How to insulate the doorway of a street door. How to insulate the front door. How to insulate a wooden entrance door in a private house

At the entrance metal doors two main tasks: to reliably protect owners from intruders and create comfortable living conditions. Comfort, in turn, is always associated with warmth in an apartment or house. Therefore, insulating the doorway of the front door is the owners’ primary goal after installing a new door block. After all, it, along with windows, is the main conductor of cold into the room. It is necessary to insulate the frame, door leaf and slopes.

In this work, we will consider in detail all the stages of thermal insulation of the frame and door leaf. The nuances of the process of insulating slopes 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.

Choosing insulation for the front door

Insulating the front door in an apartment or private house involves carrying out several operations to thermally insulate the doorway:

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

Each stage of work requires its own insulation materials.

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 polyurethane foam. At the same time, some experts prefer a cement-sand mixture, which in our opinion is not the optimal solution:

cement mortar conducts heat better, which means that the path to the room will be slightly open to the cold;
Throwing mortar into the opening between the frame and the outer casing on 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 door frame

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

expanded clay;
sawdust;
polyurethane foam.

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

Of the listed materials, foam retains heat best, but it is also the most expensive. Application loose insulation materials much cheaper, but a problem arises when filling horizontal structural elements with them. If the bottom of the profile is partially filled, expanded clay or sawdust spills out of the vertical posts, 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 insulation of the frame should be polyurethane foam.

Installation of seals

Insulating the entrance door to an apartment will not work if there are no seals on the porch. They are on sale:

rubber;
thermoplastic elastomers, also called 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 for comparable technical specifications with the materials noted above.

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

Insulation of the door leaf

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

The internal part of the door leaf structure is filled with insulation - this technological method is only possible with a removable sheet with inside doors (it is not scalded by welding).
Thermal insulation material is attached on top of the door from the outside or inside, which does not exclude a double-sided insulation option.

In this regard, both general and specific requirements are imposed on fabric insulation materials. As for the general ones, the 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 location of thermal insulation. So, when insulating a door using upholstery, the insulating material must be elastic and capable of significant deformation, which is not the case with rigid foam insulation.

Foam plastic, expanded polystyrene (penoplex), basalt wool, synthetic winterizer, foam rubber, isolon and other materials.

Well suited for filling the insides of door leaves Styrofoam. It is lightweight (does not weigh down the door), high strength and wear resistance. The advantages include simple technology laying - easily cut to the size of the cells formed by the stiffeners.

Advanced foam is gaining popularity - expanded polystyrene (trademark"Penoplex"). Many builders believe that these are the same material. In form - yes, in essence it is different insulation materials, as evidenced by their comparative characteristics.

Thermal conductivity index:

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

Water absorption (%):

4.0 - foam;
0.4 - polystyrene foam.

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

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

affordable price;

environmental cleanliness;

low thermal conductivity coefficient;

resistance to high temperatures and aggressive environments;

long operating time.

There is only one minus - when it gets wet, it sharply loses its ability to protect the apartment from the cold. For apartments this is not a problem, 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, reducing the thermal insulation capabilities of basalt wool by 10-15%.

Very effective insulation material is isolon- the result of foaming polyethylene with propane. Him:

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

Among the disadvantages, the very high price should be noted.

Sintepon is a lightweight, voluminous, elastic non-woven insulation in which synthetic fibers are bonded 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, shorter service life and difficulties during transportation - it cannot be compressed, as the original quality characteristics are lost.

You can insulate a metal entrance door with your own hands using isolon, foam rubber, mineral wool obtained from basalt and batting.

Batting, as insulation, has not found wide application in construction. But it is almost ideal for door upholstery. Only knitting and stitching material is used, which has:

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

TO weaknesses relate:

heavy weight - specific density 200-400 g/m2;
ability to absorb water in large quantities;
uneven distribution of fibers during door operation, resulting in areas with thick and thin layer material.

Materials and tools

Each type of insulation requires its own materials and tools.

For technological gap

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

polyurethane foam in tubes;
masking tape;
polyethylene film;
knife or scissors;
construction gun for foam supply.

FYI: Each foam can has its own spray nozzle. But in many cases it is difficult to work without a pistol. Therefore, professionals take their use for granted.

For door frame

The following will help you perform a thermal break in the box profile:

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

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 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 blocks;
self-tapping screws;
glue;
metal corners to give rigidity to the box of bars;
electric drills with a set of metal drills;
construction knife;
scissors;
fine-tooth wood files;
screwdriver or Phillips screwdriver;
an awl or thin nail;
sandpaper P60.

