The Mystery of a Metallic Door

   Contents:  

    - MASS OBSESSION
    - CHEAP BUT GOOD
    - METALLIC "AVERAGES"
    - LOCKS
    - THE STORY OF WELDING
    - ADDITIONAL SAFETY MEASURES or FAREWELL TO ARMS!
    - METALLIC MONSTERS

   Life never tires to prove us that in such seemingly simple everyday thing like installation of a new front door we can make a mistake that will cause a number of unpleasant consequences that can run into problems and annoyances. Let's assume that you choose a model of a door or a master in a rush, made a blunder with dimensions - then you should be ready to face difficulties and troubles for a long period. It is unlikely that a wide refrigerator or piano will get through the narrowed doorway and simple green poisonous upholstery made of leatherette won't greatly irritate you.
But it's nothing if compared to the troubles that can happen if the front door will badly protect the entrance of your flat.

   MASS OBSESSION

   The market of front metallic doors began to develop rapidly at the beginning of 90-ies in this country. Exactly by that time an ordinary soviet consumer firstly felt the difference between usual wooden door which could be easily set on fire or break-in by hooligans and its metallic alternative that have a safe lock and a metallic bolt. The owner of such an iron beauty, covered with leatherette of "Bordeaux" color and decorated with leather "buttons", was becoming "a king of the landing".
   In the mid 90-ies these doors came into fashion the way like it was an epidemic of Hong Kong flu. People wanted to install the door "like the neighbor's one". At the same time for some reason the most important moments that are directly connected with their safety such as technological and technical details were left behind without attention.
   At best after a year a number of "small" problems began to let know: a door began to fall into pieces. To be more exact, a decorative door lining made of leatherette came off on the outer face of a door. You had to be engaged in facade restoration: glue peeling layers up every month. A bit later the lock began to shut with such a heart-rending squeak that the neighbor's dog was wildly barking all the time. And the key turned around only after you'd slammed the door with all one's might. Only then it gave up and pins somehow got into required apertures.
   At first it is funnily. But when you succeed only after three attempts in the morning rush it's the exact moment to revolt against all! A door expert will diagnose at once: "It's all up! The door is wrenched out of shape... Maybe, your lock will serve you a little bit, but it can become jammed at anytime, so then you will spend the night in the street". And his hard answer to our shy appeal about the changing of the lock could be the next: "Guys, I'll be brief! I got no time to explain what is deformed… Just change the whole door. It would be cheaper!"

   CHEAP BUT GOOD         (up)

   There are lots of different proposals touching renewal and making of metallic doors. Some of them amaze with low prices and short terms of order execution. Phone dispatchers repeated memorized phrases over and over again with a metallic voice of a voice mail: "In one day you will have the cheapest modern metallic entrance door installed. Only for 130 USD (150, 155 and more)! It is lined with leatherette, has two locks and the spy-hole. An expert's visit for measuring is free of charge! He will tell all the details at your place. You have to pay after a door is installed. We provide one year warranty." Those were all instructions.
   It turned out that such cheapness was just another advertising trick that however was able to attract slow-witted and unsuspecting customers. It was only possible to get the most primitive metallic door for the sum of 130 USD. Its design consists of two steel or aluminum plates which are fastened to each other with the use of reinforcement plates that represent special metallic plates situated horizontally and vertically along the periphery of both main steel plates and in the center of them. Additionally a company (this service was included in the above said cost) provided mounting of two locks of local production, fitting of a poor-quality spy-hole and screwing of the door-handle. There's another absurd trick connected with keys: they were like "garage" keys and in order to keep them a customer had to carry some roomy handbag. From the outside such door had leatherette upholstery and no alternative was given. The weight of this "iron curtain" was not less than 100 kilos.

   Let's say, if a client was willing to compact or strengthen the door he had to pay extra. Each additional "feature" produced its own separate bill. What were they like?

   First of all, extra payment was taken for additional layers of soundproofing and thermal protection. Secondly, it was taken for more complicated locks that had bolt and pins. Each "door" company offered its own alternative and price. If a client didn't find what he was seeking for, he could be offered to search on his own. For example, he could buy Italian locks which lower price level started at about 60 USD, while the price for Turkish locks was in between 20 and 50 USD. But for the installation of any lock bought from the outside seller a client had also to pay extra.

