Doors for fireplaces with their own hands. How to make heat-resistant glass with your own hands? Do-it-yourself fireplace doors with glass

It would seem that fireplace doors are not the main thing in arranging the hearth, but this is far from the case. It doesn't matter how they look in the background. general design heating structure.

Benefits of closed hearth fireplaces

Let's find out why special doors are installed in the fireplace? Of course, traditionally this hearth was installed without any closing devices, but over time heating structure improved and began to be supplemented with doors that perform several functions.

The most significant in this case is the protection of the premises from sparks and smoke products of combustion (soot and soot) that are dangerous in terms of ignition. In addition, the presence of doors creates a guarantee of a more reasonable use of firewood, and residual coals in a closed fireplace burn through more fully. Based on this, a closed hearth creates a greater amount of heat at exactly the same fuel consumption as that of open hearths.

If necessary, you can transform the fireplace into an additional space heating object. To do this, forced convection is performed in the house, or a special tank is connected to the hearth, which, in turn, will be connected to radiators. We must say right away that it is unlikely that it will be possible to heat large areas due to such a device, but in a country house a fireplace will be just in place.

Features of fireplace doors

There are some features that should be considered when choosing fireplace doors:

1. - air must be able to freely enter the furnace of the device. the door should be used as a subject of draft regulation and full combustion of fuel,
2. - an important task of any fireplace doors is the protection function. That is, they should not affect the occurrence of a fire in the house,
3. - materials for the manufacture of doors should be characterized by increased heat resistance.

Modern industry produces a lot of new, improved devices that meet these requirements at the highest level. In some, a hole is made through which air enters the furnace of the hearth. Many materials are used to make doors.

Glass structures

The most famous variant of glass doors is considered, since this device performs two functions: decorative and protective. Since the glass is transparent, a view of live fire will open through it. glass is used for this special, - refractory, so ignition will not occur with such contact.

To perform such a device, glass is used, which includes quartz or crystalline ceramics. Thus, glass doors have high rates of fire resistance and protection. Due to them, it is possible to maintain the combustion procedure in an optimal mode and ensure full access of oxygen to the fuel combustion zone.

Fireplace glass is available for sale

1. flat (one glass);
2. segmented (three glasses);
3. circular (for central fireplaces).

As a rule, raising the temperature in the house is considered an additional function of the fireplace. Today, there are many more efficient heating options. But in terms of decoration, this hearth has no equal. Thus, a glass door for the fuel chamber is considered an excellent opportunity to provide a complete home decor. Latest Methods implementation of heating equipment allow at a high level:

• - fireplace doors can be laminated or tinted,
• - exist combined devices from glass and metal. Mosaics, artistic forging and casting are used as decoration,
• - special device, which helps to open the door like a guillotine.

However, such a fireplace door also has a certain imperfection, it soon gets dirty and covered with soot and soot. True, this drawback is solved: the design of the fireplace is made with a soot firing system, which simply burns out during operation.

When planning to make a fireplace door with glass on your own, keep in mind that:

• since the material can expand during heating, a small gap is left between the glass and the metal frame;
• be very careful when installing the door. So the frame is first installed, and only after that the glass itself is inserted. Since the glass of the fireplace insert is fixed with special bolts, it will not be difficult to get it back;
• a layer of fiberglass is laid in the gaps between the frame and the glass.

Forged and cast doors

The execution of the fireplace door is often carried out using casting or steel. Cast iron, as a material, is used in casting, and steel in forging. This is an intermediate option between glass and deaf elements. Such an item is most often used to decorate the hearth, rather than as the main functional tool. After it is ready, it is treated with special enamel, thus, it turns out to extend the life of the structure.

metal doors

Let's take a closer look at how it will be possible to make metal doors on our own. Such material is considered the most acceptable both in terms of price and durability. Such devices are distinguished by their simplicity and safety of operation, they can be used by their owner for a long time.

You can pick up a design solution on the Internet, there are a lot of photos and videos on this topic. Instructions for making a fireplace door will be given below.

