations will help with this.

How you can finish the canvas:

Hard materials - multilayer plywood, fiberboard, vinyl plastic, wooden lining, laminate, MDF followed by varnish coating (colorless or with tinting components).
Leatherette and leatherette are used to cover the sash.
The water door to the apartment can be covered with decorative film. Since the impact of atmospheric factors is minimal, this finish will last a long time. And taking into account the low cost and simplicity of design, it is one of the best solutions.

Assembly of the structure

Essentially, it all comes down to hanging the sash, checking its position, the operation of the locks and adjustments (if necessary). All that remains is to install the handle, lock and peephole. If the door design includes crossbars and lower (upper) stops, then you need to make markings.

The sash is covered, and the places for drilling holes are marked on the jamb. After readiness, their coincidence with the fixing elements is checked. This applies to both the main canvas and the additional, small one.

The final “touch” is installing the manufactured door into the opening and lubricating all rubbing parts (which many people forget about). After this, we can state that everything is complete, the work has been completed.

For those who have skills in working with metals and want to gain iron door High Quality at low costs, it self-production- the best option. Moreover, the drawing, diagram, and external finishing are chosen not by the manufacturer, but by the craftsman. This means that the entrance to the house will not only be reliably protected, but also originally designed, and block construction fits perfectly into the interior of a specific building.

Sections of the article:

A mandatory and indispensable element of any type of room - be it a private house, office building or country house are the entrance doors. Create one important attribute Not everyone can manage farming on their own. However, with appropriate instructions and recommendations experienced craftsmen, a high-quality metal door made with your own hands will last for many years.

Advantages of a metal door made by yourself

At first glance, it may seem that it is impossible to construct such a complex household item without the help of specialists. With the help of modern equipment and innovative materials, it will be possible to create a heavy product necessary for everyday use even if you have very modest construction skills. Having equipped a metal door yourself, the need to overpay for the installation and installation of a factory design will disappear by itself.

In addition, the template samples present in the assortment of professional manufacturers are not always able to fully satisfy consumer needs. The desire to create a metal door with your own hands often stems from the desire to arrange your home at your own discretion.

Correct measurements are the basis for successful work

In order for the final result of the owner’s work to be appreciated, it is extremely important to competently approach the issue of manufacturing and installing the entrance metal structure. On initial stage work and when creating any product, the first thing you need to start with is to take measurements and calculate the volume of materials used. The parameters of the doorway are of fundamental importance when designing the door leaf and frame. It is extremely important to note that all measurement results obtained are not final. On each side it is necessary to subtract an additional 2 cm. Such a small gap will allow you to further adjust the position of the door leaf in the opening.

When taking measurements, take into account the total length and width of the hole. The starting point of the mark should be the surface of the nearest solid base. It is not worth counting dimensions from the layer of plaster, since when finishing works the solution could have been applied in excess. This will have the most negative impact on the subsequent installation of metal doors with your own hands: dimensions finished product will not coincide with the actual opening parameters.

What is required to design a door yourself?

The idea of creating and installing metal doors yourself will not cost owners cheap. The majority of the costs will be nothing more than the purchase of the hardware itself. The auxiliary elements will cost the owner relatively inexpensively.

The budget for making a metal door may also include spending on decorative cards. In order to give the finished work a logically completed aesthetic look with your own hands, as in the photo above, their use cannot be avoided. And yet, the standard set of necessary things to create any metal door deserves attention:

A profiled pipe with a cross-sectional diameter from 2cm to 4cm (needed to make an iron door block with parameters of 1m by 2m). Metal sheet of moderate thickness, but not less than 2.5 mm. The dimensions are similar - 1m by 2m;.
3 hinges with bearing for entrance structure. Despite the fact that when installing a product in a doorway, 2 hinges are usually used, the final weight of the structure will be quite heavy, so it will not be easy for 2 canopies to support the door.

A lock for the front door - here the preferences are completely given to the owner. Glass wool or polystyrene foam (to cover door leaf for the purpose of its insulation).

On last stage work, the finished product is decorated with cards. At the same time, a popular view interior decoration often it is sheathed with a lath.

How to make a door frame?

Making a metal door with your own hands is not difficult. The manufacturing process will not seem long and labor-intensive if the sequence of execution is followed correctly necessary actions. Designing a door frame is a fundamental stage of work. This element is a welded system consisting of metal corners. It should immediately be noted that when connecting individual parts boxes, it is important to leave gaps.

The creation of the frame begins with the preparation of a profile or corner. The selected part must be cut according to preliminary measurements. Then all fragments of the door frame are laid on the welding table, maintaining right 90° angles. Ideally, before connecting the parts, an additional verification of the indicators is carried out, and when there is no doubt in the calculations, you can begin welding.

