In order not to get wet in the rain and not languish in the sun while you open the front doors, you need some kind of protection. Usually a visor is made above the porch or just above the door. In some cases, the canopy can also cover the steps and even the walkway or part of it. How to make such a structure, from what materials and we'll talk further.
Types and types
If we talk about the structure as a whole, the canopy or canopy over the porch consists of a frame and roofing material (cladding). There may also be support posts that support the outer edge of the canopy. They are optional. They are needed when there is no confidence that the structure without additional supports will be able to withstand settlements.
Visor above the entrance: general arrangement
Precipitation is generally understood to mean snow. In regions with a lot of snow, you can either make the slope of the canopy steep so that the snow melts quickly, or you can install additional supports. You can do both, as they usually do - the safety / durability margin calms and instills confidence.
Frame and rack materials
The frame and supports of the visor above the entrance door are made of:
The most popular material for the manufacture of a canopy frame over a porch lately is a profiled pipe. With equal dimensions and wall thickness with a round pipe (if we compare the diagonal and diameter), the profile has greater rigidity. At the same time, it has a wide variety of sections - a square and a rectangle with different sides, it can be bent into arcs, it is easier to weld and attach to walls, it goes well with elements of traditional or cold forging, and is the same in terms of durability as other steel products. In general, it is the profiled pipe that is in favor today.
What is the lining of the canopy over the porch made of?
If we talk about materials for facing the visor over the porch, there is a very wide choice. Very often, the canopy over the entrance to the house is made of the same material as the roof. And this is correct, since in this case a harmonious design of the house is obtained. With this solution, any roofing material is used:
Glass is the least commonly used. It is necessary to use reinforced types such as triplex, and they not only are roads, they also weigh solidly, so that additional suspensions or powerful support columns are definitely required. And if we consider that sheet polycarbonate or plastic in appearance is not much different from glass, it becomes clear why glass is unpopular.
Canopy shapes
There are more than a dozen forms of visors over the front door. The easiest to manufacture is a lean-to canopy. Requires a minimum of effort and materials, and can look pretty good. Its downside is that when the snow melts, the snowdrift will be in front of your door and it will urgently need to be eliminated. Other models with inclined forward slopes suffer from the same "disease". These are excellent options for regions with little snowy winters, but with hot sun - not quite for our latitudes. Although, if you are not afraid of the need for urgent snow removal, you can do any of the options.
Shapes and names of canopies over the porch
It is a little more difficult to make a gable visor (which is a house) and a simple arch. They are good in that the melted snow is on the sides of the entrance and, even with a large amount of it, there is no need to urgently remove it. So for regions with a lot of snow, these are the best models.
How to connect a porch visor and a house wall
One of the most difficult moments is to dock the covering of the canopy over the porch so that no water can flow down the wall. Usually, standard methods of joining the roof are used - using a baffle plate. This method is suitable for any roofing material, as well as sheet metal and wood. You just need to choose the right color. There are two approaches here: in tone with the wall or in tone with the roofing of the visor. The options are equal, so it's up to you to decide / choose.
How to attach the visor to the wall
A groove is made under the baffle bar in the wall (5-7 mm deep). The edge of the plank is inserted into the recess, fastened, the seam is sealed with a moisture-resistant sealant for external use. The other edge of the plank rests on the roofing material. When water runs down the wall, it flows to the bar, from it, bypassing the junction, onto the roofing material and further into the storm drain system or directly to the ground - whoever has done it.
If you use metal tiles, sellers have a special wall profile. It can also be used with other materials - it is important to choose the color. The standard assembly includes rubber seals, which are placed a couple of centimeters from the outer edge. In this case, in strong winds, water and debris do not fall under the bar.
Standard solution for metal tiles. Suitable for slate, corrugated board
If the visor over the front door and porch is made of polycarbonate, glass or plastic sheet, the method described above is unacceptable - it looks too rough. In this case, there are two options:
There are no other good options. You can only combine the two for reliability.
How to fix if the wall is multilayer
Recently, more and more buildings have multilayer external walls - ventilated facades, insulation ... The load-bearing part of the wall is closed by a couple of three layers of materials, the bearing capacity of which is only enough to hold its own weight. Nothing can be attached to them. The entire load must fall on the load-bearing wall.