Fireplace doors of this type are distinguished by their positive characteristics:

• low material cost;
• the possibility of making it yourself, which will significantly reduce the price of the device;
• metal fireplace door represents this durable and reliable device;
• It is considered a good heat accumulator, equipped with the ability to regulate draft and flame height.

Tools and materials

We list the list of tools and materials.
For self-manufacturing fireplace doors you will need

1. drill;
2. Bulgarian;
3. hammer;
4. welding at 220 V.
5. corner;
6. sheet metal;
7. pen;
8. valve;
9. veils.

At the stage of preparation and execution of the project, you must calculate the dimensions of the material and put it on paper as reliably as possible.

Making a door

Since the work is not very difficult, you can do it on your own. Note that the fireplace door must be made in advance, even before the installation of the fireplace itself. A frame with fire-resistant glass is built into the fireplace masonry during its execution.

1. Spreads the material on a flat surface and marks the desired shape.
2. We control the accuracy of connections using a square.
3. We fix the joints of the constituent parts by welding.
4. After welding is done, it is necessary to measure the diagonal very accurately. The body you are making must have a strict geometric shape.
5. Only after all measurements are made, the remaining elements of the fireplace frame are welded.
6. During welding, sagging can form on the surface of the frame, which are removed with a grinder and a cleanup wheel.
7. Next, the frame is laid on a metal sheet and a contour is drawn, for which a special scriber is used.
8. Provided that the sheet thickness is two or more millimeters, a separate frame will not need to be welded. After you mark the contour for the first time, you will need to draw a second contour, but not much larger than the first. The metal should overlap on the corner, so the volatile combustion products will not enter the room.
9. With the help of a grinder and a cutting wheel, a separate element is cut out.
10. Curtains are welded to the fireplace frame.
11. We carefully examine the frame for the correct installation of curtains.
12. Veils are welded to the sheet.
13. We open and close the door, thus, we check how the fireplace door functions.
14. We eliminate the influx of welding. We fix the handle and the valve.

To summarize, making a frame on your own is a very simple procedure. Any user with some building skills can make such a door. As a result, you will get a great fireplace fixture.

Today, more and more people who have their own country or private houses, dachas, bath buildings or just summer gazebos on the street prefer all kinds of portable combustion devices (potbelly stoves, induction or bath structures) to stationary heating. No matter how different these heating units for a bath are in their device, design or construction, some details remain unchanged. For example, each sauna stove has doors for a furnace or other compartment. An insignificant, at first glance, detail can greatly affect the operation of the entire unit.

To date, everything is divided into several groups based on what material the parts are made of:

• All ovens belong to the first type. cast iron elements. Cast iron oven doors for furnace devices are not very popular nowadays due to the fact that they are very capacious, heavy and inconvenient to use. Their installation also causes many problems.
• The second group includes furnace iron and some cast iron doors. As a rule, stainless steel acts as the main material, and furnace devices with iron doors are used, mainly in baths or for other purposes in which the furnace is in direct contact with water. In furnace cast-iron units for the house, iron doors are practically not used, due to their technical characteristics.
• The third type includes all oven doors, where the main or secondary material is panoramic glass. Details from this material are much more common today than cast iron or steel elements (or other metal) for furnace devices.

In this article, we will look at panoramic glass doors: we will describe their good and bad sides, list the areas of use for furnace devices with glass doors, and talk about the varieties of this type of element.
Advantages and disadvantages of glass doors

• The first positive quality of furnace parts for panoramic glass heating units is their (resistance to high temperatures), which cannot be said about cast iron elements. This quality is very important, because if the parts are not heat-resistant, the heating or heating device will not be able to work normally. Glass, thanks to its specific chemical properties, as a rule, withstands very high temperatures, unlike stainless steel.
• It should be noted that the second advantage of stoves with glass oven doors is their refractoriness, which also cannot be said about cast-iron doors. This is also very important, since the oven doors often come into contact with open fire during the operation of the heating device.
• It is impossible not to notice that everyone wants to give a little comfort to the interior in their house or gazebo. And the sight of a flame and burning wood will do it perfectly. Stove doors made of glass are transparent, and when you want to heat the sauna stoves, a nice bonus will be beautiful view living fire.
• Another positive feature is that these doors completely safe during the operation of the stove for the bath. Parts are made of special glass, which includes transparent crystal ceramics and heat-resistant quartz. This composition ensures the complete absence of an explosion hazard and the possibility of a fire.
• Lightness and small size glass elements also play a significant role in the installation of parts and their use.

