subject: Three Things You Should Know About Iron Front Doors [print this page] The iron front door is considered one of home dcors greatest elegances. To install one in the house however, is a costly venture, especially if done appropriately. Because of the sheer weight of an iron door, the jamb must be reinforced properly and the doorway must be sealed adequately. Once a shopper has selected the design for it, three basic guide points will help homeowners to install and maintain an iron front door.
Significant improvements must be made to a standard doorframe before the homeowner can install the door. If the open entry way is made of brick or stone, a few pilot holes drilled into the side will be sufficient support to hang the hinges on. Otherwise, as the case is for most homes, if the frame is constructed from wooden 2X4s and drywall, a set of special reinforced fasteners must be applied to prevent the door from slowly weighing the hinges down and causing it to become imbalanced.
Without the proper reinforcements, the iron front door will quickly become incapable of opening and closing and may destroy the framing joints. The best solution to this problem is to find a decorative, three-foot hinge-pin joint that will screw into two wall joists. The extra reinforcement will not only give the door adequate support but will also provide the highest level of safety from breaking and entering.
Once the proper materials have been selected and the door is ready to be installed, the owner should be certain to have proper jamb seals. Metal doors in general, do not naturally seal as well as wood doors, but an iron door does even less so. Because the metal is so resistant to shrinking or swelling based on temperature changes, winter or summer conditions will not affect how the door fits in its frame.
This is a benefit once the proper seal is acquired, but a typical neoprene jamb will not provide adequate suction from flowing air. Instead, an aluminum seal is preferable. The thin v shaped strip of aluminum has a springing effect that stands naturally at an open angle, when the heavy door is closed over it, the aluminum pushes back creating a tight seal. Neoprene coating on the jam will add to its insulating properties.
After a seal is installed, the hinges are applied, and the door is hung, an owner should be careful to proof the door each fall. Iron corrodes easily in water. Iron oxide (rust) forms easily when iron is exposed to water. To prevent quick corrosion of the metal, an applied sealant over the metal on a yearly basis will make the elegant iron front door last for generations to come. However, it may be a difficulty to install, and more expensive than other options, but with so many benefits, it is worth it.