How to attach a visor over an entrance door to a three or two-layer wall
Even if the outer layer is a finishing brick, it doesn't cost anything to attach to it. Masonry is usually carried out in half a brick. So it only looks solid on the outside. It will not stand the mass of even the smallest and lightest canopy, and the support columns do not help either.
Therefore, with any multilayer wall, holes are made in all finishing / insulation layers, the structural elements are attached to the load-bearing wall.
Shed visor: design features
An inclined or straight single-slope visor is the simplest thing that can be. Straight lines are rare in our country - they are not very functional, but there are a lot of single-sloped inclined ones.
At the heart of the inclined shed visor is a right-angled triangle. The right angle lies against the wall, and the length of the sides depends on the desired slope.
Shed canopy design above the entrance
In the simplest case, you can weld three identical triangles from a profiled pipe (as in the figure above), make holes in them for fasteners (at least three). These three elements can be connected into a single whole with the help of the lathing under the roofing material - as shown in the figure. And you can weld crossbars from the same pipe (but of a smaller section) or strip, corner. This option - with metal lintels - is more suitable for a canopy over a porch made of polycarbonate or plastic. It is also good for a metal sheet - it will be convenient to weld it on or screw in self-tapping screws.
The idea is the same, but the material is different.
There is also an option with a variable angle of inclination. It is a rectangular frame with lathing lintels, to which a lightweight roofing material is attached. This frame is fastened above the entrance with the help of a wall beam fixed to the wall (we described how to make the connection above).
Variable angle
Depending on the required angle of inclination, struts are made. They can be made of metal or wood. Fixed to the frame.
If desired, this option can be made with an adjustable angle of inclination. Make the fastening of the frame and struts to the wall movable (on hinges, for example), make several holes in the frame. By rearranging the struts in different holes, you can get a different angle of inclination. For doors, this feature is not too relevant - perhaps for glass doors - to block out too bright sun, but for windows it can come in handy.
Gable canopy frame
There are at least two ways to assemble a canopy with two slopes: from two or more (depending on the length of the canopy) triangular rafters or from two rectangular frames with a crate, fixed with crossbars. The second option is shown in the figure below, and the first will be a little further.
A canopy with a house is one of the popular options
Method one
Two quadrangles are assembled from a bar or thick board, which are united by a ridge board. The angle of inclination of the slopes is set by saws on the ridge, fixed with crossbars - a spacer bar. Since the roofing material is laid down from the ridge, the battens are packed in the opposite direction. Soft shingles require continuous flooring. It can be moisture resistant plywood or OSB.
How to make a visor over a door in the form of a house
Brackets are also assembled on the ground - stops that will transfer the load from the visor to a large area of the wall. It is better to assemble the structure on the ground (without fastening the roofing material). In order to raise and secure the canopy, assistants or the services of a manipulator will be required.
Method two
The second option is the assembly of individual truss structures. Maybe this option will seem easier to you - according to this principle, all gable roofs are assembled.
An example of a gable porch with a rafter system
Here, too, a frame is assembled from a bar and brackets are needed. But the frame lies in a horizontal plane, resting on the brackets. Two or three triangles of rafters are assembled, which rest on the ridge beam, and it abuts against the rack, which is fixed to the frame with the second end. It turns out a mini-model of a conventional rafter system.
To improve the appearance, bevels are placed near the rack. In the photo above, they are curved, but this is far from necessary. It can be done simply from a bar by sawing it at the desired angle. It is also better to assemble the system on the ground - it will not work exactly to connect at a height.
Made of metal
If the frame of the visor is made of a metal pipe, everything is much simpler. The pipe has a large bearing capacity, so there are much fewer supporting and auxiliary elements.
Two identical triangles are cooked - according to the size of the future canopy. They are connected with jumpers, the length of which is determined by the "depth" of the visor. To prevent the cladding from sagging, additional crossbars are welded on.
Gable canopy over the porch made of metal pipe
The finished canopy structure is complemented by brackets - stops. In the picture above, the canopy above the porch has only a stop without slopes. For regions with little snow in winter, this is enough, but to keep a solid mass of snow, you will need a mowing or stand. Or maybe both (as in the diagram below).
A beautiful gable canopy above the entrance, made of a steel pipe with figured stops and pillars (diagram with dimensions)
Decorative items are optional. There may be an ordinary triangle here.