Despite the abundance of advantages of glass doors for a bath or country stoves, there are also negative sides:

• The first disadvantage is brittleness of the material. This means that the installation of parts must be carried out with the utmost care and thoroughness. Also, when you install elements in sauna stoves, it is not recommended to slam them when using the unit.
• The second disadvantage is the fast panoramic glass contamination. A large number of people using stoves with glass doors have encountered this problem. The material is quickly covered with dirt, soot, and most of all - soot. You will have to spend a lot of time cleaning surfaces, removing dirty coatings.

Read also: How to heat the stove correctly

As you can see, there are much fewer negative sides than positive ones, it is thanks to this indicator that glass oven doors are so in demand.

How to install a glass door

Before direct installation of the doors for the sauna stove, it is necessary to check how easily they can be opened. If the part is tight, difficult to open, it need to develop.

In Russia, asbestos lining is used extremely rarely in sauna stoves. To date, asbestos has been borrowed from industrial furnaces (not for baths). In this type of stove, asbestos is needed because industrial heating units face very high temperatures.

As a rule, in ordinary room heating installations, the temperature is not so high, and the door frame is never openly in contact with the flame, so the expansion of standard stoves is very small. Even though some piece iron wire, which is located near the door, is naked, the door itself stands quite firmly and firmly. Some experienced stove-setters will drill a few holes in the door frame near the edge of the door (for greater security). Nowadays, there are many different ways to fix the furnace doors for a bath.

The best and proven method to avoid the oven door falling out: when installing the furnace door, you need to riveted to it metal plates(their thickness should be 2-3 mm.) from the top and bottom sides. It is recommended to choose metal plates with special flared ends. After all the actions taken, it is necessary to insert them into the brick.

You should also pay attention to the fact that before installing the oven door, you need to attach under it grate. Then you need to attach special plates and wires to the door and put it on the solution. The next step is to spread the plates or ends of the iron wire to the inner walls of the combustion chamber of the heating unit. After that, you need to put the other ends on two bricks and press them on top with one or two bricks.

It is recommended to check the angle of the installed door with a plumb bob. As a last tool, you can use softened iron (preferably steel) wire, which has previously been fired in a furnace. The diameter of the iron wire should be approximately 3 mm, and the length should be 110 cm. After you have inserted the latter into the hole in the door frame, you need to fold the wire in half and twist it very tightly (there should be no rings). In the event that you did the work poorly, and the rings nevertheless formed (especially in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe door), you need to hit them with a hammer. The blow is made along the entire length of the wire.

Fireplace doors from glass are favorably combined and are in harmony with any interior of the room. An open hearth fireplace, of course, allows the flame to look more bewitching, but this variation is not safe, especially if there are animals or small children in the house. Sparks that can fly out of the firebox can cause a fire or burns!

Also, an open hearth can be the result of smoke in the room, improper combustion of oxygen.

In order to increase the level of security in a room with a fireplace, it is recommended to install doors with glass!

A necessary element or a secondary one?

You can buy doors with glass for your fireplace in a specialized online store, as well as make this element to order. After installation, you can solve problems related to smoke, fire hazard or burns in an instant.

The main thing is that the model you choose provides the necessary degree of security, is reliable, harmonizes and combines with the style and design of the room chosen for installation. Equally important is the ease of use, tightness.

In the range you can find various variations and door models for fireplaces, among which there are metal, glass, combined models made of fire-resistant tempered transparent glass.

Deaf metal, cast iron and steel fireplace doors look more solid than and visually differ from glass ones. Do not give preference to cast deaf doors, if you want to observe the process of burning in the hearth of the fireplace flame.