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

Insulation instructions

Let's take a step-by-step look at how to insulate an iron entrance 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 frame and door are closed with plastic film and masking tape- tape is glued to steel profile boxes, film covers the door leaf;
the gap is generously moistened with water from a spray bottle or plastic bottle. The installers will say that this way dust is removed. In fact, spraying is carried out for a different purpose: to provide moisture to the foam to improve its structure; the polymerization process is much faster and better at high humidity; foam does not fall off the wetted surface;
The can is shaken and turned over. Through a thin tube, a small portion of foam is applied in a continuous stripe to the back side of the outer casing. The work is carried out from the bottom up. Performing the operation in two steps will not allow the foam, when expanding, to escape between the metal casing 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 escape 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 sticking out from under the box must be cut off immediately, and not wait for it to completely harden. In this case, shallow oblique cuts should be left on the cut surface, which will relieve excess pressure on the box and speed up the hardening process.

Door frame

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

It is advisable to maintain the distance between the holes at 45-50 cm. Drill from the outside of the ends. Fill inner space the door frame must be done from bottom to top. Before work, the holes going inside the frame are sealed with masking tape (the door leaf is protected from foam).

Portrait

The technology for gluing the seal can be seen in the work: “Soundproofing the front door with your own hands.” Here we will dwell on some nuances that were not reflected there.

The seal profile is selected depending on the size of the gap. For large gaps would be better suited seal similar to 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

Now let's look at how to insulate front door in a Chinese-made apartment. Let us immediately note that there are two problems here that should be solved together:

there are no stiffening ribs;
The filler is corrugated cardboard, which is considered nominally as insulation.

The work is performed in the following sequence:

the handle and locks are removed from the door, not only the external elements, but also the locking mechanisms;
the door is removed from its hinges and placed on a table or floor;
unscrew the screws that hold the inner sheet of the canvas;
the sheet is removed and set aside;

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

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

the lathing is laid on the film;
The insulation is cut to the size of the cells and placed in the cells of the sheathing. 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 dimensions, if gaps have formed, they are filled with foam. The polyethylene overlap is wrapped onto the sheathing and secured to it with a stapler or glue;
insulation is cut out at the locations of the locks and handles;
the insulating material, together with the lattice frame, is covered on top with a film that is attached to the wood;
the gaps between the sheathing and the frame are filled with foam;
the removed sheet of door leaf is returned to its place and secured with self-tapping screws;
a handle and locks are installed;
the door is hung on hinges.

Doors from outside

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

The problem is solved as follows:

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

the door is removed from its hinges and laid on the floor outer side down;
its width and height are measured;
a lathing is made from a wooden block with a cross-section of 20*20 mm - big sizes the bars will make it difficult to access the keyholes;
stiffening ribs are installed;
the grille is attached with self-tapping screws to the door;
the 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

Insulating 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:

for technological gap;
slopes;
door frame;
porch;
door leaf.

The technologies are not complicated; the entire cycle of work can be completed independently. Minor difficulties may arise only when choosing insulation. For technological gap and door frame best option- polyurethane foam, slopes - cement-sand mixture, porch - sealant made of rubber or rubber, door leaves - penoplex for internal insulation and batting for upholstery with dermantin.

Video on the topic

The front door in a private house is one of the main sources of heat loss. In order not to freeze in winter, you need to take care of it in advance. In this article, we will look at what materials are best used as insulation (felt, foam rubber, polystyrene foam), how to efficiently and easily insulate a door with your own hands, cover it with leatherette and cover the cracks with self-adhesive tape.

There are several ways to insulate your front door for the winter, the best way is upholstery. The following materials are used for this:

It may be noted that manufacturers of doors with thermal break use polystyrene as insulation. Such doors include the well-known line of “Nord” doors, which have positively proven themselves in the market, from the Moscow manufacturer of entrance doors “ProfMaster”.

We insulate an iron door with foam panels

Typically metal doors are made from sheet material, welded on the sides with corners, that is, they have voids inside that need to be filled from the inside for additional insulation.

The insulation technology is as follows:

We take the dimensions of the door leaf (width and length) according to which we will cut out the fiberboard panel to cover the foam layer.
We transfer the dimensions of the door leaf, the location and dimensions of the peephole and handle onto the fiberboard plywood, and cut out openings for them.
We apply the panel to the door, checking that all the marks are correct.

Insulation iron door foam plastic

With help sharp knife We cut out sheets of styrofoam to glue them to the inside of the door leaf. This insulation is glued using silicone, which is applied in a dense, uniform layer over the entire surface.

Advice! The thickness of the foam is determined by the size of the corner shelf.