Thirdly, money was asked for "beauty" (door's appearance). If you didn't like upholstery made of leatherette of black funeral appearance you were asked to pay 5 - 15 USD in excess. If that suited you could receive brown, vinous, blue or green material! But almost never a door with decorative panel made of laminated plastic or valuable sorts of veneer sheet was offered, because such door would cost lot more.
Fourthly, if a client would follow some advertising material saying about "fundamental door installation or doorway expansion" he had to pay another extra that made up 30 - 40% of total door cost. Why a doorway expansion is needed? Let's explain. By local building standards the height of a doorway is 2 meters and its width is 80 centimeters. These dimensions mean the free space left after door-frame installation. But as it happens frequently dimensions of domestic equipment such as refrigerators, TV-sets, etc., and massive furniture are lot more and don't fit in standard 80 centimeters. In this case you are faced to a narrow range of choice: either to buy nothing similar, or somehow manage to drag it into your flat. But how?
   Houses that were built before 90-ies give much less troubles with installation. Previous door with a wooden door-frame is very easy to withdraw. That's why it the whole set can be replaced with a metallic one of standard dimensions. Client's request to widen standard 80 centimeter doorway can be carried out for additional cost, because this operation requires chiselling. Wooden door-frames are installed no more in modern houses: instead of them builders wall metallic door-frame into concrete panels. As you can guess, it's very hard to remove. And if one wouldn't be active and wouldn't remove old door-frame, then a new metallic door-frame will seize a part of space designed for the door. It is obvious that a doorway would become smaller.
   There's another more reliable alternative. It lies in the obligatory doorway expansion made in concrete. But as usual this work has to be paid. At the same time a door which dimensions correspond to the mentioned standard will fit like a glove. And it will be situated exactly into doorway, but not before it. There no concrete prices available, because each case is unique: usually workers do the job set it (up to 30USD).
If all charges included the price will make up almost two times more of the initially mentioned 100 USD. It will be about 175 USD. With all this going on we didn't count the expenses for decorative panels!

   METALLIC "AVERAGES"         (up)

   Advertisements helped to find out that there are other domestic metallic doors available at companies. Their prices create the range of 200..400 USD. Producers of such doors provide higher level of service and offer variety of models, making the assortment wider. Demo-models are usually put in the window at shops and halls of commercial and building complexes. Shop-assistant will deliver lectures concerning door manufacturing method to a potential client for free and help to draw up orders for measuring service and purchase.
   After conversation with experts and managers of alike companies a client becomes aware of what component parts a metallic door is assembled. Usually a standard set includes the next list of component parts (small parts are not listed): a steel door leaf armed with stiffening ribs; soundproofing and thermal protection elements; a profile tube frame; anti-demount pins; a finishing corner; hinges; locks; a catch; a spy-hole; decorative upholstery (see the scheme below).

THE SCHEME OF A METALLIC DOOR DESIGN

· 1 - a spy-hole
· 2 - upper arm of the main lock
· 3 - upper locking pin
· 4 - leaf frame
· 5 - internal hatch fastener that provides production maintainability
· 6 - vertical arm fastener·
· 7 - the girth rail
· 8 - the main level lock
· 9 - catch
· 10 - girth rail
· 11 - additional lock
· 12 - lower lock arm
· 13 - vertical arm guide
· 14 - lower locking pin
· 15 - mounting anchor
· 16 - fire-resistant thermal protection and soundproofing element
· 17 - the door-frame
· 18 - anti-demount pin
· 19 - decoration fastener
· 20 - bearing hinge corner
· 21 - rear steel plate
· 22 - front steel plate

 

 

 

 

   The variety of decorative materials is great. Except dismal leatherette you can order the decoration of laminated plastic: the average cost of a sheet for one door-side will be about 15 USD, while MDF panel will come up to 75 USD. Such doors are equipped with a special spy-hole which viewing angle is much wider and forms the range of 140-200 degrees. It means that you will see your whole entryway including enemies that hide round the corner.