Fireplace glass doors perfect option, which completely preserves the visibility of the flame. The advantages of this variation include the ability not only to observe the flame burning in the furnace, but also to control its level and intensity of combustion.

Fireplace doors do not allow smoke, decay products, sparks to enter the room of the house, which increases the level of safety of using such a heating unit to the maximum.

A closed firebox provides a higher efficiency, produces a rational combustion of oxygen, and does not allow the formation of an excess amount of soot and plaque. A hearth closed with shutters also creates the necessary sound insulation, due to which the crackling of burning logs will be pleasant and unobtrusive. The advantages of this option include its efficiency and average fuel consumption (logs, briquettes, biofuels, coals).

What are the requirements for materials

Fireplace doors are made of materials such as: high-strength and heat-resistant glass, which is well tolerated by high temperatures, their sudden changes and strong heating. A temperature of about 9500 can be maintained for an almost unlimited amount of time, which is why the sneaker of a closed hearth is not regularly prohibited!

The main components that are part of heat-resistant glass are heat-resistant quartz and transparent crystal ceramics. Quartz glass is the most popular, even with strong heating it does not expand significantly and thus can be ideally combined with any other finishing and building materials.

Important: it is strictly forbidden to use thermal glass for assembling and completing the fireplace with doors! It cannot withstand temperatures exceeding 1400 degrees. As a result of strong heating, it will simply crack, unlike heat-resistant, which is comparable in its characteristics to metal.

Depending on the chosen variation, performance style, model, thermal glass may have different shape, decoration, execution, design, degree of convexity and curvature.

Tinted glass is one of the variations that can be used to make do-it-yourself fireplace doors. The color of the glass can be different, which in turn makes the flame in the hearth foggy, fuzzy, gives it a different shade.

The most reliable and safe are varieties such as: laminated and double glass for a fireplace.

Criteria to consider when buying glasses:

• The temperature resistance of the element must be at the highest level. The product must be well tolerated by strong heat, sudden changes temperature regime;
• The service life of the goods must be significant (more than 15 years);
• The optimal thickness of the glass screen will vary from 3 to 4 millimeters.

The main disadvantage of refractory glass is its heavy weight, which creates the need to purchase and select massive, most reliable hinges, fasteners and other fittings.

Possible door design

Fireplace doors can be automatic or mechanical. Mechanical doors can be opened manually, this option belongs to the category of classic, most simple and budget. Automatic fireplace doors open with the help of an underlying electric motor.

Since the risk of getting burned even when opening the shutters is quite large, it is recommended to install a safer automatic option.

Glass doors close in one of several ways. They can be both lifting and sliding. Double hinged doors are more popular and in demand. Both halves come together in the central part of the hearth and are reinforced with lateral loops. The features of the swing variation include fixing one leaf with side hinges, the door is equipped with a mechanism that allows you to close the hearth up.

Interesting to know: to modern design solutions includes a variation that allows the opening and closing of the focus according to the principle of guillotines. In this case, at your discretion, the furnace can operate both with an open and closed combustion chamber.

In order for the fireplace doors to converge, it is allowed to use special magnets. Magnetic doors are very safe, they ensure full closing and opening of doors, depending on the need.

Pay attention to the type of fasteners, the more there are and the more massive they are, the more expensive the installation and purchase of this element will cost you.

The fireplace door is hinged and equipped with a steel or cast iron frame around the entire perimeter. Any stainless material is selected for handles. Optionally, you can choose a steel or cast iron base frame for your hearth. However, it is steel doors that are more durable, while cast iron doors lose their strength and wear out much faster.

When buying a glass door for a stove, pay attention not only to its operational and specifications, but also the design, style component. The frame can be equipped with a metal frame or have decorative forged elements, various decor, ornaments, stained-glass windows.

Care and installation

Glass fireplace doors and care for them is carried out according to the following recommendations:

• Cleaning is carried out only after the heating unit has completely cooled down after kindling;
• You need to buy special cleaning products that will become reliable protection, I will form a special coating, a film on the surface of the valves.

A great option that makes cleaning and maintenance as easy as possible is to buy self-cleaning fireproof glass. It is covered with metal oxide, during the heating process, which contributes to the fact that the settling soot completely burns out.