Arched visor over the porch: manufacturing features
The canopy over the entrance door in the form of an arch cannot be called difficult to manufacture. It is more convenient to make this shape from a steel pipe, moreover, from a profile, rectangular section. Using a pipe bender (you can also manually, but this is more complicated), several arches of the same size are made. They are connected with jumpers, the length of which is determined by the desired size of the roofing part.
Arched design - the simplest of the options
The first and last arches are connected by horizontal bridges, brackets or, as in the picture above, ordinary stops are welded to the last.
You can often see double arches with decorative and not very filling. They are typical for large structures. Still, the windage and snow load is large and it is better to play it safe by making a margin of safety than to do everything anew.
Photo ideas
Porch canopy made of metal pipes and polycarbonate: different models
Beautiful design using traditional or cold forging
A canopy over the porch on a metal frame: single-pitch, gable (house), arched models
Different in style and shape
With supports on pillars and metal openwork for decoration
The porch canopy is not only above the front door, but also above the terrace.
Wooden canopy over the entrance in the form of a house - options with support posts under the tiles
Features of fastening polycarbonate
If the theater begins with a coat rack, then the house, of course, with a spectacular entrance. Often, when arranging the entrance group, the question arises: how to properly equip the canopies and awnings above the entrance in order to take into account all the nuances. The right canopy is not only aesthetics, but also your safety, protection from bad weather and precipitation. Today we will figure out what are the requirements for such structures, when it is worth choosing a canopy, and when a visor, and in general - are there any differences, and also consider simple step-by-step instructions for their independent installation.
Read in the article
Functional and decorative purpose of awnings and canopies
There are many types of awnings and canopies, but the main task of these structures is to protect a person, the entrance to a building and property from dust, wind, bad weather, rain and other disasters, including overheating and burnout of the entrance structure. made of different materials, often combining a metal frame and polycarbonate sheets.
Arched and semi-arched forms - such canopies are called "marquise", they are very economical, because very little materials are spent on their arrangement. Such models are distinguished by natural drainage, and, in addition, they withstand the pressure of snow masses.
A gable canopy is the simplest design, which at the same time provides a full-fledged drain.
For your information! The most suitable tilt angle is 20-25 °. A smaller angle inevitably leads to snow accumulation.
Types of canopies and canopies, depending on the material of manufacture of the frame and cladding
Now let's talk about what materials are used to make different types of awnings. The following materials are used for the manufacture of the roof:
- iron and;
- awning fabrics;
- glass;
- reeds and bamboo.
Iron sheds are usually erected for car parks, agricultural needs and as yard buildings in the country. and metal tiles are the thinnest sheets of an alloy of several metals. Such an alloy does not corrode, but for additional protection it is coated with a special one. The profiled sheet is easy to lay, but at the same time awnings of complex shape cannot be made from it.
Sheds with an iron roof are made large, they require strong and reliable support. Therefore, for the construction of the frame, metal concreted pillars and a corner are used.
Glass canopies are most often used to decorate city buildings. They are erected above the entrance, creating an attractive exterior. But there are glass canopies near large private houses.
There are also varieties of reed and bamboo canopies. It is a multi-layer construction that does not allow water to pass through, does not heat up and creates a pleasant cool shade.
However, the most popular, due to their strength, durability and variety of colors, are awnings made of cellular polycarbonate. This artificial material is available in a variety of colors and bends easily into any shape. Transparent polycarbonate resembles glass. Sheds with a polycarbonate roof can be built in the country and near the house.
Ideas for decorating a porch in a private house with a visor or canopy with photo examples
Now let's look at the options for different designs in the photo examples.
Wrought iron canopies over the porch
The main advantage of such awnings is their aesthetic appeal. Such a canopy will make your porch stand out from others.
Canopy over the porch of the entrance door made of polycarbonate and plastic
A traditional material that will completely hide the approaches to your home from prying eyes.
Photo of awnings over the porch of a private house made of glass and metal
Such designs are easier to find near offices or cafes. For private home ownership, it is rather a luxury. Such shelters, although aesthetically perfect, are not always suitable for everyday needs.
Photo examples of the roof over the porch of a private house made of wood
They are considered a traditional design option for the entrance structure. However, wood is inferior to its more durable counterparts made of metal and polycarbonate. However, this argument does not stop the real fans of carved porches and awnings.