In parallel with specified type the work is often also done to make the slots for the locking bolts. To ensure that metal doors made by yourself have a neat appearance in the end, it is better to use a grinder. Strict adherence to pre-drawn drawings and diagrams will allow the design to be accurately brought into compliance with the developed project. It is then that the expected result will fully compensate for the owner’s efforts.

Door leaf installation

Having dealt with door frame, you can move on to the next stage of work. Interior the welded structure must again be subject to measurement. You can determine the dimensions of the future canvas if you leave 5 mm gaps on each side of the box. In the process of creating any type of metal door with your own hands, the gaps left will allow you to balance the weight of the finished product or adjust its position.

Then you need to proceed to the following welding procedures. The frame, which is intended for the iron sheet, also consists of separate elements - corners; according to the scheme of its manufacture, one can easily detect similarities with the connection of parts of the door frame. After which with inside The corners of the frame should be welded at the same distance. These parts have an important function: they determine the level of rigidity.

Upon completion of the above section of work, you can begin cutting out the steel sheet. The choice of material from which a metal door will be made with your own hands should be approached responsibly, because this structural element is no less important than the frame. When fitting the sheet inside the frame, you must also remember about an allowance of about 1 cm on each side. When connecting iron to the door base by welding, it is important to promptly eliminate any arising roughness, burrs, or correct uneven seams using a grinder.

Attaching the hinges

The almost completed product has a short way to go. Loops must be attached to the finished fabric. However, it's worth doing in the following way. Firstly, one of the parts of the fasteners, which has a kind of pin, is attached to the door frame, and the second is fixed directly to the door leaf.

A pre-drawn drawing for making a metal door with your own hands should become the main assistant in creating the product. In order for the installation of hinges to be successful, it is advisable to measure the length of the gap several times between the intended holes for their installation. Only with a perfect match of the elements will it be possible to avoid possible misalignment of the doors, as well as improve the sealing properties of the product and extend its service life.

When designing a door leaf, it is better to leave a small space inside it in advance and pre-insulate it with any thermal insulation. The additional time and effort spent on creating such a door will pay off when the first cold weather sets in. After the insulation procedure and upon completion of fixing the hinges, it is necessary to clean the seams and then paint the surface of the finished structure.

Incorporation of additional elements into the design

A homemade metal door can be called truly high-quality if the owner not only made it with his own hands, but also equipped it with fittings. The video below clearly demonstrates how to correctly install the locking mechanism when creating a homemade metal door. It is important to emphasize that modern samples, as a rule, consist of two components. When installing and fixing, both parts should be located at the maximum convenient distance. Only then will the locking system function reliably and smoothly, without causing problems to the owners.

A creaking or grinding sound will help you understand that there was some failure when installing the lock. Extra sounds when opening the door indicate that the operation of the mechanism needs to be reviewed.

Basically, when talking about creating a metal door with your own hands, it usually means entrance structure, however, we should not forget about the details. An important piece of hardware in the door manufacturing process is the peephole. To install it, you need a small hole with a diameter of about 2 cm and the element itself, which has a widely accessible viewing angle. After all necessary fittings has been added to the door leaf, you can proceed to the final stage - installation of the entire structure.

If you manage to create all the elements door design It is quite possible to do it alone, but for final installation in the opening you will have to resort to the strength of at least 2 people. In addition, during the process of installing the door, it is important to pay attention to the points described below, failure to comply with which can lead to violations of the main functions performed by it:

Geometrically verified location of the box;
Measurements should only be taken when there is a level;
The result of the work should be a reliable, strong structure;
Gaps must be sealed with foam.

Having completed the installation of any metal doors with your own hands, the first thing that immediately comes to mind is checking the lock. Often, the full functioning of the mechanism is confirmed by the successful connection of all elements. Independent work the creation of such an important household item in the house is completed successfully if the door is not warped and opens and closes in both directions without interference.

When there is no doubt about the functionality of the completed product, you can think about the aesthetic design. Arranging the structure with platbands, leveling and smoothing slopes will help make the doorway attractive, as well as increase the level of sound insulation and frost resistance.

Conclusion

The technical characteristics of a self-made metal door are undoubtedly important. However, the appearance of the structure also plays an important role. The exterior decoration of doors today can be very different. The most common and popular options for transforming the structure are veneer, MDF, painting with polymer materials and covering with a special film. In any case, when creating a door made of metal, it is important to remember its main purpose and long service life.

Do you need a normal iron door, but prices on the market are “biting”? There is an option to build it yourself. Let's look together at how to make a metal door with your own hands, starting with preparing tools, purchasing material and sketching a sketch, and ending with insulation and finishing.

Making an iron door yourself is quite possible.

