Front Door Trim: Varieties With Description And Characteristics, Pros And Cons, And How To Install Correctly

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Varieties and characteristics of door linings

The first thing that a visitor sees is the front door, so it should always look beautiful and attractive. If the door leaf has lost its original appearance or has ceased to fit into the new interior, you should not rush to change it. There is a cheaper way to transform the door - installing a special overlay. There are several types of such elements, they all have their own advantages and disadvantages, but in order to make the right choice, you first need to familiarize yourself with the existing proposal.

Content

• 1 Appointment of overlays on the front door

• 2 Types of overlays on the front door

  • 2.1 Video: production of MDF overlay in PVC film
  • 2.2 Features of the choice of overlays on the door

• 3 Installing front door strips

  3.1 Video: Installing the front door trim

• 4 Reviews

Appointment of overlays on the front door

The front door not only reliably protects the home from uninvited guests, but also, depending on its appearance, creates the first impression of the house and its residents. That is why the door leaf should look beautiful and attractive, as well as organically fit into its surroundings.

Overlays allow you to change the appearance of the front door

If you have a modern front door, then there is no need to install an overlay, since it itself perfectly performs its functions and has a beautiful appearance. There are a number of circumstances that force the owner to make a decision regarding the front door and the way out of this situation will be to install a lining:

• it is necessary that the door organically fit into the surrounding environment;
• additional protection of the canvas from scratches and other damage;
• due to the long service life, scratches and damages appeared on the door leaf, which spoil its appearance. At the same time, the door frame and door leaf are quite strong and can serve for many more years;
• it is necessary to insulate the front door sash. Modern linings allow not only to change the appearance of the canvas, but also to insulate it;
• with the help of a cover, the door security level is increased. Such a panel not only thickens the canvas, but can also overlap the hinge blocks, make a vestibule. Due to this, the likelihood of the formation of dust and draft gaps that appear over time in any structure is reduced.

Types of overlays on the front door

The modern industry offers different types of door trims. They differ among themselves in place, installation method, material of manufacture and size.

At the installation site, door linings can be:

• outdoor. They are installed on the outside of the entrance door. Their peculiarity is that such elements are made of moisture-resistant materials. They tolerate temperature changes normally, and also have high strength;

  

  Outer linings are made of moisture-resistant materials, as they should normally withstand temperature changes, and also have high strength

• internal. They must have a beautiful appearance in order to harmoniously fit into the interior of a house or apartment. In addition, they must have high strength in order to withstand mechanical damage. This is especially important when there are small children in the house. If you have pets in the house, it is best to install a pad that has an anti-vandal coating that is not damaged by claws.

  

  The inner lining should fit harmoniously into the interior of the house or apartment

According to the installation method, door linings can be:

• mortise. During installation, such elements go deep into the door leaf, which ensures their reliable fixation. For self-installation of mortise structures, you must have the appropriate skills;
• waybills. They are mounted on the surface of the door leaf using special screws, glue or self-tapping screws. Any home master can cope with this task.

If we talk about the size of such elements, then the classification is as follows:

• standard. The strips are 90 cm wide and 200 cm high. They fit most entrance doors;
• individual. These items are custom made and can be of any size;
• armored. The pads have a protective function. Usually they are installed near the castle to protect it from burglary.

Depending on the material used for the manufacture of door linings, they are divided into the following types:

1. Wooden lining. They are made from natural wood. Depending on the method of decoration, such elements can be painted, varnished, laminated or veneered. It is better to use painted or varnished panels for the entrance doors of a private house, as they are not afraid of high humidity. For apartment doors, you can choose laminated or veneered products.

   

   Wooden plates can be painted, lacquered, laminated or veneered

2. Plywood overlays. They will differ from the previous version in a lower cost, but their quality is worse. Since plywood consists of several layers of thin wood glued together, over time, under the influence of negative external factors, it begins to delaminate. This also applies to moisture-resistant plywood, it simply has a longer service life than ordinary plywood. For doors that have direct contact with the street, it is better not to use such products. This is a good option for installation on the entrance doors to the apartment. Plywood overlays can also be painted, varnished, laminated or veneered.

3. MDF overlays. This material, like plywood, is made of wood. Its difference is that they make MDF from fine wood dust, and connect it with polymer compounds. Thanks to this, MDF linings are not afraid of moisture. For maximum protection against moisture, such overlays are covered with a layer of laminate on top. Since the thickness of the coating is usually small, such products can be easily scratched, but if handled carefully, they will reliably protect the doors both in the house and in the apartment. If the door unit faces directly outside, a canopy must be installed to protect it from direct contact with water. The best option would be to install MDF panels on the entrance doors of the apartment.

   

   MDF overlays are more suitable for installation on the entrance doors of the apartment

4. Plastic overlays. This is the best option for installation on doors that go directly to the street and even with direct contact with water, they do not lose their appearance and original characteristics. The decorative layer of plastic is created at the stage of its production, so it perfectly tolerates all the negative influences of external factors. It must be remembered that plastic can be of different qualities. If you buy cheap linings, they can fade under the influence of sunlight and are easily scratched. In the manufacture of expensive plastic, special modifiers are used, so such products do not have the described disadvantages.

   

   Plastic strips are suitable for entrance doors that have direct contact with the street

5. Door stickers. One of the options to decorate doors or change their appearance are stickers. They are self-adhesive, water-based, so they can be easily and quickly mounted on the door. Such films have high lightfastness, are not afraid of moisture, and are easy to care for. If necessary, it is very easy to remove such a sticker and after itself they do not leave traces. Stickers are ideal for people who like to change the interior of a room frequently.