A canopy above the entrance to the house made of metal and corrugated board
Such canopies are considered options for the classic device of a shed or gable roof. Most often, the appearance of the entire building speaks in favor of such a decision.
DIY polycarbonate canopy over the porch of a private house
A DIY polycarbonate visor has many advantages. It can be operated in a wide temperature range (from -45 to + 80 ° C), it is durable.
For your information! Cellular polycarbonate has a fairly high bearing capacity (up to 150 kg / m² with a battening step of 1-2 m) with a low dead weight (from 0.8 to 3.5 kg per 1 m²). This material is distinguished by its ease of installation and processing. But you should pay attention to the most common mistakes made when installing polycarbonate.
And now we will consider step by step the stages of work on creating simple options for sheds for private households. To equip a simple visor, you will need cellular polycarbonate with a thickness of at least 10 mm and profile metal pipes 20 × 20 mm.
The first stage is preparatory. When calculating the width of the canopy, it is necessary to add at least 30 cm to the width on each side, so that the canopy does not allow rain and snow to fall on the porch. The height of the shed canopy is calculated based on the architecture of the cottage. Do not forget that the canopy should have a slope of approximately 20 °.
| Illustration | Description of action |
 | After all the dimensions have been specified, we proceed to the preparation of metal structures. We create blanks for future canopy arches. |
 | These are the blanks we got after sawing |
 | We lay out the blanks according to the drawing. Next stage - . |
 | Do not forget about fixing to the wall, for this we grind metal fittings for the racks. We process the welding seams with a grinding wheel on. Next, we clean all the seams with sandpaper and paint our structure. The next step is to drill a hole for the mounting bolts. |
 | Now the stage of polycarbonate marking has come. When cutting polycarbonate sheets, pay attention to the protective UV layer, which must remain on top. In addition, we look at how the stiffening ribs in cellular polycarbonate are located along the length. |
 | We fix the panels on with. |
 | The structure is fixed on the wall in marked places. |
How to make a wooden visor over the porch with your own hands: a useful video
And for those who want to make a simple canopy for the entrance group of wood, we suggest watching a training video.
The penetration of ultraviolet rays and precipitation negatively affects the condition and performance of the front door. The visor over the entrance will refresh the design and become a reliable preventive measure against the vagaries of the climate.
Appointment
The absence of a visor over the entrance creates a feeling of incompleteness in the external appearance of the facade of the house. In addition to aesthetic appeal, the canopy over the front door in a private house allows you to achieve full protection from direct sunlight in the summer, water flows in rainy weather and snow in the cold season.
Types of awnings
- Modular canopies featuring side canopies and several components. This option is very easy to install.
- The most attractive in terms of durability is a monolithic canopy over the porch. It is usually a component of the overall structure of the house.
- The forged model gives the building sophistication and charm. This canopy is in perfect harmony with the Gothic style.
- Compact and easy-to-install pendant products. The optimal solution for arranging a backyard at a summer cottage;
- Entrance with supports, held by special columns.
There are no restrictions on the choice of raw materials. The only condition is a harmonious combination with the general design concept of the building and the territory of the site.
Visor selection
Another important nuance is the choice of shape. Most often, the choice is made in one of these popular options:
- Single-pitched with a frame mounted on the front wall.
- Gable models covering the porch on both sides.
- Tents covering the entire entrance area.
- Original arches elegantly enveloping all sides and top of the structure.
All canopies over the door are subdivided according to the method of attachment into supporting and suspended. The former are mounted on special vertical elements, and the latter are attached to the wall surface with brackets.
Materials (edit)
You should carefully approach the creation of a sketch, which will take into account all the points related to the climate in your region of residence and the characteristics of the selected components. In the middle zone of our country, wooden structures are usually used, which are easily amenable to decorative processing. It is convenient to decorate such samples along the pediments with original carvings.
Wooden awnings
A canopy over a porch made of wood begins with the creation of rafters, which are made from a pair of beams. The dimensions of the overlap determine the angle of attachment of these elements - 60 or 45 degrees.
Next, we move on to the stage of assembling a standard gable canopy. For this, the installation method is used with a system of struts, two beams and a ridge. The finished structure is attached to predefined sections of the wall using brackets.
We rigidly fix on the sides of the structure a pair of vertical beams on the front wall as additional supporting elements. Before the final fastening, the horizontal position of the porch canopy and the verticality of the supports are carefully checked. All of these steps are for the suspended version.