Making a metal door with your own hands is quite a realistic task for an amateur, but there is one caveat: you must be able to work fluently with an angle grinder and have at least basic knowledge of a welding machine. But before you make the door itself, you need to prepare the tools and material.

Tool selection

Bulgarian;
Welding machine;
Screwdriver or set of screwdrivers;
Electric drill with impact function or hammer drill;
Round “bastard” file;
Hammer;
Roulette;
Kern;
Level (preferably 1.5 m);
Square.

Home handyman's tool.

In addition, you will need a variety of accessories for power tools. This refers to discs for an angle grinder for metal, a cord brush for an angle grinder, drill bits for a drill, emery and other small things without which it is impossible to make a metal door with your own hands.

Purchasing material for making a metal door

For iron doors you need to buy:

Metal sheet with a thickness of 1.5 to 3 mm;
Profiled pipe 40x20 mm – minimum 7 – 8 m;
Corner 50x50 mm - about 7 m;
Strip 40x4 mm – 2 m;
Ordinary male-female or articulated hinges – 2 pcs.

If you do not have much experience in welding work, then it is better to take a thicker sheet for entrance doors, at least 2 mm, and preferably 3 mm. Welding metal doors the matter is not particularly difficult, but it is very easy to burn through a thin sheet.

Material for metal doors

You will also need a good, level table or some kind of trestle; making a metal door on the ground is very difficult, and for a novice craftsman it is not at all realistic.

Making a sketch

Professional drawings for standard iron doors can now be found, but the problem is that these documents were made according to GOST 31173-2003, that is, 2200x900 mm or 2200x1200 mm (for wide openings).

Professional drawing for a door welded from metal

The entrance metal door in an apartment or private house does not always correspond to the standard, so it is better to draw up a sketch. Otherwise, on a non-standard opening you will have to either cut out part of the slope or somehow seal the gap next to the door.

An example of a sketch for a non-standard iron door.

Since we are making an iron door with our own hands, then at the stage of creating a sketch we need to take into account some tolerances; they are shown in the example below:

The starting dimensions of the doorway are 216x90 cm;
It is impossible to make a frame (lutka) close to the walls, since there will be nowhere to pour the mounting foam, so along the top edge we leave 10 mm for the foam, plus 5 mm for the thickness of the corner;
At the bottom we make a small threshold, respectively, 25 mm will be cut off from the corner, leaving a total of 212 cm for the height of the frame along the inner perimeter;
On the sides we also leave 10 mm for foam, plus 10 mm is the thickness of the metal in 2 corners, for a total width of the internal opening of 87 cm;
Samu steel door, or rather the frame under it, cannot be made close to the scuttle; if the house starts to “walk” and the scuttle moves a little, the canvas will jam. Therefore, we leave a gap of 5 mm along the outer perimeter, respectively, it turns out 211x86 cm;
We take a larger sheet (90x215 cm), since it will overlap part of the loot.

The tools have been prepared, the material has been purchased, a sketch has been made, now you can start building iron doors with your own hands.

Seven stages of steel door assembly

You can make metal doors with your own hands only from a corner or only from a profiled pipe, but the mixed version turns out to be more reliable and practical. It is better to weld the outer frame (frame) from a 50x50 mm corner, and the frame for the door leaf from a 40x20 mm profiled pipe.

Stage No. 1. We cook the loot

First of all, we cut off the corners according to the diagram and fix them on the work table or sawhorses with clamps. Here it is important that the lower plane is flat and the corners meet at 90º. We check the rectangle of the box by its diagonals, if they are the same, then the corners will be right.

Fixing the frame with clamps.

You shouldn’t scald the corners right away, they can lead, first we grab them at several points and measure the diagonals again until everything is boiled, you can still adjust minor inaccuracies.

Spot tack.

When scalding corners, first apply all the vertical seams, and then move on to the horizontal ones, so the metal will overheat less. We will cut out the excess part of the corner later.

Welding corners.

Now we turn the frame over and check the plane with a long level or any even standard. There should be no distortions or bends.

Checking the plane of the frame.

We boil the external joints and immediately sand these seams with a grinder.

Welding external seams.

As shown in the photo above, we still have a piece of the corner left uncut from the inside; it needs to be removed, as it will interfere with installation. To do this, turn the frame over again and cut out the excess parts with a grinder. The loot is ready, now you can move on to the frame for the iron door.

Cut out the excess parts.

Stage No. 2. Frame for the door leaf

When cutting profiled pipes for the frame of a door leaf, first measure out all the long parts, and then cut out the short ones from the rest. Otherwise, you may not guess, and then large vertical posts will have to be welded from pieces.

It is better to make the slot for the lock right away. To do this, measure 1 m from the bottom of the post and make 2 vertical cuts according to the dimensions of the lock, and cut this strip diagonally in the middle. To make the pieces easier to break out, we make small cuts on them; the arrows in the photo point to these cuts.