   

   Stickers allow you to frequently and quickly change the appearance of the door

Video: making an MDF lining in a PVC film

Features of the choice of door linings

When choosing a cover for an entrance door, if it will be installed from its inside, it is necessary that this element be in harmony with the interior sheets. It is best if they are made of the same material. You can order such overlays from the same manufacturer as the interior doors.

The overlay on the inside of the door should be in harmony with the design of the interior paintings

Although there are different types of door linings and each of them has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, when making a choice, you must be guided by the following rules:

• the type of surface on which the pad will be installed must be taken into account. Sometimes it is necessary to install additional fasteners on metal doors so that the cover can be fixed with self-tapping screws. If the product has a self-adhesive base, then the type of glue will be different for wood and metal;
• the cost of the lining will depend not only on the material from which it is made, but also on the complexity of the design;
• takes into account how difficult it will be to care for the pad. Most of these products require minimal maintenance; it is enough to periodically wipe them with a damp and dry cloth. In some cases, special means may be required, for example, to protect against parasites.
• sometimes, in order to obtain a complete appearance of the entrance door, in addition to the lining, it is necessary to additionally use panels on the threshold and racks. This point must be taken into account, since all elements must be made of the same material;
• depending on the design of the room, the color, texture and relief of the lining are chosen so that it complements it and organically combines with other elements.

Following these simple halts, you can independently choose an overlay that will be ideal for a particular room and provide its beautiful and aesthetic appearance.

Installing front door strips

The process of installing the front door lining is not particularly difficult. Having become familiar with the sequence of work, as well as having prepared the necessary tool, even a beginner can cope with such work.

To install the door trim, you need to prepare the following tools:

• electric drill with a set of drills;
• clamps;
• screwdriver;
• router with a set of cutters;
• a hammer;
• chisel;
• jigsaw;

• measuring instruments.

  

  If you have the necessary tools, even a beginner can install a cover on the entrance doors.

In addition, you will need:

• overhead panel;
• self-tapping screws, the length of which should not exceed the thickness of the door together with the cover plate;
• glue.

Please note that after installing the cover panel, the thickness of the door leaf increases, so those locks, handles and door peepholes that were earlier may not fit

Front door trims can be installed from the outside, from the inside, as well as from both sides.

The procedure for installing the cover on the front door will be as follows:

1. Dismantling the canvas. To simplify the work, it is recommended to remove the canvas from the hinges. If this fails, then you can fix the cover without removing the door.

   

   To simplify the work, it is better to remove the canvas from the hinges

2. Dismantling of fittings. They remove all the accessories (lock, handles, peephole, plate) that will interfere with the work. If the hinges are not internal, they are also removed.

   

   Remove all the accessories (lock, handles, peephole, plate)

3. Preparation of the canvas. The surface is cleaned from dust and dirt. After that, the doors are degreased. Some experts recommend treating the metal sheet with paint or an anti-corrosion coating before installation. You can cover the doors with vinyl film, which is also a good corrosion protection.
4. Preparation of the overhead panel. It is laid on the door and the locations of the fittings are marked. You can immediately prepare holes for mounting the handle, eyelet and lock cylinder, or you can do this after installing the cover. The work is performed using a jigsaw, milling cutter, hammer and chisel, it all depends on the available tool.
5. Preparing holes for mounting the inner panel. From the outside of the door, using an electric drill, holes are made for self-tapping screws, which will fix the inner lining. To ensure high-quality and reliable fixation, 4 rows of 5 pieces each are made. To hide the heads of the self-tapping screws, make sweats.

6. Fixing the inner lining. First, the panel is greased with glue, laid on the canvas and pressed with clamps. This solution allows you to fix the cover panel as firmly as possible. After that, from the outside of the door, self-tapping screws are inserted into the prepared holes, the length of which should not exceed the thickness of the leaf and lining. The panel is fixed with self-tapping screws.

   

   The cover is first fixed with glue, and then fixed with self-tapping screws

7. Preparing the holes for mounting the outer panel. The work is carried out according to the same principle as in the previous case, but there are differences. The holes are made along the perimeter of the canvas with a step of 20–25 cm in the place where the iron sheet protrudes beyond the edges of the frame of the canvas. This solution allows the caps of the self-tapping screws to hide behind the gasket located between the door leaf and the door frame.
8. Installation of the outer cover. Fix the outer panel with self-tapping screws. Self-tapping caps can be hidden using special overlays, matched to the color of the main panel.

9. Installation of fittings. If you have not made a place for the installation of fittings in the overlays, you can do this now. Then the door handles, cylinder lock and peephole are installed.

   

   Reinstall the removed hardware

10. The door leaf is hung. If the doors were removed from the hinges, it remains to hang them and the work is considered finished.

    

    Doors with installed plates are hung on hinges

For more reliable fixing of the pads, screws can be used instead of self-tapping screws. In some cases, the overlays are mounted using moldings that are attached to the door with self-tapping screws, and the overlay is already fixed in them.

Video: installation of the front door trim

Reviews

If you decide to install the door linings yourself, then it will not be difficult to do it yourself. It is enough to get acquainted with the installation technology, purchase the necessary materials and tools. Installing a cover panel makes it possible to change the appearance of the front door, as well as improve its sound and heat insulation characteristics. This is the optimal solution, which in many cases helps to avoid replacing the door leaf, while the restored doors will look more beautiful than most new budget models.