No brackets are required when using separate supports. In this case, metal or wooden posts are placed in special pits. Before starting the installation, sand with crushed stone is poured into the grooves and grouting is performed to the height of the area covered in the ground. At the top, the supports are connected to the supporting beams, on which the rafters are already located.
How to make a visor over the front door with the optimal number of rafters? For the variant with a tree, one pair is enough. And the rigidity can be increased by using additional crossbars.
It is imperative to provide for the device of wind bars and gutter hooks.
With brickwork
This option is used exclusively in the presence of columns. The inner frame is made of the above-mentioned components, and the sheathing is made of plastic or siding. Masonry elements perfectly complement the interior with bright touches.
Metallic
The steel canopy over the porch is framed with wrought iron additions and has the following advantages:
- high degree of resistance to mechanical stress and long service life;
- weight parameters allow the use of a suspended version;
- compactness and functional variety.
Roof types
A wide selection of modern and traditional materials will help you choose the option most suitable for your project. It is recommended to use a roof that is identical to the covering of the building. Consider the main advantages of materials for sheltering a canopy over the porch and possible disadvantages.
Decking and metal tiles
The advantages of this choice:
- relatively low cost;
- small specific gravity;
- good resistance to medium loads and fading;
- fire resistance;
- immunity to biological damage;
- a wide range of shades and external shapes.
To decide how to make a visor over the door with your own hands using metal tiles, you need to remember about the shortcomings of this material:
- the manufacture of non-standard structures leads to the formation of a significant amount of waste;
- increased noise level during precipitation.
Shingles
Obvious advantages:
- operational period - up to 50 years;
- guarantee of environmental friendliness;
- immunity to various external factors;
- good maintainability parameters, allowing, if necessary, the replacement of one element, and not the entire roof;
- perfect noise absorption;
- aesthetics.
The disadvantages of awnings over a tiled door include:
- high price;
- due to the large weight, the presence of supporting elements is mandatory;
- rather complicated installation procedure.
Polycarbonate
Nice-to-work material is different:
- exceptional ease;
- ease of processing and installation;
- good toughness and strength;
- the ability to freely transmit light.
A canopy in front of the entrance to the house made of polycarbonate has its drawbacks:
- susceptibility to burning;
- low maintainability;
- any damage and dirt are clearly visible on the surface;
- the cost is high in comparison with other types.
Design
The main components of a properly made porch canopy are:
- The outer covering is a roof made of any source material.
- Door columns, lugs and brackets as fastening.
- The presence of a frame that connects the named components into a single structure.
Installation features
Information on safety and reliability requirements, following several basic rules will help to determine how to make a visor over the door:
- projection of the roof dimensions by 300 mm on the sides and in the front;
- not less than 20 ° - roof slope above the entrance door;
- the lower part of the door canopy is at a minimum distance of 2200 mm from the ground;
- dimensions not less than 1x2 m.
6 steps for correct installation
How to make a canopy over the front door with your own hands? You must adhere to a certain sequence:
- Add 60 cm to the measured porch width. A sketch is drawn and the length of the ramp is determined based on the selected slope.
- Structures and a wall beam are made, as well as rafters identical to the parameters of the slope. Wooden elements are connected with self-tapping screws or bolted connections.
- The frame is fixed with special fasteners.
- A crate is laid on the rafter part of the canopy above the entrance door in a private house. For soft components and similar materials, a continuous layer is required, and for large sheet format elements - 20 to 40 cm.
- The cover is attached to the rafters according to the supplier's instructions.
- At the bottom of the slope, a gutter cornice strip should be attached, and an abutment strip should be fixed on the wall along the line of the upper part.
The entrance canopy over the porch will be the best choice for the safety of the house door and a real decoration of the facade.
Quite often we are faced with the problem of lack of free space in rooms. We can solve this situation in apartments by installing sliding doors.
Even now, when planning an apartment, we definitely take into account our space and try to save space when implementing ideas for interior design. You can install it yourself, even without involving expensive specialists.
So, we will talk about how to install such a door, what they are and what is needed for this.
Initially choose the sliding door you like
Follow the simple instructions to install such a door without special skills and tools.
What tools do you need?