Now you can cover the foam with a fiberboard panel. We put a bit on the screwdriver and screw the fiberboard to the door leaf with self-tapping screws.
The stiffening ribs of the metal door are made of a hollow tube; in winter it freezes and the effect of a “refrigerator” is obtained. To prevent this from happening, it is filled from the inside with polyurethane foam. To do this, a hole is made in the pipe with a drill, where foam is poured.

Attention! If you want to thoroughly insulate the wall, the cracks between the foam sheets can also be filled with polyurethane foam.

We insulate the front door with foam rubber

To insulate a wooden front door, you can use foam rubber on the outside. To do this you need:

Remove the door frame from its hinges and place it on a flat horizontal plane, such as stools. Then remove all protruding parts of the door (lock, eye hole, handle).

Advice! Before insulating the door with foam rubber, cover the door leaf with an iron sheet to strengthen it.

Next, you need to make a base for the rollers necessary to plug the hole between the door and the frame. For doors opening outwards, 3 strips of leatherette 140 mm wide are cut out, of which the length of the first is equal to the length of the door, and the other 2 are equal to its width. Three strips are nailed with nails along the edge of the door frame, having first retreated 15 mm from the edge. The side on which the hinges are located is not upholstered. For doors that open inwards, 4 strips 140 mm wide are cut out and nailed on all sides.
You need to make bundles of cotton wool with a diameter of 30 mm, wrap them in leatherette, nailed at the bottom, and nail the resulting roller at the very edge of the door.
Next, foam sheets are laid on top of the door leaf.

Foam rubber

You need to cut the canvas out of leatherette according to the parameters of the door, plus 10 cm on each side. Lay the leatherette on top of the insulation and nail it, first the side corners, and then the bottom and top
Next, you need to make the remaining three rollers (this applies to doors that open outward) and nail them so that the upper edge of the upholstery overlaps the lower one.
Then you can nail the panel along the entire perimeter, ending with the edge on which the loops are located.

Advice! You can decorate the door leaf by nailing nails with caps in a specific pattern. This method of “decorating” the door prevents the foam rubber from settling.

At the end, you need to cut holes for all the protruding parts of the door, fasten the handle in place and you can hang the door back on its hinges.

Insulation with polyurethane foam

An equally effective way to protect a doorway from cold air is to use polyurethane foam:

Foam gun

Buy a foam gun, medium size.
Apply construction tape to the border of the door, including the door itself, the frame and the wall.
Fill the inner and outer perimeter of the door with polyurethane foam, making sure that there are no voids left between the door frame and the wall.
Then use sandpaper and a knife to remove excess foam.
At the end, the joints are puttied and painted to match the color of the walls of the house.

How to use sealing gasket

A rubber gasket bridges the gap between the door frame and the door leaf. Such a gap remains even when closed position door, and up to 20% of the heat escapes through it. To prevent this you need:

Measure the perimeter of the door frame; this indicator will be equal to the length of the tape. The width is equal to the size of the contact point between the frame and the door leaf (rebate width), and the thickness is equal to the width of the gap between the door leaf and the door.

Advice! It is difficult to measure the width of the fold, but this can be done using plasticine. It is placed between the door and the frame and closed. After this, it is removed and measurements are taken.

We remove the paper that protects the sticky side from the sealing gasket and smooth it along the entire perimeter of the door frame rebate.

In this way, you can insulate the door by upholstering it with insulation and covering the joints with sealing tape. If these methods do not help, you need to check that the door leaf is installed correctly and that there are no holes in the foam used during installation.

With the onset of frost, it can be difficult to keep the house warm if there are loopholes for cold air. A poorly insulated door is one of the main sources of heat leakage. Most often, old structures - doors - suffer from unsatisfactory tightness. modern models have a layer of insulation and seals. But over time even the most quality material wears out and loses its properties. With a question about how to insulate wooden door, every owner of a house or apartment has to face. The solution to this problem is simple. It is necessary to eliminate the gaps between the door frame and the opening, install a seal around the perimeter of the door leaf and insulate the leaf itself.

Wood is a material that has low thermal conductivity and should not allow cold to pass through. Why then might it be necessary to insulate a wooden entrance door? Here are the main reasons for poor sealing:

Cold holes often appear at the junction of the doorway and frame. During installation of the door block, all gaps are filled with polyurethane foam, which ensures good thermal insulation. Over time, the properties of the foam are lost and it collapses. This process occurs especially quickly if the foamed area has not been plastered or covered with a casing: sunlight is harmful to the foam.
Another reason is the gaps between the box and the canvas. They may not appear immediately, but only after a certain period of operation. The formation of cracks is promoted high humidity, low-quality raw materials used to make the door, unprofessional installation, and simply long term operation.
Door leaf insulation becomes ineffective over time, especially if it was selected without taking into account operational requirements. Eg, mineral wool does not tolerate humidity: it is pressed, gets wet and loses volume, completely losing its heat-saving properties.

