Metal-plastic doors. Pros and cons

Today, entrance and interior metal—plastic doors are gradually crowding more familiar structures on the market - both wooden and made on the basis of aluminum profiles. On balconies and loggias, inside office and residential buildings, at the entrance to the premises — doors made of metal-plastic profile with modern filling can be installed everywhere.

The main reason why buyers are increasingly choosing metal—plastic doors is the advantages that these designs provide. If the installation rules are followed, the plastic door will be sufficiently reliable, durable, energy-efficient and at the same time beautiful.

Plastic door construction

Both entrance metal-plastic doors and their interior varieties are arranged according to the same principle:

• The basis of the structure is a frame made of metal—plastic profile. For the manufacture of the door frame and the frame of the door leaf, both a window profile (for example, for balcony doors) and a specialized door profile with a larger width and more massive reinforcement can be used.
• A threshold is installed at the bottom of the door frame. A frame profile or a special design can be used as a threshold. The threshold frame provides a tighter grip, but at the same time it rises above the floor and needs to be crossed. Therefore, in places with high traffic, door structures with low aluminum (or aluminum-plastic) thresholds are used.
• Filling a plastic door is either a double—glazed window, or a sandwich panel, or a combination of them. Filling is installed not only in the opening parts of the structure, but also in the blind ones (they can be located on the sides or on top).

Special attention should be paid to the door fittings. When planning to buy metal-plastic doors, it is important to choose fittings and locking mechanisms taking into account the requirements for convenience and safety. The choice of solutions is extensive — from simple latches for places with high traffic to locks with multi-point locking for plastic doors with high requirements for burglar resistance.

Varieties of metal-plastic doors

Plastic doors may differ in design and purpose:

• The entrance ones are the heaviest, but at the same time the most durable and energy—efficient. They are characterized by high resistance to hacking attempts and good sound insulation indicators.
• Interior — installed both in residential premises and inside commercial facilities (shops, offices). The main requirements are good sound insulation, easy opening, resistance to operational loads.
• Balcony — made from a window profile, installed at the entrance to the balcony or loggia.

According to the method of opening, there are structures that open inward and structures that open outward. In recent years, sliding plastic doors have become increasingly popular. The appearance of modern sliding hardware systems on the market has made it possible to make such structures sufficiently airtight — according to this principle, not only interior doors are made today, but also entrance doors.

Modern plastic doors: pros and cons of PVC door structures

A plastic door is an alternative to a door made of wood or aluminum. Therefore, we will compare PVC doors with such door structures. The list of advantages should include:

• Neat and stylish appearance. Even in the simplest version — in white — the plastic door looks attractive. For the manufacture of designer door structures, you can use modern XPS door fillings or laminated profile.
• Good sound insulation performance. With the correct selection of filling and adjustment of fittings that provide good clamping around the perimeter, the door will effectively protect against noise.
• Simple care. The plastic surfaces of the door profile are cleaned easily and effortlessly — therefore, it will be much easier to keep such a door clean.

Now about the disadvantages — they also need to be mentioned when deciding whether to put plastic doors:

• PVC profile with large dimensions of the structure is subject to temperature deformations. Also, the door frame or leaf can deform under intense operational loads. The problem is solved by choosing a high-quality profile with strong reinforcement, as well as installing the door in compliance with DSTU standards.
• In the lower part of the door — especially when using a metal threshold — an increase in heat loss or the appearance of drafts is possible. This problem is solved by installing "warm" thresholds with thermally insulating polymer inserts — in terms of efficiency, this design is practically not inferior to the threshold frame.

Choosing a plastic door — important aspects

If you are planning to buy a plastic door for installation in a residential or public space, pay attention to its configuration:

• For the entrance door structure, the high strength of the profile and its resistance to deformation are critically important. PVC profile with insufficient thickness or thin reinforcement will deform not only during hacking attempts, but also during daily operation. The result is problems with opening and closing the sash, an increased risk of intruders entering.
• Filling — durable double-glazed windows with triplex, armored or with tempered glass. For the entrance and balcony doors, the installation of energy-efficient double-glazed windows (two-chamber design, low-emission glass, filling the chambers with argon) will be relevant.
• Accessories — corresponding to the tasks that the door should solve. For permanent opening, a roller latch is best suited, for periodic opening, a pressure headset. If you need to provide the maximum degree of protection, then a reliable lock with several crossbars is installed on the door, which fix the canvas on the frame in 3-4 places at once.

WDS Plastic doors

In the segment of door structures, the WDS line is available in two versions — 60 mm and 70 mm. The list of advantages of WDS doors (along with good strength and energy efficiency indicators) includes the possibility of completing them with additional elements:

• A warm threshold (plastic base durable aluminum lining), which reduces the level of heat loss in the lower part of the door.
• A threshold sealer to increase tightness in the closed position.
• Windstop is a polymer insert that protects the closed door from blowing even in very strong winds.

WDS door structures can be made of laminated profile — the palette includes 40 colors. For additional decoration, bent imposts, filling with tinted double-glazed windows, stained glass windows or double-glazed windows with sandblasted patterns, decorative handles, etc. can be used.

A plastic door — properly equipped and mounted — will not be inferior in reliability and energy efficiency to a structure made of other materials. At the same time, it will look stylish and modern. 

You can order metal-plastic doors by following the link