   LOCKS         (up)

   Price of a door is influenced by the quality of locks. As a rule metallic doors are equipped with two lock types: level and cylinder ones (image is available on the page 51). The first one is heavier and serves as a load-bearing element; it's arduous to knock out. It's good to lock a door armed with this lock type at the night or when you're going to leave for a long time.
   For some reason the other one is called "additional". It is presumed that its main aim is daylight "operation". Unlike level a cylinder lock can be knocked out easier, but it's very difficult to fit a key or open it using a lock-pick. That is why experts insist upon locking a door using BOTH locks - it will be much safer.
The main elements of a level lock are code plates situated in the lock frame that are basically called odd word "level". Device secrecy depends in particular on the quantity of these code plates. The minimum quantity is 6. Secrecy level can be examined primitively: just spend some time and count the number of steps on the bit of your key (the quantity of the levels is equal to the quantity of steps minus one).
   Cylindrical locks accordingly are named in this way because their internal mechanisms have the cylindrical, circled or drop-like shapes. The keys designed for this type of locks are plain. They have cuts or dotty deepenings along the edges or in the centre. In this case device secrecy is determined very simply: the number of pincher is equal to the quantity of cylinder plungers. If it makes up five it means that this lock is ultra safe (see the scheme below).

Cylinder design scheme (IKON):

· 1 - cylinder frame
· 2 - cylinder core
· 3 - lock line
· 4 - cylinder mechanism pin
· 5 - pin spring
· 6 - cylinder mechanism cam
· 7 - the lock

 

 

 

The quantity of the levels is equal to the quantity of steps minus one

   Cylinder lock keys are produced using special technology that engages laser or punched cards. The faking of such key is almost impossible task, because they have an amazing variety of key combinations (the range starts from 3 thousand and ends at 3 million combinations) subject to the manufacturer.
Experts will necessary warn you: if you will lose your key with the pinched card you won't be able to order its duplicate in the local workshop. There are some alternatives ways of replacement: the first one is to order preliminary half-finished product at the factory or company's representative office using a special card that stores lock's code. If your key set never included such a pinch card then it means that your key was produced using laser cutting. This alternative is less optimistic, because you'll have to replace the whole. In the theory, all these "X"-files should be given publicity to you by the experts of the company where you ordered your door.
   Many customers don't pay attention to all these subtleties of lock design, while they are worried about the next question: "For example, with how many locks I can lock up my door? Can it be three or even five locks?" That's why consultants as best as one can try to rouse their interest of locks' power. They just turn keys but and ben in level and cylindrical locks, while customers wonder at the process of simultaneous metallic gird rails' motion in the direction of the door-frame and top, bottom and aside directions: "Click, click" - don't be worried, it's all safe!
   Girth rails have the shapes of cylinder and rectangle. Experts warn about the number of girth rails: a door should be equipped with at least four girth rails from the side of the lock plus one at the bottom and one at the top.
   The most widen way of providing safety is when girth rail bar is set in motion by the turn of a key or a handle. For the price of … one can purchase a metallic door with girth rails moving out in three directions (the cost doesn't include expenses for the decorative upholstery). Girth rails operate with domestic locks. For the price of … a company can install almost the same model, which differ from the above mentioned by the fact that one lock is domestic, while another is imported. It can be unlocked by the key with punched card or laser cutting. Therefore such metallic door will provide more safety for your favorite sofa and TV-set and reduce the possibility of strangers' invasion.
   Except girth rails front pins can be seen at the front side of a door-frame. This system is called anchor system. When a door is being locked pins fit into round inlets cut into metallic frame and block it. It's almost impossible to unhinge such door.
   Let's compare offered article of trade with old iron colossus. It's interesting that the price hasn't changed taking into account two-year inflation. Dimensions of both doors are almost equal. Locks of the door are equipped with three girth rails, instead of five like as it is done for the modern doors. By the way, one of the keys had pinched card. But why the hell my door is locked so hardly and its decorative upholstery is comes off all the time?