Materials for insulating a wooden door

To insulate wooden doors, you need to prepare the material.

Insulation for door leaf:

mineral wool (if the structure does not go directly onto the street);
foam rubber – inexpensive material, but not very durable;
isolon – modern insulation with excellent performance characteristics;
foam sheets are a lightweight material that retains its volume and shape well over a long period of time;
expanded polystyrene - characterized by a long operational period and low level of thermal conductivity.

Polyurethane foam is necessary to eliminate drafts through the junction of the door frame and the opening.

The seal is necessary to insulate the door around the perimeter:

Foam tape of various thicknesses with an adhesive base. It is inexpensive, but quickly breaks down.
Silicone sealant is environmentally friendly. At the end of its service life it begins to tear and becomes sticky.
Rubber tape is a universal seal with excellent characteristics.
Thermoplastic elastomer seal is the most durable and durable material. The disadvantage is the complex installation process.
The polyurethane self-adhesive seal is easy to install and has good technical characteristics.

For decorative design door leaf and protection of the insulation from street moisture and air, upholstery material will be required: leatherette, eco-leather, lining natural wood, laminated MDF. Related materials needed for the job are upholstery nails and wire.

Preparatory stage

Do-it-yourself insulation of a wooden door begins with measuring the door leaf and purchasing material. The door must be inspected in order to identify defects and eliminate them:

If the hinges are weakened and the door begins to sag under its own weight, you need to secure them with new screws or replace the fittings.
You should immediately take into account your method of insulation. If it leads to an increase in the weight of the structure, it is necessary to install additional hinges on the door leaf.
If the door leaf closes tightly due to deformation, and replacing the hinges does not eliminate this defect, treating the edge of the structure with a plane will help fix it.
It is necessary to check the condition of the sealant between the frame and the opening. Delete if necessary old material and foam the cracks with new sealant.
Restoring a door is a convenient opportunity to replace old fittings - eyes, handles.

We will need:

roulette
scissors
hammer
screwdriver
construction stapler with staples

To install the seal, it may be necessary to insert a groove, so it’s good if you have a corner one on your farm. Sander, equipped with a cutter.

Insulation of the door leaf

What is the best way to insulate a wooden entrance door with your own hands to ensure the maximum degree of thermal insulation for the door leaf? The most effective would be to insulate the structure on both sides.

Upholstering a door with leatherette is a simple and popular method. It is most convenient to do the work when the door is removed from its hinges, but with some skill you can also work with the door hung. The process goes like this:

the door leaf is freed from fittings;
the insulation sheet is cut so that its dimensions exceed the door area by about 10 cm on each side;
using a construction stapler, attach the insulation to the surface of the door, trim off the excess;
leatherette is attached over the prepared insulation with upholstery nails;
a roller is formed from excess leatherette hanging along the perimeter of the canvas;
decorate the surface using wire and upholstery nails;
return the fittings to their place, hang the door.

Sometimes it is more expedient to insulate a door in a private house with polystyrene foam or polystyrene, covering it with clapboard or laminated chipboard. In this case, the door leaf becomes thicker and heavier. For this method you need to collect wooden frame and attach it to the door leaf. There will be a layer of insulation inside the frame. Its thickness is selected so that it matches the width of the plank. Since foam plastic is a dense material, and when laying it there will still be small gaps, all gaps between the individual pieces of foam plastic and the frame are filled with sealant. After cutting off the cured sealant, you can begin covering the door with the outer material. You can do without a frame. In this case, the foam is glued directly to the canvas, and then the door is sheathed with leatherette.

Seal installation

The seal will ensure a tight fit of the door to the frame. Installation of the seal is quite simple, since it is usually a material in the form of a tape, one side of which is coated with a special adhesive composition. It will be more difficult to choose required thickness seal: if the material is not thick enough, cold air passes through. Excessively thick is also not a suitable option. If the door is difficult to close, this can lead to the handle becoming loose and the lock breaking. How to insulate a wooden entrance door with a sealant correctly? Here's the procedure:

Determine the size of the gap between the door and the frame. If the parameters exceed a few mm, you can begin installing the seal.
If the sealing tape has an adhesive base, it is simply glued along the perimeter line of the frame so that it is located as close as possible to the outside of the door leaf.
The silicone seal is attached using a construction stapler.
If there is a need to install a seal with a minimum gap size, use a grinder to cut a small groove around the perimeter. In order to accommodate a two- and three-layer seal, the groove dimensions must be 3–4 mm wide and 1–2 mm deep.