You will need liquid nails, wooden blocks that we will use as spacers (different sizes will be needed - 5 x 45, 5 x 80, 5 x 110), plastic dowels, as well as nails (40 mm and small to complete the work) ...
Prepare the following tools to install sliding doors:
- (the size is better than 1.8 m),
- hacksaws for metal,
- a hacksaw for wood,
- do not forget the screwdriver (can be replaced with screwdrivers),
- wrench,
- hammer,
- as well as a hex key and a mallet with a rubber striker.
System installation, door assembly
The choice of the design of your future doors depends on your preferences and wishes. Such doors look good in various interiors and rooms. Therefore, with their help, you can perfectly transform the room. Installation of this kind of systems is quite simple and you can handle it yourself. However, for example, systems weighing 100 kg or more or glass sashes are more difficult work and it is already better for specialists to work here.
It is better to mount a sliding door in a finished version than in separate components. This is much more convenient and simpler. Therefore, it is better to choose a ready-made structure right away. And then we start the installation.
First you need to fix the top
We put the door leaf tightly against the wall next to the opening where we will install the sliding door. On the wall, draw a strip along the top line of our door with a pencil, for example. If the floor is uneven, then the line may "walk" a little. Therefore, we do the re-marking after we have installed our door in the opening. We also mark the upper level of the sash on the wall.
It is very important to make sure that our line drawn on the top of the door must be strictly horizontal. After all, further we measure 7 cm from it and draw another strip - this is for the upper guide rail. If the lines are not straight, then your doors will skew and possibly stop moving smoothly over time.
Above our second drawn strip (which is 7 cm above the first), we put a bar of 50 * 50 mm and attach it to the screws directly to the base. The length of the bar should be 2 times the width of the opening. The block should be pressed very hard against the wall. If the wall is uneven, use a couple of extra self-tapping screws. Be sure to double-check the horizontal line with a building level.
The next step is to install the guide. It must be fastened to the bar from below. First, we calculate the location of the fasteners on both sides. Divide the thickness of the door leaf in half + a small distance from the wall (this is no more than 3-5 mm). We mark these points on the bar and fix the guide with self-tapping screws on both sides. Do not clamp too hard so that during the final installation you can check the distance between the wall and the sash and then clamp it completely. The distance must be sufficient for the door leaf to move freely and without problems on the rail. Otherwise, you will have to do it all over again. Once again, I repeat that an important and main condition for installation is a perfectly horizontal and straight position of the guide, no matter how uneven the walls are. After all the checks, the guide is finally fixed.
After that, we assemble the carriages and test the move. We do not fully fasten the bolts in the carriages and rollers, but so that they stick out a little from the hole. We put the carriages in this state into the guide and carefully check the progress. Whether it moves smoothly along the guideline, whether it moves freely in the direction of travel. You don't need to lubricate anything. After checking along the edges of the guide, we fix the stops with rubber shock absorbers.
Next, we need to fix the bottom groove
We retreat from the edges of our sash by 15 mm and at this point it is necessary to drill a hole up to 2 cm deep and 7 mm in diameter. This hole is drilled from both sides. Strictly in the middle of the sash on the front side, you need to cut a small groove for our lower guide. We cut the groove 2 mm wider than the guide itself and about 18 mm deep. You can use a drill, parquet saw or router to cut the groove. At home, making a perfectly flat groove is quite difficult, so you can use a U-shaped profile or a pair of slats as a guide.
Now we need to install the carriage mount on the door. We fix them in the middle of the door leaf, 2 mm back from the side end of the door leaf. It must be installed in such a way that the semicircular cutouts look towards the wall.
At this stage, you need to call a friend! We need to install the door leaf itself, so one more person is needed. We substitute the door leaf to the rail, slightly raise it to combine the carriage bolt and the cutout on the bracket. We leave the washer for adjustment outside the bracket, and put the bolt into the hole for the fasteners. Do not fully tighten the nuts on the bolts.
Now we need to move the door slightly away from the wall, while holding it in order to install the lower guide in the cutout we have prepared in advance. We return the door to its original position, while shifting the guide knife to the open position. We fix the position of the knife on the floor at its greatest length. Now we begin to adjust the distance from the door and the wall - this is no more than 5mm. We remove the door leaf itself from the upper guide.
There are few people who want to have an apartment or a house without interior doors. On the other hand, almost everyone thought about which doors would be better to install between rooms. So that it is beautiful and functional, and does not take up space.