Initial fitting of the lock.

To ensure that the frame of the door leaf fits neatly into place, we fix the profiled pipes on the inside of the door with clamps. Don’t forget: there should be a gap of 5 mm between the profiled pipe and the corner; to do this, insert spacers. You can use the same corner trims as spacers.

Fixing the profiled pipe on the frame.

It's important here how to put profiled pipes, any such pipe has a welded seam, so this seam should “look” inside the canvas.

Welding seam of a profiled pipe.

When constructing a frame for a door leaf, it is no longer necessary to check the diagonals, since we are “attached” to the outer frame. The corners are welded by analogy with the loot, that is, we grab it at several points, and then weld the joints from the center to the edges.

Welding door frame corners.

Here, while the frame is in the sump, we weld the transverse stiffeners; they are made from a profiled pipe.

Fastening of stiffeners.

Now we remove the clamps, remove the outer frame and weld the ends of the joints in the corners, after which we sand all the seams. Be careful, the metal is thin and burns easily.

It is necessary to grind the weld seams on the outside.

Always control where your top, bottom, hinges and lock are. At this stage it is very easy to get confused and then it will be difficult to correct the situation without losses.

Stage No. 3. Attaching the sheet

First we need to cut the sheet to size. From the frame of the door leaf to the edge of the sheet we leave 20 mm (5 mm for the gap, plus 15 mm for the overlap of the slit). To cut the sheet exactly according to the markings, you can use a profiled pipe; simply secure it with clamps and cut along the edge with a grinder.

Standard for cutting sheets with a grinder.

Place on the cut sheet door frame, we check that the overlap is clearly observed everywhere and spot weld the profiled pipes to the sheet (steps of about 100 - 150 mm). To prevent the frame from moving during welding, it can be secured with clamps.

You grab the frame not along the perimeter, but diagonally. That is: we welded one point, then moved to the opposite one, and so on until everything was scalded. Otherwise, the design may fail.

Spot welding of door leaf.

Stage No. 4. How to weld hinges

Illustrations	Recommendations
	We buy ordinary awnings, the male-male type (male with a pin). Canopies must be lubricated immediately before installation.
	There should be 20 - 25 cm from the bark cloth to the canopies, both above and below.
	The canopy should be slightly raised so that the sheet does not cling to the frame when opening.
	The canopy is positioned so that when viewed from above, there is a gap of 1 - 2 mm between it and the sheet.
	Before how to cook structure, place a spacer (a piece of the same sheet) under the sheet. The gap is needed for the rubber seal.
	We scald the awnings.
	To hold the canopy more securely, you can weld a metal plate with an overlap onto the canvas frame, but this is more of a recommendation than a rule.

Stage No. 5. We cut into the lock

The lock has already been inserted into the door frame, now you need to try it on and mark the places of the cuts in the door.

Marking for holes in the corner.

We drill holes for the keyhole with a large drill, and then bring it to the right size a round bastard file.

Hole for keyhole.

The holes in the corner for the lock itself are cut out with a grinder and also processed with a file. It is advisable to cover the lock bolts from the inside with a metal casing; it can be made from a profiled pipe or angle, the casing must be welded.

Cover for protecting the lock bolts.

Now all that remains is to try on the overlay on done earlier holes and you can proceed to facing work.

Installation of the lock escutcheon.

Stage No. 6. Cladding and insulation

It is cheaper and best to insulate iron doors with foam plastic; as a rule, PSB-S-25 slabs with a thickness of 40 mm are used. The slab is cut out slightly smaller than the opening, and the gap is then filled with foam.

Insulation of entrance doors with foam plastic.

There is no need to insulate entrance doors with mineral wool. The fact is that any cotton wool is afraid of moisture and shrinks after getting wet, so after a couple of years such insulation will stop working.

The inside of the structure can be covered with any board you like, from OSB to laminated MDF.

Laminated MDF door trims.

You can also read a more detailed article on insulating metal doors -.

The outer front of the doors can also be finished with a laminated board, but it will be easier and cheaper to paint the metal with hammer paint; this is done like this:

All metal is cleaned with a cord brush (it is convenient to use a cord attachment on an angle grinder);
The structure is degreased with acetone or gasoline;
The metal is coated with primer for the previously selected hammer paint;
Apply 2-3 layers of paint with a brush, roller or spray gun.

Painting iron doors with hammer paint.

Stage No. 7. Installation of metal doors

To secure the iron doors, you must first weld unique shanks made from a 40x4 mm strip around the perimeter of the door.

Shanks for fastening iron doors.

The structure is installed in the following sequence:

Insert the loot into the doorway;
Use a hammer drill to drill blind holes in the slopes through shanks;
Next, you can hammer in metal crutches or fix the structure with anchor bolts;
Hang the door leaf;
Blow out the gaps around the perimeter of the tray with polyurethane foam;
The door is installed, now all that remains is to cut off the excess dried foam and arrange the slopes.