Door insulation with rollers

A dense roller made of leatherette strip with insulation inserted inside is designed to seal the joint between the jamb and the door leaf. Do it as follows:

The sides of the door leaf are measured, after which 4 strips are cut out of leatherette. Their length should correspond to the parameters of the length and width of the door leaf, and the width should be 10 cm.
The strip is attached with upholstery nails or a stapler to the edge of the door so that the wrong side is on top.
Next, the door is insulated and upholstered with leatherette, and a roller is formed.
A roll of insulation is placed into the prepared leatherette strip, the leatherette is wrapped and secured along the entire length of the perimeter.

This simultaneously creates a warm door leaf and a sealed gap between the jamb and the door leaf.

Video

A wooden door, insulated with your own hands, if you follow these simple tips, will reliably protect your house from both drafts and street noise.

The front door is a kind of barrier between the street and the house. It protects us from uninvited guests and unnecessary noise. It can also serve as excellent thermal insulation. But this function may not be fully performed if the door is not insulated in a timely manner.

What is it for?

To make you feel warm and cozy at home on cold evenings, it is necessary to insulate your home for the winter. But it is not enough to replace windows with double-glazed windows and seal the walls. Still, the main heat loss occurs through the door. This is what needs to be insulated first. You just need to do this in advance, and not with the arrival of the first frosts.

Insulating a door block is not only an excellent way to retain heat and protect from drafts, but also good noise insulation, as well as protection from condensation and foreign odors.

Necessary materials

The range of insulating materials is quite diverse. They all differ in density and durability. The following door insulation materials are currently used:

Cardboard- most cheap material. Has low thermal insulation properties. And even its euphonious name “corrugated cardboard” does not save it, although the folded structure should be ideal for this;
Foam rubber- a pioneer among insulation materials. Flexible, holds its shape well and resists stress. He is easy to work with. The only negative is that it absorbs moisture, gets wet and decomposes, which is why it is considered a short-lived material;
Izolon- an analogue of the previous substance, but has higher water-repellent properties. There are a large number of types, differing in thickness and density. You should pay attention to its appearance, covered with foil. It has high thermal insulation, durable and elastic;
Styrofoam- a good option for insulating the door leaf. It has good sound insulation and retains heat well. It is easy to use - no specialized assistance is required for its installation, everything can be done with your own hands. In addition, it will please you with its price. The disadvantage is its rapid flammability and release of toxins during combustion;

Wool can be mineral and basalt. This is the most environmentally friendly material, but, unfortunately, not the most suitable for insulating doors. Cotton wool has increased hygroscopicity, that is, it quickly absorbs water, gets wet and clumps, and because of this loses its properties. If you nevertheless decide to use this particular material as insulation, you need to make a protection for it from polyethylene film. It will provide air permeability, but will retain water and steam;
Rubber gaskets used as a sealant for cracks with a diameter of up to 12 mm. They are resistant to high and low (down to -40°) temperatures;
Dermantin used as decoration, which is applied on top of the insulation;
Batting– natural material. Eco-friendly, does not cause allergies, airy in structure. It evaporates moisture well and has air permeability. By insulating the door with batting, you will provide yourself with heat and sound insulation.

As you can see, there are really many options for insulating the door leaf. But don't get lost. By classifying them according to several criteria, you will immediately eliminate most of them and the question will not arise which one is better to use.

To begin, decide on pricing policy: is a more expensive material suitable for you or is it your priority to insulate your home on a budget. Place of residence also plays an important role: apartment or a private house. If you live in an apartment, then between your home and the street there is, so to speak, dead space - the entrance. He is the first to bear the blow of frost and wind. At the same time, a “weakened” version of the cold enters the apartment. Consequently, it is possible to use simpler material here, and therefore cheaper. Living in a private or rural house, you are left alone with weather conditions. Therefore, it’s worthwhile to insulate more reliably, not forgetting about the attic.

And still decisive role The type of door plays a role in the choice of insulating fiber. Most often, a metal door is used as an entrance door. Almost all of the above materials are suitable for its insulation. But Special attention It is worth paying attention to a product such as polyurethane foam or polyurethane foam. This is a synthetic product that has good thermal insulation, fire resistance, and is easy to use. It is important to note that the foam is produced in liquid form, so it fills the entire surface, including hard-to-reach places.

To enhance the thermal insulation of a wooden door, foam rubber, isolon, polystyrene foam, batting, and mineral wool are used. Heat-reflecting materials based on foamed polyethylene with foil are especially suitable for this purpose. It is capable of retaining up to 70% of lost heat.