This is exactly what sliding interior doors are - a slider (diverging, sliding, sliding to the side (into a wall, opening, pencil case) in one plane, i.e. doors that ride on rollers, sleds on rails).
Sliding interior doors - pros and cons
From a constructive point of view, there are two types of interior doors:
In this case, the door leaf is hung on the awnings. Swing doors are traditional and well established. They give the room a rich look, but take up a lot of space, which leads to inconveniences in the implementation of interior solutions.
2. Sliding interior doors.
A modern solution that allows you to more efficiently use the space of the room.
Sliding doors are divided into two types:
Built into the wall(in a pencil case) and working on the principle of a compartment.
Sliding doors hidden in the wall (sliding into the wall, recessed into the wall) have a mechanism that allows the door to move parallel to the wall.
The principle of operation of sliding doors built into the wall is as follows: rollers are installed on the door leaf, and guides are installed on the doorway (the door will go into the wall) or above the doorway (the door will go behind the wall).
The rollers move along the guides, freeing the doorway for passage.
.
They consist of small lamellas (made of wood or plastic), which can be shifted to significantly save space.
The principle of the device is interesting, but the cheap options are not practical. Assembly and installation instructions for accordion doors are attached by the manufacturer.
Material prepared for the site www.site
The advantages of sliding doors:
- unusual, non-standard solutions;
- lack of dead zones and problems with furniture placement;
- security. The owner of sliding doors is not threatened with knocking on the corner of the door in an unlit room (but you need to be careful, children can stick their fingers between the wall and the door);
- such a door will not open in a draft.
Disadvantages of sliding doors:
- high installation cost. But, doing the work with your own hands, the costs are minimized and no higher than when installing swing doors;
- poor insulation. The absence of obstacles to the penetration of noise, light, odors can be eliminated by installing a felt gasket on the end of the door;
- the difficulty of caring for a pencil case, i.e. the place where the sliding door leaves with a hidden structure. This problem can be solved in two ways. With the help of a vacuum cleaner with the nozzle removed, debris is removed from the pencil case. The second option, more radical, involves removing the drywall from one side of the wall. It should be noted that in a residential building, the vacuum cleaner does an excellent job with the task;
- the complexity of the repair. When installing a sliding door yourself, you can buy several rollers in reserve to replace them if necessary.
Sliding door mechanism - sliding systems
As you can see, the main difference between sliding doors and swing doors is the mechanism of their functioning, which determines the options for door movement.
Thus, a sliding mechanism for interior doors can be:
1. Intra-wall (hidden mechanism)... As the name suggests, such a mechanism involves the movement of the door into the wall. The system of such doors should be implemented even at the stage of wall construction, because a free space is arranged in the wall - a pencil case for a sliding door. Consequently, the wall becomes thicker by the width of the pencil case. This somewhat reduces the usable area, but the walls are freed up, near which you can install furniture, hang pictures or put flowers.
2. External (open mechanism)... This sliding door system can be installed at any time because does not require rebuilding the wall. In this case, the door moves along the guides along the wall. Therefore, you need to leave free space on one or both sides of the wall (depending on the number of leaves and the direction of their movement).
It is worth noting that there are a lot of options for door movement with an external mechanism (see diagram). That allows you to choose the best method for a particular room. Particularly noteworthy are the four-leaf sliding doors. Here, the inner doors open towards the outer ones. This is especially important when you need to close a wide doorway or niche.
Sliding door runners
The last thing worth stopping at before starting the installation of sliding doors is the guide rails (profiles) along which the door moves during operation. They can be placed on top or bottom, or on both sides.
- top guides. The most popular way. They should be used when the weight of the door leaf is low. Top guides last longer and are less prone to breakage;
- bottom guides. They are rarely used on their own as they can be easily deformed by simply stepping on. In addition, the runners will need constant cleaning. And a door without an upper support will not slide smoothly;
- combined. It is used when doors are heavy or for smoother opening.
In this article, we will look at how to install sliding interior doors with an external sliding mechanism.
1. Material
Knowing everything about the types and mechanisms of door functioning, you can start purchasing material and preparing tools.
We need:
- the door itself (canvas, box, platbands);
- fittings (guide profiles (runners), rollers, handles, locks);
- timber 50x30 for fastening the guide.