   THE STORY OF WELDING         (up)

   In order to understand how these doors are assembled you should visit a workshop. Our market is represented by two main categories of metallic doors producers: small and large-scale "sharks" of the door business.
   Unpretentious companies are related to the first category. They perform all the orders in small manufacturing workshops by individual dimensions exceptionally. The second category is represented by companies that work on production facilities of large-scale enterprises or those which were called JV (joint venture) - they work together with foreign partners. As a rule production is set to high volumes in these companies and prices on metallic doors start from 200 USD reaching 1000 USD at maximum. The most important difference between these categories is the level of manufacturing method. Construction stiffness and metallic door durability straightly depends on accuracy of dimensions of steel plates, steel quality and perfection of assembling technology.
   Small firms don't want to be bothered with purchasing of expensive equipment, that's why their doors can be named "products of handicraft industry". And in one's turn it means that the main work is done manually, usually with the use of electric arc welding. What is the main work? It is door leaf welding of steel plates and profile angles. A weld formed after this work deforms plane of a metallic door and results into distortion of its geometrical form. And it results in lock jamming after a couple of years. Naturally, such door locks hard and loosely. In addition the door looses its safety properties, thermal protection gets broken, dust and unwanted sounds get into a flat.
   Large-scale producers make an effort to bar from the deformation of the metallic basis. Owing to this their manufacture facilities are equipped with special plate-bending machines, that allow to make not only simple metallic profiles of square and rectangular cross sections designed for door-frames or stiffening angles, but also of far more complicated designs.
   As a result of this serious approach to business a complicated profile gets increased durability. It is practically impossible to bent or break such metallic parts and they will never warp and deform.
Ready-made steel plates are strengthened by stiffening angles with the use of automatic spot weld. Exactly this process allows to reach precise shapes of a door. Producers guarantee that the door will lock softly and tightly during its lifetime. Installation of locks, catches and spy-holes is a handicraft
Internal space of the door is filled with heat insulating and soundproofing materials made of foam-rubber, basalt fibers, etc. This is also a handicraft.
   After all ready stuffing of the door is covered by decorative panel. It is mounted with the help of metallic profile of complex design. This panel is called "molding". So, this alternative is very firm, because decorative panel is not glued to the metallic frame as it is done by handicraftsmen, but it is suppressed between metallic parts.
   By the way domestic specialists guessed to replace boring leatherette with another material at last. Now one can decorate (and protect) his door with powder paint of any color: it is sprayed on the face of steel plates. Then the door is put in heat-chamber where powder gets melted under high temperature. In the upshot a highly durable film is formed: it is very hard to scratch and all the more to set on fire.
When the door is almost ready (locks and a spy-hole had been already cut) additional compressor is mounted along its perimeter. It is similar to the elastic rubber compressor that is mounted on the refrigerator door.
   And the last moment. The door with such two-sided powder decoration will cost from 200USD depending on lock prices.

   ADDITIONAL SAFETY MEASURES or FAREWELL TO ARMS!         (up)

   Some domestic metallic door producers try to arouse interest of potential clients with additional safety measures for door block.
   By the level of protection from breaking-in metallic doors can be divided into 4 classes. Doors that can be broken by shoulder kick or open by a simple toolset aren't rated and not present in the next list.

   Class-1 - an expert is unable to unlock the door using just physical strength and simple tool set.
   Class-2 - an expert is unable to unlock the door using any instruments (mallet, chisel, tommy bar, etc.), except special electric ones.
   Class-3 - an expert is unable to unlock the door using any tools and instruments including electric devices, which power isn't more than 500W.
   Class-4 - the door must ensure bullet-proof: it must guarantee protection from any type of … weapon.
   For that producers receive essential certificates that include all safety parameters at Governmental Certification Agency. Basically, they are divided into two types: different weapon bullet-proof and break-in standards. Though there is no obligatory certification for the metallic door.
   Naturally a door with additional safety class will cost more: from 1000USD up to 1500 USD. For example, protection from the bullet fired from Makarov pistol or analogue will come up to 150 USD, from Tokarev pistol - 300 USD, from AK-47 - up to 600 USD. To pay in addition for personal security is identically to break-in resistance level means to spend from 150 to 600 USD.
   Thus works door price is quite acceptable. It starts from 300 USD.
   So, the mystery of metallic door is almost solved - manufacturing technique determines the quality of the door. To complete the picture let's compare domestic producers with foreign ones.