This is how you install an iron door with your own hands.

Conclusion

As you can see in home “production”, without professional diagrams and expensive equipment, a good iron door was assembled with your own hands and it cost about half as much as the factory equivalent.

With good decor homemade door will look no worse than the factory one.

Nowadays, finding a metal door to suit your taste is not at all difficult. However, some owners, feeling confident in their abilities, make front door on your own. This is usually due to a person’s desire to create something different from other designs to suit his own requirements, or maybe with the use of specific materials or geometric and design requirements. One way or another, creating a metal front door with your own hands deserves special mention.

Material and tools

This may not be the easiest thing to do, but if you have the necessary skills, you can take it on. The more competent the owner, the less time he will spend on work. In order for the process to be successful and without any problems, you will need the following tools and materials:

Steel sheet with a thickness of 1.5 mm or more;

Metal corner;

Door hinges (selected according to the number determined by the strength of the hinges themselves and the power of the door);

Lock, door knob, peephole and other details;

Sheathing material (veneer, plywood, board - depends solely on your preference);

Construction foam;

Anchor bolts;

Welding machine;

Grinder with a metal disc;

Welding table or trestles for ease of work.

The list is only approximate, since creating a door is partly a creative process, and the design of the door may vary depending on the author’s ideas.

Creating a Door Frame

Before you start work, you need to know exact dimensions doorway. And not just accurate, but complete. That is, a layer of plaster or door casing is an obstacle that must be removed before you get to the concrete or brick end of the wall. You need to get to the actual wall material in all four directions, so knock down the plaster or cut into the trim using a hammer and chisel.

Usually standard sizes doorways range from 800-900mm in width and 2000mm in height, but in any individual case the parameters may be non-standard.

When you have the exact dimensions of the doorway in your hands, the dimensions of the door frame will immediately become clear. The door frame must be placed in the opening so that there is a 20mm gap on all sides. This value is enough to ensure that the door is installed correctly if the opening is skewed. After completion of the work, this gap will be filled with polyurethane foam.

The first thing to do is to cut a corner of the required length according to the size of the future box (the length of the shelves can be 50x25mm) and lay it out on a plane (a hob is best suited) in a rectangular shape. You can check the corners of the future door frame for “straightness” by measuring the lengths of the diagonals. If they are equal, you can start welding the corners.

Making a door leaf (video)

Before you start making the door leaf, first make the frame. The frame is made based on the fact that between it and the door frame there should be a gap equal to, in general, 20 mm in height and 15 mm in width. The correct distribution of gaps on all four sides will be indicated below. Next, a corner of the required length is used (a 40x25mm corner is suitable for this), which is also used to lay out a rectangle, and welding begins.

You will need to use a grinder to cut a locking cutout in the profile. Hammer wooden slats of the required length into the frame to make it easier to trim the door later. The next step is to weld the hinge profile to the hinges themselves and the door frame. This will make welding work easier.

The distance between the hinges is carefully measured, both on the frame and on the door frame, since an exact match is needed. After this, we place the frame inside the box and make sure that everything is parallel to each other.

And here's the most important step– production of door leaf. A part of it is cut out of a sheet of steel that will cover the opening by 1 cm on each side, except for the one where the lock is. This side should overlap by 1.5cm.

It is important to remove any scale remaining on the edge of the sheet after cutting.

Now we lay the sheet so that the top and bottom edges of the box protrude by 10mm, on the side of the lock by 5mm, on the side of the awnings by 15mm. At several points the sheet begins to stick to the box.

Next, we turn the box over, and our sheet is at the bottom. The door frame, meanwhile, is inside the frame. It's time to set the gaps between the door frame and the frame. From the threshold this distance will be 10mm, as well as from above. On the side where there is a lock, it is 8mm, and on the side where the hinges are - 7mm.

To fix the gaps, you can use various improvised means such as metal strips of different thicknesses.

It's time to weld the frame to the sheet. The seam itself should not be longer than 40mm, and the distance between the beginnings of the seams should be about 200mm. Welding is carried out from the middle to the edges from different sides, using a reverse step. If the future door starts to get very hot, give it time to cool.

Installing door hinges

The future door must be raised above the hob before installing the hinges. Pieces of profiles or pipes on which the product can be placed will help with this.

To make the hinges, a 20mm steel rod is used. To make the hinges work better, a ball from a steel bearing is placed in them. Then the loops are assembled and fixed, making sure that everything is accurately correlated with each other. Once you are sure that there is a clear match everywhere, the hinges are welded to the box and the canvas.