If you are looking for a way to insulate plastic door, first you need to understand the reason for the passage of cold:

perhaps the mechanism has become loose, then it is enough to simply adjust it;
if the cold comes from under the bottom of the door, this is a flaw of the installers. To fix this problem, lay polystyrene foam underneath and fill it with polyurethane foam;
For insulation of the entire canvas, foam rubber, mineral wool, and expanded polystyrene are suitable.

Methods used

Before providing heat protection to your door, determine its weakest point in this regard. This may be insufficient tightness or insufficient density of the canvas itself. Based on this, use one of the methods of thermal insulation of the door.

Along the perimeter of the opening

A sealant is used for this. This is a tape material that is glued to the base using a sealant or adhesive layer. Sealing material is used as a means to seal cracks in the door frame.

There are several types of it:

those based on foam rubber are the least durable. They are enough for one season;
rubber ones are glued to the rubber layer. Enough reliable material;
rubber reinforced with fiberglass. There is a variety of colors of this material. It is elastic and frost-resistant;
PVC can withstand both high and low temperatures. Happens different shapes depending on the width of the gap. To install PVC tape in a doorway, you need to make a groove in it and push the seal into it with a screwdriver.

It should be noted that the more elastic the seal, the more tightly it will fill the space and ensure that the door is airtight. Before purchasing a seal, measure the doorway around the perimeter, going from corner to corner. Don't forget to take into account the width of the slots and the rebate. To find out its required width, you need to take plasticine, put it in a bag and place it in one of the cracks that need to be sealed. After that, close the door. The entire configuration of the gap will be imprinted on the plasticine and it will become clear what width the seal should be chosen.

Now let's figure out how to properly stick the tape:

If you are using a self-adhesive product, be sure to degrease the door frame before work. After that, remove protective film from the adhesive layer and apply sealant, starting from the bottom;
non-adhesive material should be applied using silicone or liquid nails.

Upholstery

Another method for thermal insulation street door– insulation of the door leaf itself. This is especially true for metal doors, since they are capable of forming cold bridges through which air penetrates into the apartment.

To insulate a metal door leaf you must:

Remove the door from its hinges, free it from the lock and handles.
If it consists of 2 sheets, separate them.
Lay insulation between the sheets. Fill the cracks with foam.
Fasten the canvas.
Put the door back.

If the door is wooden or metal, but not dismountable, the insulation is fixed on top of the door leaf.

This is done this way:

Remove the door and free it from removable parts.
Next, you need to decide on which side to attach the insulating material - from the outside or from the inside. This depends on the location of the hinges and the method of opening the door block.
Fasten thermal insulation material with a furniture stapler every 15 cm.
You can use another method. Nail wooden slats to the door leaf along the edges, lay foam plastic between them. The top of this structure is covered with plastic or fiberboard.
Let's move on to decoration. To do this, the door leaf is covered upholstery material using decorative nails. The upholstery can be made of leather, vinyl leather, plastic - foam, bologna. You can also cover the front door with leatherette. The upholstery is fixed starting from the upper corners. Stretch so that no waves form. You need to leave 5 cm for the hem over the entire area.

For thresholds

The threshold is an important component of the front door. It can be made from various materials: wood, metal, plastic, concrete. In addition to sound-absorbing and supporting functions, the threshold lip also provides condensation relief and thermal insulation and closes gaps in the lower part of the door block. That’s why it’s so important to insulate it for the winter too.

To ensure its thermal tightness, you can resort to several methods:

Plastic can be insulated using a sealant such as polyurethane foam. To do this, remove it, free the assembly seam from debris and fill it with several layers of foam. After this, the threshold is returned to its place.
Another option is a thermal damper. Here you will also need to dismantle the threshold. Then a heating cable is laid in its place. Between its loops there is a thermal sensor that reads information about its temperature. A thermostat is located outside, which turns the mechanism off and on. At the end of the work, do not forget to return the threshold to its place.

Installation of the second canvas

This is very reliable method maintaining heat in the apartment. Between two doors there is a air bag, which resists the penetration of cold air from the street. You can install additional canvas in several ways:

On the frame of the first door. This option is good if you install both doors at the same time or if both sheets are made of the same materials. Thanks to this technique, the work of insulating the doorway is easier, reliability is increased and installation time is saved.
Apart. It is used if it is necessary to add a leaf to an existing one or the doors are made of different materials. In order to install a second entrance door in this way, it is necessary to assemble a box, hang a canvas on it and insert this structure into the doorway level and seal it. Required condition– door canvases must be the same size.

In winter, during severe frosts, ice, frost or condensation may appear on the inner surface of the door - this indicates freezing of the metal entrance door. What to do in such a situation? The difference in temperature outside and indoors leads to such consequences and indicates poor thermal insulation doors. Therefore, we will consider in detail how to insulate a metal door in a private house and apartment.