   METALLIC MONSTERS         (up)

   Companies that work in our market represent produce of "Dierre", "Gardesa", "Master", "Di.Bi." Italian companies, "SuperLock", "Mul-t-Lock", "Magen" Israeli companies. And it must be said that "SuperLock" and "Mul-t-Lock" companies are best known among all mentioned. At that these Israeli companies are allied in a certain way: one day their present bosses worked together, but later on separated and began their own business.
   Import "defenders" differ from domestic ones first of all by the price. It's about 450 - 1800USD per door. What will a customer receive for such sum? Ordinary "SuperLock" and "Mul-t-Lock" doors weight only 50 kilos, though they are equipped with strong safety devices. Armored doors of the same firms weight 90 and 115 kilos. The lightness is achieved owing to material that is alloyed steel with anticorrosive coat.

THE SCHEME OF "SUPERLOCK" DOOR

 

· 1 - safe lock with a increased secrecy cylinder
· 2 - special frame design that uses concreting and forms the monolith with the wall.
· 3 - door leaf is produced of two galvanized stiffening angles (1,5 mm and of U - shape) welded in 200 locations.
· 4 - filler provides acoustic and heat insulation
· 5 - telescopic spy-hole
· 6 - decorative coating
· 7 - end catch, additional lock
· 8 - rubber compressor
· 9 - anti-demountable pins
· 10 - sliding lock girth rails
· 11 - insert

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Naturally, these doors are produced in works conditions. Metallic plates are tied to each other by stiffening angles; welding is conducted using spot weld method. Mineral cotton, foamed propylene and foamed polyurethane are used for to provide soundproofing and heat insulation. There is a sealing gasket along the door edge - it won't allow anything and anyone to shatter peace and quiet of your person. Doors have standardized dimensions: width is 80 and 98 centimeters, height is 2 and 2,2 meters. If you'd like to have a door of different dimensions you can order it. Especially for such cases there is the insert situated at the bottom of the door is provided. It lets a door "grow" for 12 centimeters.
   Installation technology of imported door differs pretty much from methods adopted in CIS. Profiled door-frame spans the wall from both internal and external sides forming desired coverage holes that are cemented later on. When mortar will solidify the door-frame and wall form complete monolith. Breaking of such door block is only possible in one case: when the whole wall is broken. If standard dimensions of the ordered door don't fit into your door-frame experts will adjust it for size. If a doorway is larger it will be bricked in, else it will be widen till it would fit specified dimensions. This service costs 30 - 50 USD.
   Well, they are also equipped with very reliable locks and many specialists consider them hard to unlock. The key-plate of cylindrical locks has more than 3 million key combinations. Each key is unique. Producing of a duplicate requires a special computer card supplied with the key, because otherwise there's only one alternative: to replace the key-plate of the lock.
   And if you have no free time to be occupied with replacement you can order conversion locks with three key sets. Let's assume that you have lost the keys or (God forbid!) they have been stolen - don't scared. It is enough to take the other key from the second set and once unlock the lock. After this simple procedure the door won't be opened by the lost or stolen key. The same operation can be executed once again, but for this time with the third set of keys. In order not to create mishmash these sets are made of different colors: green, yellow and red.
   But here comes a reasonable question about what to do with the key workers have been working with? If a client doesn't trust them and doesn't want to have any relations with them he can begin using the second set at once. The first set will automatically quit the game.
   The most primitive door of above mentions foreign producers will cost 500-600 USD. From the other point of view, it's not too much for the provided level of quality.
   On the opposite, for the price of 300 USD one can order a door of a domestic produce. This sum includes powder painted metallic front plate of copper colour; two locks (one of them is upper level lock of domestic production), the other is lower cylindrical of Italian production; anti-demountable pins situated at the side of hinges; spy-hole with viewing angle of 200 angles; heat-insulation gasket inside door leaf.    Delivery and mounting are also included.

    So, what do you need to sleep and live easily?
   · 1. Metallic door must be of right geometrical design in order not to be warped or deformed.
   · 2. The door must have reliable and strong locking system that has to be equipped with: two lock types (cylindrical and level locks), latches and catches, anchor system.
   · 3. Metallic door must contain internal heat-insulator and soundproof. It is recommended to mount rubber compressor along the perimeter of the door at its face side (like they mount it on refrigerator).
   · 4. Safety level of the entrance door depends mostly on the quality of installation. That is why door-frame must be welded to metallic pins firmly put into the wall and situated along door's perimeter.
   · 5. Metallic door can be decorated with different decorative upholstery: leatherette, powder paint, laminated plastic, natural wood.