The upper part of the loop will be welded to the sheet, the lower part will be welded to the box. After welding the hinges, you need to cut off the tacks that secured the sheet to the box.

Now all that remains is to clean up the welds and paint the finished door - and it will be ready.

Castle place

Shelf corner door frame- This is where the cutout for the lock will be made. Moreover, the cutout should be made so that the lock fits there without the slightest gap. As soon as you can put the lock in place, you will need to make markings for the mounting holes, the places where the key will be inserted, for the handle, and others. Holes of the required size will be drilled according to the markings.

Holes are made around the perimeter of the door for 4mm screws, which will fasten the boards on the inside. One of these boards should have a cutout for a lock. The length of the screws is selected within the range of 35-40mm.

Cutouts for the latch and various latches are created only after the frame is installed and the door is hung, at which time the door peephole is also installed.

Finishing work

Not all owners will agree to stop there. After all, you can decorate the door and give it an attractive appearance. Can be used as cladding wooden slats, soft material or plain film with wood texture. Of course, painting is the easiest option of all. It allows decorative forged elements to be welded on top of the door.

Photo gallery of metal doors with upholstery

Original finish metal overlays combined with bronze painting - a reference to the Middle Ages Traditional upholstery artificial leather always gives the front door a feeling of warmth Upholstery gives a seemingly rigid door some softness

In addition to the fact that you will save significantly, you will also gain invaluable experience, which can become a starting point for creating something even more complex and interesting.

In the presence of welding machine and even if you have little skill in working with it, it would be simply unreasonable to purchase a Chinese product that is not very durable. A do-it-yourself metal entrance door will become more reliable protection from burglary and bad weather. Let us describe in detail the process of its manufacture.

Required materials and tools

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Before you start making a metal structure, you should prepare the necessary materials and tools for the work.

We will need:

yardstick
carpenter's square for taking measurements;
metal corner for the door frame and door frame; it can be replaced with a square pipe 40x40 mm; for the manufacture of the internal frame of the box and stiffeners, slightly smaller pipes of 40x20 mm are used
metal sheets: you should not take material that is too thin; its thickness should be at least 1.5-2 mm
welding machine
grinder or wire brush for cleaning welds
drill with drill bits
metal anchors or pieces of reinforcement for attaching the structure to the wall
screws, bolts
a wrench of the appropriate size for tightening the bolts
screwdriver
door hinges capable of supporting the weight of a door weighing over 100 kg
rim lock
plywood, MDF, lining or laminate for finishing

Taking measurements

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Welding a metal structure

Even when using standard drawings to assemble an iron door, you will need to take measurements. Ideally even, symmetrical doorways simply do not exist. Therefore, it is necessary to be extremely careful when taking measurements.

One measurement will not be enough - you need to take measurements three times and then select the smallest number obtained. The door leaf should be measured at the top, bottom, and middle.

The height of the opening is determined in exactly the same way. If the old doors have not yet been removed, it is easier to measure them.

In most cases, the width of the canvas is a multiple of 10 cm - its width can be 70, 80 or 90 cm. Please note that the size of the future opening should be 1.5-2 cm smaller sizes the opening itself. The remaining cracks are subsequently filled with polyurethane foam. After all, it will be difficult to insert and perfectly align a door cut exactly to the size of the doorway.

Immediately determine which direction they will open. According to SNiP, entrance doors must necessarily open outward, so that in the event of an evacuation or transfer of a sick person, it can be opened without hindrance. In this case, it will also be possible to save useful space in the hallway.

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How to correctly measure the width of an opening

The opening side is selected taking into account comfort and convenience. Traditionally, doors are made right-handed so that upon entry they can be opened using right hand. But this option can be changed taking into account specific circumstances.

After all, the door should open so as to occupy a minimum of free space without creating interference. IN apartment buildings The location of adjacent doors is also taken into account.

Door frame

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So, we will describe in detail how to make an iron door yourself:

1 After cutting a metal corner or pipe to the specified dimensions, you need to fold the resulting parts into a rectangle on a flat surface or welding table, once again double-checking its dimensions.

2 There is no need to cut 45° corners. The metal strips are simply joined end to end.

Metal strips are joined end to end

3 We weld the inner frame from the corner with the smaller shelves. The distance between it and the frame is 3-5 mm.

4 Stiffening ribs are welded from the same corner - sections that are inserted inside the frame.

5 Don’t forget to thoroughly clean all seams with a sander, special abrasive fiber, brush, or pickle them with a seam treatment agent. Otherwise, the smallest remnants of metal, and behind it the metal corner itself, will immediately begin to rust. It is more convenient to grind off large deposits with a grinder or a file.

6 A fairly common mistake made by novice welders is to immediately connect the frame parts cleanly, “tightly”. There is no need to do this under any circumstances - most likely, the frame will have to be trimmed. Therefore, first you just need to “grab” the metal corners, and then align assembled frame doors at building level not only horizontally and vertically, but at corners and both diagonals.