In order to choose fireplace doors, you will need to make a purchase even before the masonry work begins. This will allow you to make the firebox the most suitable size.

The purchase and installation of fireplaces, along with all the necessary accessories, elements and components, allows you to recreate a unique, harmonious design living room, dining room, bedroom in a house, apartment or country house.

Certified glass doors fully comply with all safety regulations, so you are guaranteed high quality.

DIY manufacturing

Not many people know that you can make fireplace glass doors with your own hands at home. For this, you do not need to have certain skills. All you need to perform such work is the presence of a special tool that will allow you to work with glass and metal, as well as a welding machine.

In the first step, you will need to detailed drawing, according to which you can determine the shape, size, style and other important parameters of this element. After that, you need to make a calculation and buy materials, accessories and components for assembling fireplace doors.

As a basis or otherwise - a frame, we use a steel or cast-iron frame, which is assembled from a certain number of sidewalls, each of which is connected by welding. Glass is installed in the center of the frame, selected and pre-cut to size. It also post to be well secured!

We choose only refractory, tempered glass, which tolerates strong heat well. Since working with glass is very complex and painstaking, having determined the required size, you can give it to the workshop. It will be inexpensive and you will get a guaranteed positive result!

Next, we fix the handle, it is important that it be comfortable and also be made of refractory materials, stainless composition. At the last stage, it is necessary to fix the glass door to the fireplace itself. This is done with the help of special loops and fasteners. It is important that they are able to withstand the weight of the valves well, have refractory properties.

Thus, now you can decide for yourself what is better to buy doors with glass for a fireplace or make them from home with your own hands from improvised materials. In any case, remember that a hermetically sealed firebox is a guarantee of safe use, protection against accidental ignition, coal and sparks entering the room.

In this video, you can learn more about how do-it-yourself glass doors are made:

Furnace doors are widespread and are made from the most different materials: cast iron, metal, panoramic glass. They are found on the furnace openings of all stoves and fireplaces.

By opening the door, you can add firewood, regulate the temperature, and through the glass to observe the burning of logs.

Stove doors with glass

Glass doors for a fireplace or stove are of the following types:

​

• circular;
• segmental;
• flat(thickness in one glass).

Doors for stoves and fireplaces, where glass is the main or secondary material, are especially widespread.

This is due to a number of qualities:

• fire resistance;
• security;
• ease;
• aesthetics.

Advantages and disadvantages

Panoramic glass of good quality allows you to see what is happening inside the furnace and at the same time does not heat up. Such a door absolutely safe. Target refractory. Unlike the same stainless steel, panoramic glass does not deform from high temperatures. For many homeowners, cast iron or iron elements in the interior seem rough. This cannot be said about the panoramic glass, which harmonizes with any finish.

Of course, such a door has minuses. The first one is fragility. If you accidentally hit a stainless steel door with a poker, it will not affect it in any way, but the glass will crumble. In addition, after each kindling cleaning is required, otherwise the glass quickly ceases to be aesthetic and transparent, it takes on a sloppy look.

Photo 1. Cleaner "HG" for heat-resistant glass, 500 ml, suitable for removing soot and soot from the glass door.

Heat-resistant glass is capricious, to clean it not suitable detergents with an abrasive composition as it will easily damage the polished surface of the screen.

metal doors

Metal doors are widely used due to low cost, ease of installation, convenience and fire resistance. At the same time, they provide absolute tightness of the structure. If the door is poorly made and allows oxygen to pass through, sooner or later it will lead to a fire. Therefore, the stove-maker, while mounting the furnace valves, constantly checks tightness level. This is the only guarantee of quality work.

Gates made of cast iron

Cast iron doors are used primarily in furnaces, for example , bath, not in fireplaces. Among their undeniable advantages is high fire resistance, resistance to temperature changes.

But such alignments will not please those who like to watch the dance of sparks and the burning of firewood. Looks cast iron not aesthetically pleasing, inconvenient in work, heavy, serves less, how metal constructions.