Metal by itself cannot serve as a heat insulator, i.e. it has a high thermal conductivity coefficient. Honeycomb cardboard, which fills most cheap, in particular Chinese doors, also does not cope with the function assigned to it. And it doesn’t have such a task; it is designed to reduce the weight of a metal door.

In rare cases, the cavity of the door leaf is filled with insulation, but it is impossible to check its presence in doors in the middle price range, so you have to take the seller’s word for it, and then think about how to insulate an iron door with your own hands.

It's obvious that simple ways Like sticking a seal around the perimeter of the door leaf can do little to help in this situation. A more serious approach is required here, in particular, to insulate the entrance metal door in accordance with all the rules for carrying out thermal insulation work.

Do-it-yourself insulation of a metal entrance door

The process begins with the selection of the optimal thermal insulation material, which determines the effectiveness of insulation and its duration.

How to insulate a metal door

Types of insulation:

Penofol

Thanks to the reflective ability of the foil layer, it retains almost all the heat in the room. Used only as additional material.

Rigid insulation

These include polystyrene foam and expanded polystyrene (penoplex). Their advantage is ease of installation and relatively low price. Since it is not hygroscopic, it does not require additional films. This is the only suitable option for installation in a cottage, country or rural house. Indeed, in this case the door serves as a barrier to low temperatures and wind, which is not observed in apartment buildings, where the door opens into the entrance.

Note. When choosing thermal insulation material, give preference to penoplex (expanded polystyrene). It is an order of magnitude denser than polystyrene foam and will provide the door with much more effective insulation.

Soft insulation

This category includes glass wool and mineral (basalt) wool. Their difference is only in the raw materials; in terms of their thermal insulation characteristics, they are not very different. Mineral wool is characterized by environmental friendliness, fire safety, and the ability to vary the installation height without additional trimming.

Cotton wool is sold in rolls or sheets, which makes it possible to cut blanks from it required sizes and place them in cells formed by the stiffening ribs of the door itself. To provide the desired height(thickness of insulation) it is enough to simply press down the material (press cotton wool), the thermal insulation properties will not be affected.

But cotton wool has a drawback that prevents it from being recommended for installation in iron doors for private homes. Because With different sides doors operate at different temperatures, and sometimes the difference is up to 40 ° C (-15 outside and +25 in the house). This leads to a shift of the dew point inside the insulation, and the wool gets wet. The effect can be neutralized by installing a hydrobarrier film.

But, nevertheless, professionals do not recommend insulating an iron door with cotton wool in a private house. It can become an acceptable option only if the entrance door to the apartment is insulated, since in this case there is not such a big difference in temperatures (it is much warmer in the entrance than outside).

Inflatable insulation

Presented with polyurethane foam. Spraying makes it possible to fill all the cracks, but has a high price.

Thermal insulation of luxury metal doors is carried out using three types of materials: foam plastic (main material), penofol (additional), polyurethane foam (filling the voids of the stiffeners and frames).

Note: a set of materials, which can be found in stores, for insulation outer door made of metal is of little use, because They use dermantin, foam rubber or synthetic winterizer as insulation.

Additional materials for door insulation

liquid nails, hardware, polyurethane foam - when insulating with rigid insulation;

hydrobarrier film, vapor barrier, adhesive tape - when soft;

sheet of fiberboard, plywood, OSB (for cladding, if the door leaf is non-removable);

decorative material for finishing: dermantin, MDF panels or plastic panels;

seal (rubber, silicone).

Tools you will need: tape measure, drill, jigsaw, screwdriver, pencil, stationery knife.

Note. When working with glass wool, you need to take care to protect your respiratory tract, hands and eyes (respirator, gloves, goggles).

Frame structure inside the door (stiffening ribs)

After the door leaf is disassembled, it may turn out that there are no stiffeners in the door cavity, then they will need to be made.

For this, a metal profile or corner with dimensions corresponding to the thickness of the door is used. Its widespread use is due to the fact that it is easier to weld metal to metal surface doors.

However, many craftsmen agree that it is better to use a wooden beam, because... Wood has lower thermal conductivity. The difficulty when working with timber is that it is difficult to fasten it securely enough without damaging the front layer of the door leaf.