- hardware for fastening;
- level;
- roulette;
- a hacksaw with fine teeth;
- drill;
- chisel.
Advice. With a door weight over 27 kg. you need to use 4 rollers, for a lighter one, two are enough.
So that the handles and locks do not deform the wall and do not spoil the wallpaper when sliding, it is worth installing hidden options, i.e. the ones that bump into the door.
2. Preparation
At this stage, it turns out exactly where the door will be installed, and in which direction it will open. If two sliding doors are installed next to each other, then you need to consider the convenience of opening them.
Advice. Sliding doors can be hung on common long top runners or hidden in a single case. In this case, the width of the pencil case should be sufficient.
If necessary, the old door is dismantled, and the doorway is brought into the desired state and the door frame is installed, taking into account the gap between the door and the finished floor.
Advice. For residential areas, the gap should be 10 mm. If the finished floor has not yet been poured (laid), then it is necessary to take into account the height of the screed, leveling and the thickness of the floor covering.
3. Interior doorway
- We determine the dimensions of the doorway - the height and width of the door are measured.
Advice. It is better to measure at several points (top, middle, bottom). The height of the door can be changed between closed and open. This is to take into account possible unevenness on the floor.
- A bar is installed. To do this, draw a straight line over the top edge of the box. The distance from the box to the line is equal to the width of the guide. The timber is attached exactly to the line. In this case, the middle of the bar should be located above the right side of the interior door frame if the door opens to the right.
Advice. The width of the timber must be sufficient so that after installing the platbands, the door can be closed freely.
- The upper guide profiles for sliding doors are installed. The runners are installed on the timber and fastened with hardware.
Advice. To check the correct installation of the runners, you need to drive a roller along them. With smooth sliding, you can proceed to further work. If problems arise, it is best to remove them right away.
- The lower runners (rails) are installed. To do this, you can choose one of several options:
- a part of the subfloor (or parquet, laminate, tile) is selected, and the lower guide is inserted there. The lower rollers will move along it;
- the guide is installed directly on the floor (parquet, laminate), and in order not to destroy it, a threshold is set;
- installation of the guide knife. But, since the system of lower guides is rarely used, then, if necessary, the so-called packet knife is more often installed. Its purpose is to hold the door and prevent it from deviating from the given direction of movement.
The non-threshold sliding door system allows the door to work without destroying the floor covering (no need to lay rails). The mechanism works thanks to carriages with rollers on ball bearings, which move along guides with shock absorbers and a lower connection. The upper rail is hidden behind a decorative strip, in the same color as the door.
4. Assembly of sliding doors
We hang rollers (roller mechanism) on the upper end of the door.
At the bottom end, at a distance of 15 mm. holes are drilled from both edges. A groove is selected between them along the entire length. Its width is 2 mm. exceeds the width of the knife. The depth is equal to the height of the knife and is usually 10-18 mm. The part of the end face without a groove will act as a natural stop for the door travel.
5. Installation of fittings for sliding doors
Installation includes the installation of handles and a lock insert. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the appearance of the door. This procedure is often entrusted to specialists.
6. Installation of a sliding interior door
The door is installed in the guides. After the door has been moved, limiters (rubber shock absorbers) are inserted into the runners, they will not allow the door to "fall out" from the guides when opening and soften the stop.
7. Decorative design of sliding doors
To make the doorway look beautiful, you need to close all the structural elements. For this, platbands are used. They are installed on the door frame and top runners.
But, this is not a prerequisite, because often structural elements are an integral part of the solution. For example, when using high-tech or modern style.
The installed door in section will have the view shown in the diagram (drawing).
Installation instructions for sliding interior doors video
8. Care and maintenance of sliding doors
So that the doors do not create problems during operation, you need to properly care for them. For this you need:
- avoid water getting on the door so that it does not lead (if the canvas is made of wood);
- keep the guides clean. Debris trapped inside the guides will cause the door to be difficult to close;
- close the door smoothly. Do not close the door forcibly, this will accelerate the wear of the rollers. In the worst case, the limiter can fall out and the door "flies" out of the guides;
- check the condition of the fittings from time to time. It is easier to replace the rollers in time than to deform the guide profiles over time;
- use special products for door and glass care.
Conclusion
Correct installation of sliding doors between rooms and timely replacement of component parts is a guarantee of long-term functioning of any door.