Making a glass door for the oven with your own hands

As a basis for furnace door use with glass metal(usually stainless steel or cast iron). According to the reviews of experienced stove-makers, cast iron is preferred: it is durable, not afraid of high temperatures, easy to clean, durable. Stainless steel when heating the stove gets very hot, is not adapted to withstand open fire and quickly warps.

Tools and materials

For work you will need:

• Bulgarian;
• Metal sheet;
• heat resistant glass;
• construction gloves;
• composition for masonry;
• welding machine;
• level;
• fiberglass.

When choosing panoramic glass, you need to remember about its fire resistance.

Stages of work

Door installation work consists of the following steps:

• performance drawing the whole structure;
• blank cutting from metal for framing and sash;
• manufacturing framework;
• fitting glass frames;
• canopy bait;
• welding frame parts, glass element installation;
• installation canopies, latches and handles.

Attention! The task is within the power of those who have at least initial experience with welding machine . If you have not been involved in welding before, entrust this task to a professional.

You will also be interested in:

Create a blank

At first measure the size of the fireplace. Cut a corner according to the set parameters

frame have on a sheet of metal marked out circuit. After checking all measurements, the workpiece cut with a grinder or cutting wheel. This will be the lintel for the door.

The glass element is attached by means of bolts screwed into the corner along the plane. They will not let the window fall out, but at the same time they do not interfere with thermal expansion.

door attached to the lintel through canopies.

Attention! Glass insert before installation out of the frame!

door angle checked with a plumb line. For this use 3mm wire, previously burned and softened in the fire. It is inserted into the hole of the frame, folded in half and twisted tightly so that rings do not form at the ends. If they could not do without them, the wire is flattened with a hammer.

A completely blind alignment, without a window, is less common. It is made according to the same principle, but without a transparent element. When the frame is ready, mark out and cut out the future sash, making sure that it lies on the hole overlap.

Base fixing

You can’t just attach a frame with a door to a brick. Required special niche. First, the contours on the masonry are marked, then a recess is cut with a diamond wheel.

Most often used for fastening metal anchors. Before fixing the door to the base, check if it opens easily. If this succeeds with visible effort, the workpiece needs to be finalized.

The frame of the lintels is wrapped asbestos cord, then coated with heat-resistant glue. The cord will have to be pushed into the recess around the perimeter with a screwdriver.

Doors for stoves and fireplaces can be made from many materials, although these are predominantly heat-resistant glass or metal. Particular responsibility should be shown precisely when choosing doors; there is nothing surprising in this, any door is the front element of the heater, affecting not only the correct functioning of the equipment, but also its aesthetic characteristics. Today we will talk about what this structural element is, what it can be, what functions it performs; a brief comparative overview of the most popular models and their average market value will also be given.

Photo of oven doors

Comparative characteristics and prices

The table below shows popular models of fireplace doors, their characteristics, as well as the average market value.

DK 555-1K "Ruslanovo-laying" 53x55.4 cm Steel, heat-resistant glass From 10,000 to 11,000 rubles	SVT 450 SVT 34.5x29 cm Cast iron 5400 rubles
DT-4(B) "Rubtsovo" 27x25 cm Cast iron, ornament, gray color From 700 to 850 rubles	Lyon "Meta" 47x44 cm Steel, cast iron 11200 rubles
DP 3081S "Meta" 26.8x30.8 cm Heat resistant glass, steel 2800 rubles	"Promo-700" (glass) 69.5x52 cm Cast iron, heat-resistant glass 14900 rubles
DTK-2S "Rubtsovo" 43.5x32 Cast iron, heat-resistant glass 4400 rubles

As you can see, even among popular models there are representatives of different price ranges. But for quality, as you know, you always have to pay more.

Characteristics and selection of refractory glass for a fireplace

Earlier, we talked in detail about what you should pay attention to when choosing refractory glass for a fireplace, considered their properties and technical characteristics, in addition to this article, we advise you to read this information.

What should these doors look like?

There are certain requirements for oven doors. Let's get acquainted with them.