How to insulate a metal entrance door in a private house

Insulation technology steel door from the inside will be described in several stages, in the form step by step instructions so that even without experience in construction you can do the work yourself.

the door leaf is removed from the hinges. Masters are able to perform work “by weight”, but for a beginner this can cause difficulties;

all overhead elements are dismantled. These include: lock lining, handle, peephole;

The casing on one side is dismantled. If the door is collapsible, i.e. it can be opened without disturbing one of the layers, then the dismantled plane of the door is set aside and then installed in place. Otherwise, one of the sides of the door (usually the inside) is cut off and subsequently replaced with a sheet of chipboard and finishing material;

Note. When planning to insulate a Chinese metal door, be prepared for the fact that it will not be possible to disassemble it. You just have to cut one of the front sides of the canvas and replace it later with an overlay made from a sheet of chipboard.

If there are stiffening ribs inside the door cavity, you can begin laying insulation. Otherwise, you need to take care of their arrangement;

formation of internal sheathing. To do this, first make a frame to which the stiffeners are mounted. Metallic profile is welded, and the beam is fastened with hardware so that the integrity of the front covering of the door is not compromised.

Advice. It is not recommended to make only longitudinal or transverse frame cells; it is advisable to use a combination of them. Especially if we're talking about about insulation with soft insulation materials, which tend to settle (fall down) during operation.

Insulation is placed in the cells of the frame. When laying, you need to ensure that it completely fills the entire space of the cell, while corresponding to its height;

When insulating with foam plastic, it is cut into blanks of the required size, liquid nails are applied to the blank and glued to the surface of the door. If there are cracks, it is recommended to fill them with foam;

How to insulate a metal door with polystyrene foam - video

when insulating with cotton wool, work begins with laying the film, which should occupy the entire inner surface of the door and extend beyond it by 150-200 mm. Next, the cotton wool is cut into pieces of 10-15 mm. larger than the size of the cell (expanding a little, the cotton wool will easily fill them) and placed in the cells. Then the cotton wool is covered with a second layer of film, and the folds from the bottom layer of film are wrapped on upper layer films and sealed with tape. Thus, the cotton wool turns out to be in a case, which will become reliable protection from moisture.

Note. If the cotton wool is not protected, it will get wet and conduct heat; in addition, it will come into contact with inner surface doors. And constant exposure to moisture on metal will sooner or later cause it to rust. Moreover, the average door does not have internal corrosion protection.

the insulation is covered with penofol (if the door is facing the room) with a reflective layer into the room;

if the door leaf is disassembled without problems, then the second removable part is installed in place, and the insulation of the metal door can be considered complete. But often, it is necessary to prepare a covering sheet that will replace the panel removed from one side of the door.

For these purposes, chipboard or plywood is used. To prepare the workpiece you need:
transfer the dimensions of the door leaf, including the peephole and lock, onto the sheet;

cut out a template;

screw the sheet to the door frame with self-tapping screws;

eliminate irregularities, protruding edges, and also grind off the edges of the sheet a little.

Note. The cladding panel is fastened from bottom to top. This way it will level out as you screw it in.

The latter is used for decorative upholstery or door trim and installation of previously removed elements and fittings.

The result of all work will be an insulated metal door, which will reliably protect the premises from heat loss.

Now you can hang it back on the hinges and check the functionality of the handles and lock.

But it is worth noting that insulating a metal door only in the area of the door leaf is a small part possible works on thermal insulation of doors.

One of the sources of heat loss is the door frame. In most cases, it is hollow, which means it transmits heat well.

Insulation of metal door frames

The door frame is insulated by blowing polyurethane foam inside the metal profile.

It's easy to do. It is enough to drill holes in the frame profile (not through holes) at a distance of 400-450 mm. The diameter of the hole is equal to the diameter of the tube from the foam container. After this, the cylinder tube is inserted into the profile and the foam fills the free space. Material prepared for the website www.site

Note. In the same way, you can insulate the metal stiffeners in the door cavity immediately after installing the frame.

Upholstery and insulation of an iron door - video

Additional insulation of the entrance metal door

In addition to the work performed, there are two more directions through which heat escapes outside (blowing from under the iron entrance door):

through a loose fit of the door leaf to the frame. This problem can be eliminated by gluing a rubber seal around the perimeter of the door;
through door slopes. In this case, you will have to dismantle the slopes and inspect the safety of the foam that was used. Restore foam if necessary. Then make a new insulated slope.

All work on insulating street or apartment metal doors can be done independently. But if you are afraid of making a mistake, it is better to order the services of a master. The cost of his work will be from 1,500 rubles. (excluding material cost). And the final price will be determined taking into account the type of door, the complexity of dismantling one side of the door leaf, the presence of stiffeners, the type of seal and the type of finishing material.

However, the costs of insulating external doors made of metal are always justified, since they entail a significant reduction in heat loss through the doorway and avoid the appearance of condensation on the surface of the door, which leads to the destruction of the door leaf.