7 Check that all parts fit exactly at 90°. Final welding can only begin after alignment.

Frame with internal frame

8 The next step is drilling holes for anchors and attaching hinges. At the same stage, holes are prepared for the lock bolts.

9 For fastening sealing gum To protect the frame from deflection, small metal plates are welded to it.

10 To insert the frame into the doorway, you can weld steel eyes to it or provide through mounting holes.

Finished door frame

Door leaf

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The height and width of its frame must match the size of the door frame minus 5 mm on each side for the door to move freely.
After cutting the sheets (this can be done with a grinder), we clean the edges from burrs with a file or grinder with emery.
Metal sheets are attached to the frame so that they protrude 10 mm at the top, bottom and side of the lock. The allowance on the hinge side is made slightly smaller - 3-5 mm.
After “grabbing” the sheets, we check the correctness of fastening, and then weld the seams completely. If the sheets do not move, we proceed to final welding. First, we “sew” them to the main frame, and then attach them to the intermediate stiffeners. There is no point in making continuous seams - it is enough to weld the sheets in small sections.
The cutout for inserting the lock must be provided before the sheathing.
At the same stage, you can attach a wood frame to the door leaf to secure the trim. To do this, holes are drilled in the metal in the right places.

Single sheet metal door design

Connecting the door leaf to the frame

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Just as with the previous assembly, the seams should first be “tightened” by welding. The final connection is made only after checking the correct installation.
We drill holes for inserting a key and, if necessary, a peephole.
To attach the hinges, you need to step back 20 cm from the bottom and top of the door.
Raise the door (it’s easier to do this together). We fasten the canopies in such a way that the lower elements (the pins are attached to them) are attached to the frame, and the upper ones, called counters, are attached to the door leaf.
All loops must be located strictly along the same axis. This is not easy to do - you will have to take measurements many times. Otherwise, if an error occurs, the door will warp.
It is better to hang a massive door not on 2, but 3 hinges.
Lubricate them immediately so that the door opens easily and does not creak.

Entrance metal structure

Even if the door will be upholstered or finished in the future decorative panels, it should be treated with an anti-corrosion compound or painted. For painting metal, it is better to use the so-called “hammer” enamel, made on an alkyd-styrene base.

Insulation

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Insulate an iron door welded from metal You can use polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam or mineral wool. When using polystyrene foam, sheets 4 cm thick are sufficient. Too much density of the material is not needed - after all, the load on it will be small. You will need to purchase 4 square sheets of 1 m wide.

When purchasing polyurethane foam, choose a composition with minimal expansion, otherwise the foam will simply squeeze out. We apply it around the perimeter of the frame, stepping back slightly from the edges. Next, polystyrene foam is laid. All seams between sheets, cracks between foam plastic and a metal corner should also be sealed with foam. It can be replaced with Moment glue or any other suitable adhesive composition.

Installation of insulation

Mineral wool or stone wool has a significant disadvantage– these materials are capable of absorbing moisture. A metal door with this type of insulation will quickly rust. For apartment buildings this is not critical - there is not so much moisture in the entrances. But here's how to insulate street door mineral wool is highly not recommended.

If the door is to be removed in the future self-adhesive film, There is no need to cover the insulation with chipboard. Any irregularities will be immediately visible. Replace chipboard with furniture-grade moisture-resistant plywood. It is attached to the metal using self-tapping screws through pre-drilled holes.

Metal door covered with film, trimmed with molding

You can decorate a door covered with film using molding - decorative strips made of metal or polymer materials, painted to resemble wood, stone, silver or gold.

Inserting a metal door into an opening

Install massive metal structure alone is unrealistic. You will need an assistant.

Removing the old door

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Before installing iron doors, the old door leaf should be removed from its hinges. To do this, place a crowbar under its bottom, lift the structure and remove it from its hinges. Some types of hinges have to be unscrewed. This must be done starting from the bottom.
On an old metal door, after dismantling the slopes, you need to find its attachment points. To do this, plaster is knocked down in the area of the proposed anchors or reinforcement. All metal parts are cut off with a grinder, and then the old box is pulled out.
A regular wooden box is easier to remove. It is enough to cut the side posts in the center, and then, using a crowbar, pry them out of the opening.
All loose pieces of brick and putty should be knocked down. The resulting voids are filled with new bricks and then covered cement mortar. Small potholes will be filled with foam in the future, so you can leave them alone for now.
Significant protrusions are knocked down with a hammer or cut off with a grinder.
Pay attention to the condition of the threshold. In old houses in these places they install wooden beam. If it is damaged, the beam needs to be replaced. You can check its safety with an awl. Insert it into the wood and try to loosen it. If this can be done easily, the timber has become unusable.