• In the manufacture of doors, only those materials that are characterized by increased fire resistance should be used.
• Also, they should not prevent the penetration of oxygen into the combustion chamber. The best option would be the ability to adjust the air supply, which will affect both the quality and quantity of firewood combustion.
• Finally, the doors must be fireproof so that the room is reliably protected from fire.

Video - Fireplace Doors

Varieties of fireplace doors by type of material

Depending on what material is used in the manufacture, the data structural elements may be of several types.

Heat resistant glass doors

Let's make a reservation right away that this design option has recently become increasingly popular, and the reason for this is quite obvious: when the fuel is burning, the user will have the opportunity to visually observe the flames. Glass doors differ from others - made of metal - in that they have their own special style. For their manufacture, heat-resistant glass is used, consisting of many elements, including heat-resistant quartz and transparent crystal ceramics. Thanks to this, products acquire not only an aesthetically attractive appearance, but also elevated level safety during use. Glass doors are produced in three varieties at once:

• in flat (characterized by the presence of a thickening in one glass);
• in segment (in three glasses);
• in a circular one (the use of such models is most expedient in fireplaces located separately).

Note! Often glass products are combined with metal ones (we will talk about them in next paragraph articles). In such cases, the door frame is made of steel, and the door itself is made of glass.

Often, doors for stoves and fireplaces are equipped with additional decorative elements - casting or forging, lamination, tinting, mosaic or stained glass. Moreover, there are even lifting or sliding options such doors.

One of the few disadvantages of heat-resistant glass products is the fact that soon after the start of operation, their surface becomes covered with soot, and in general they become dirty rather quickly. Although there is a solution to this problem: it is necessary to additionally take care of the soot burning system (even at the stage of arranging the fireplace / stove), so that it (soot) will burn out during the operation of the heater.

iron doors

This category includes doors that are entirely made of metal. The procedure for their installation is extremely simple and has nothing complicated in itself, the products perfectly retain thermal energy and, most importantly, they are distinguished by a high degree of fire safety. And in terms of reliability and functionality, iron doors are the most best option. If there is a desire, then it is quite possible to make them with your own hands with minimal cost(more on this at the end of this post), although the “factory” model can be bought at a store at a more than affordable price.

So, here are the main advantages of metal structures.

• The main advantage, already mentioned above, is the affordable cost. If we compare it with the cost of glass doors, then it is several times lower, which is why it enjoys a certain popularity, an advantage in baths and cottages, where functionality, as you know, is much higher on the priority scale than aesthetics.
• In addition, these doors are durable and strong. And if you take care of them properly (the care itself consists only in periodic anti-corrosion treatment using heat-resistant paints), then they will serve for many decades without causing any inconvenience to users.

Note! Despite the fact that iron doors have their customers, the market demand for them is quite low, since they do not allow visual observation of the playing flame.

Cast iron doors

Just like the previous version, such doors are used mainly for stoves in baths and cottages, but they are almost never found in fireplaces. In general, this is a kind of intermediate link between iron and glass doors. Their use is explained by their increased resistance to elevated temperatures, but at the same time, of course, the service life (when compared with metal) and aesthetic indicators (with heat-resistant glass) are damaged. Although, if desired, you can make the doors for stoves and fireplaces more aesthetic if you cover them with fire-resistant enamel.

What should you pay attention to when buying? General recommendations

• If you want to visually observe the fire, then you will need either a completely glass door or a metal one, but with inserts of their heat-resistant glass. Moreover, the higher the cost of the product, the greater will be the aesthetic appeal.
• If the thickness of fire-resistant glass is less than 0.4 centimeter, then it is installed in the shutters using a seal and with a small gap necessary to compensate for thermal expansion under the action of the flame (otherwise the material may burst).
• To protect children or pets from being burned by accidental contact with a hot surface metal doors it is recommended to install with a special shield, thanks to which its surface will not heat up above 40 degrees.
• If the heater operates on mixed fuel, consumes coal or coke, then the doors must be made of cast iron. If firewood is used as fuel, then a glass product can also be installed.
• As for the dimensions, it is recommended to entrust the selection to an experienced stove-maker who will build a heater in your home. Indeed, in this matter it is necessary to take into account a number of important nuances that an inexperienced person is not given to know about.

Note! Do not forget that any fireplace or stove is, first of all, a potentially fireproof device. For this reason, to construction process must be approached with the appropriate knowledge of the matter.

We also note that it is desirable to give preference to double-leaf structures. In such designs, the outer flaps (they are solid) are equipped with a slot, through which the flow of the supplied air required for fuel combustion is regulated (this moment is especially important for wood-burning appliances that are not equipped with ash pans). And the inner sashes (they are usually lattice) trap coals and sparks, preventing their penetration to the second sash. This minimizes the risk of fire.

Doors can differ not only in the number of leaves or the type of material used, but also in external design. So, products from the company "Termofor" are produced both in classic black and in shiny (from "stainless steel"). Some models are equipped with special inserts for fire-resistant glass. In others, it is possible to connect an air intake pipe from the house or ensure complete tightness combustion chamber, thanks to which it is possible to establish an automatic system for monitoring and adjusting the functioning of the heater.

Note! The dampers are often equipped with special sensors that notify the user of each opening and the heating temperature of the furnace. Some models (such as the Hoxter) provide for manual regulation of the air supply.

Heat resistant glass

So, we found out that in most cases, consumers prefer to install doors for fireplaces and stoves made of heat-resistant glass (the exception is those appliances that consume coal or mixed fuel). What is the secret of popularity? First of all, the fact that today the production of such glasses has noticeably improved and become more complicated. Manufacturing process consists of several stages, such as:

• heat treatment;
• treatment with chemicals;
• high temperature polishing.

With the help of special glass melting furnaces, manufacturers obtain sheets of material of the required thickness, and their (sheets) surfaces are treated with special preparations that increase not only fire resistance and strength, but also the service life of finished products.

Note! Thanks to special polishing, there are no cracks or chips on the glass, it turns out to be absolutely transparent and perfectly even.

After the completion of all technological stages, the finished fireplace glass acquires a lot of unique positive qualities, among which:

• resistance to high temperatures;
• low heating rate;
• aesthetic and, so to speak, noble appearance;
• excellent noise absorption;
• the ability to withstand significant temperature changes due to low thermal expansion;
• in addition, no visible defects, even the smallest cracks, appear on the glass surface.

Moreover, today, unlike a few years ago, heat-resistant glasses are produced with crystal and corrugated surfaces, as well as tinted ones (in the latter case, bright flashes of fire are somewhat muffled).

Above, we have already mentioned glasses that can independently remove the soot that appears on the surface. Such glasses are called self-cleaning and are distinguished by the fact that they are covered with an almost imperceptible ball of metal oxide. Thereby inner surface glass during the combustion of fuel is heated to more high temperature, and soot, as a result, almost completely burns out.

How to care for fireplace doors?

We have already noted that metal doors for stoves and fireplaces do not need special care - you just need to paint them with heat-resistant paint. With glass models, everything is somewhat more complicated. For example, even self-cleaning models must be periodically cleaned of accumulated soot. This procedure requires a damp cloth and detergent(the same "Mr. Muscle"), but without abrasive components and chlorine. So you do not damage the glass and the protective layer.

Note! Remove soot only from the cooled material, otherwise it may become unusable.

What affects cleaning frequency? First of all, it is the type of firewood used (how much resin it contains) and the pulling force.

DIY manufacturing

If you plan to make a door for stoves or fireplaces with your own hands, then first take the dimensions and draw up a preliminary drawing. After that, prepare everything you need:

• welding with electrodes;
• locksmith tools;
• Bulgarian.

As for materials, to create the simplest design, you will need a sheet of metal, four metal corners, two pieces of wire with a diameter of 1.2 centimeters, as well as a few bolts and nuts. Before work, all elements are covered with heat-resistant paint. The manufacturing process itself is shown in the video below.

Video - Making a fireplace door

After manufacturing or purchase, the door should be installed. This is shown schematically in the image below.

You can learn more about the process by watching this video.

Video - Installation of a cast iron fireplace door