Removing the door frame

Door insert

1 It is more convenient to install it with the door leaf removed from its hinges.

2 The frame is installed on pads 2 cm high. With their help, the structure will be leveled. If no mistakes were made when welding the front door and all measurements were taken correctly, it should fit into the opening freely.

3 Check with a bubble or laser level arrangement of the structure horizontally and vertically. When checking vertically, you can use a plumb line - a weight suspended from the side.

4 After leveling, we wedge the door frame using wooden or special plastic wedges. They are located closer to the fastening points. There should be three of them on the sides, two on the top.

5 We check again with the level to see if we accidentally moved the frame to the side.

6 There are two ways to fasten metal doors. In the first case, the lugs should be pre-welded to the frame. If the walls are not thick enough, they make it in a box through holes, into which anchors or small pieces of reinforcement will be inserted.

Door fastening methods

7 To install anchors or reinforcement in the wall, you will need to prepare holes with a depth of 30 cm. The size of the drill must match the diameter of the fastener. You can mark the drilling depth on it using masking tape.

Installation of anchors

8 After inserting anchors or reinforcement, they are additionally driven in with a hammer. If you need to move the fastener slightly, insert a screwdriver between it and the wall, tapping it with a hammer.

9 Fastening begins from the hinge side. Then two fasteners are inserted from above, below and one from the side of the lock. The anchors should not be over-tightened - the door frame may need to be adjusted.

10 We check with a level to see if we have displaced it when driving in the fasteners.

11 We hang the door leaf. Let's check its progress. If there are distortions, cracks, or jammed locks, you will have to remove it and re-align the position of the box horizontally and vertically.

12 If the door leaf is installed correctly, it must be removed again and the anchors finally tightened. First, tighten the bolts from the hinge side, then from the lock side. The last ones are the bottom and the top.

13 After the final hanging of the web, its progress is checked again.

14 To create a reliable sound and heat insulating barrier, all gaps between the door frame and the wall are filled with foam. Its expansion coefficient should be minimal - it is easier to work with such a solution.

15 Excess foam should be removed immediately with a damp cloth. If you delay a little, after 5 minutes it will be problematic to erase it - the surface of the door will have to be scraped.

Slope fastening

After fastening the slopes with self-tapping screws or gluing with liquid The platbands are fastened with nails. The screws are recessed a couple of millimeters deep and then sealed with putty matched to the color of the platbands.

Entrance door threshold

According to the standard, its height should be 30 mm. But in most cases this parameter is not followed. The threshold can be made a little lower - about 20 mm. Too high will make it difficult to enter or drag heavy bulky objects into the house. Yes, and stepping over a high threshold is not very convenient.

Such a structure can be made not only from metal, but also from wood, stone or plastic.

All debris and dust must be removed from the installation site.
After taking measurements and cutting, grooves are prepared in the thresholds according to the size of the door frame.
Holes are drilled in each part for inserting screws.
There is no need to screw the threshold on right away - you just need to secure it with self-tapping screws and check whether it interferes with the opening/closing of the door.
If it moves freely, without effort, we finally attach the threshold, and cover the locations of the screws with the help of special covers, which can be purchased at a furniture store.

Threshold for entrance door

Finishing

The metal iron door looks too rough, therefore, it is better to finish it using veneer, MDF, laminate, self-adhesive film or painting with special paints. Chipboard is not suitable for these purposes - even with internal lining within a year the sheets will begin to delaminate.

Special ones look very decorative powder paints, which are applied by spraying. However, their cost is quite high. Finishing with laminate is allowed only in apartment buildings - this material is too afraid of moisture.

Laminate installation

Iron door finishing can be done MDF panels – they are produced according to the size of the door in the form of solid overlays, called cards, including veneer natural wood. You can also order panels according to your own sizes.

For quite reasonable money you will get luxury doors, outwardly little distinguishable from products, for example, made of natural oak. Very good quality for MDF panels from Belarusian and domestic manufacturers.

Types of MDF overlays

When finishing a metal door with clapboard, you will need to make a special frame. Basically, wooden planks can be attached to it liquid nails or using special fasteners - clamps. But still frame method considered more convenient. You can additionally lay thermal insulation material under a wooden frame made of narrow timber.
After cutting wooden parts The cut areas are thoroughly sanded. To protect the wood from moisture penetration and premature destruction, it is treated with a special impregnation and dried well.
The door leaf must be removed and all interfering elements must be unscrewed from it - handle, locks, peephole. The sealing tape must also be removed.
After attaching to a metal door (for this, holes are prepared in it) wooden frame start installing the lining. The planks must be joined to each other as tightly as possible. The step between the fastenings is 15 cm.

Material costs

Practicality

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