How to sheathe an iron door with dermantine with your own hands. How to sheathe the front door with dermantine: detailed instructions and tips. This method of upholstery is called "carriage screed"

Sooner or later there comes a moment when the front door loses its presentable appearance during operation. Of course, you can replace it with a new one, but if the structure itself is still strong and reliable, it is better to get by with cosmetic repairs, especially since covering the door with a finishing material will cost much less.

If you follow the technology, it will not be difficult to sheathe the doors yourself. Consider the features of finishing wooden and metal doors, as well as the nuances of choosing materials for them.

Choosing a material

The range of finishing materials for doors is large and they all have their pros and cons. In order not to get confused and choose the right one, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the brief characteristics of the most popular of them.

Vinyl leather

Vinyl leather is an economical alternative to natural leather

This material is one of the varieties of artificial leather. It is a film applied on top of a fibrous web. The basis for vinyl artificial leather can be paper, knitwear or other fabric, which is usually impregnated with special polymer compounds to increase strength.

The material can have different colors and textures, besides, it has an affordable price and is practical to use. Therefore, vinyl leather sheathing is a good replacement for natural, very expensive material.

clapboard

Lining - these are slats made of wood, MDF or plastic, equipped with special grooves that make it easy to assemble them into a single canvas. It is suitable for finishing both wooden and metal structures, however, it is much more difficult to mount it on the latter.

For the outer part of the door, it is preferable to use a material resistant to external influences, for example, larch. A more budget option is plastic, which also endures moisture and is not subject to corrosion and decay. But keep in mind that such panels can fade in the sun, so upholstery of doors with plastic clapboard will be unprofitable if they are often exposed to direct sunlight.

Lining from wooden slats

Faux leather

Leatherette is an artificial material that mimics the structure of natural leather. In addition to its attractive appearance, it has other advantages:

strength;
profitability;
simple care.

The disadvantage is the sensitivity to temperature extremes and high humidity, which leads to cracking and thus reduces the life of the coating.

Leatherette

The name of this material comes from the Greek word "derma", which means skin. In construction terminology, dermatin is usually called leather imitation. Surely many have heard of him. But why is this material so popular?

The prevalence of leatherette for various finishing works is explained by its positive qualities, such as:

Also, leatherette is easy to process and stack, which allows you to work even without special skills. An additional plus of this coating is vapor permeability, which means that the door under the skin will be able to "breathe", which means that the wood under it will not become damp and moldy.

Leather

The door, upholstered in genuine leather, looks luxurious and emphasizes the viability of the owners, which is appreciated in some circles of society. In favor of the leather coating is also evidenced by:

material durability;
good sound insulation;
additional protection against heat leakage.

Leather is the epitome of luxury

But the price of such upholstery will be several times higher than that of various substitutes. Another nuance that should be taken into account is the need for careful skin care using special products to maintain its elasticity.

PVC film

Polyvinyl chloride film, which usually has a self-adhesive backing, is a very practical and inexpensive material. The top layer of this coating can imitate various textures: stone, wood, velor, metal, etc. Such a film is sold in rolls and is a good way to update the surface of a metal or plastic door. Its main advantages:

undemanding to care;
small price;
simple installation;
moisture resistance;
no damage during installation on the glued surface.

True, there are several disadvantages - the inability to hide serious defects in the door leaf and a relatively short service life.

PVC film allows you to imitate any material

The listed materials are the most commonly used for upholstery and among them there is sure to be a solution suitable for your home. Of course, the final choice depends on your preferences, financial capabilities, the condition of the door and the material from which it is made. Considering that the correct installation of the coating is no less important than the right material, several ways of sheathing metal and wooden doors will be considered below using the example of lining and leatherette.

Leather upholstery

So, how to sheathe the door with leatherette with your own hands? The process has some differences for wooden and metal structures, however, the preparation stage and the necessary tools in both cases are almost identical.

Upholstery preparation

Dismantling the door

To independently carry out the installation of the coating, you will need the following tools:

sharp stationery knife and large scissors;
industrial stapler;
hammer;
pliers;
screwdriver;
brush.

Before starting work, you will need to dismantle all fittings from the door (peephole, handles, lock). Then the structure is removed from the hinges and inspected for any defects, if any, they must be eliminated.

Next, the leatherette should be cut to the size of the door, making an allowance of 10-15 cm on all sides. In addition, you can not do without cushioning material, which will give the upholstery the desired volume. If the door is not located inside the dressing room, but goes outside, then it is advisable to take care of its insulation. This function can be performed by the following materials:

isolon tape - has a long service life (about 70 years), is effective, but quite expensive;
foam rubber - can last about 15 years and has average heat retention;
batting - the service life is 30 years, it has good performance, but somewhat makes the door structure heavier.

Wooden door upholstery

Fixing the material around the perimeter

The upholstery process begins with laying a heater cut to the size of the structure on the prepared door leaf. The material must be fixed with a construction stapler or nails; before that, it is worth lubricating the surface of the door with glue for a stronger fixation.

Next, comes the crucial stage of fixing the upholstery. To do this, it is better to use special decorative nails, matched to the color of leatherette or the rest of the door hardware. The upholstery fabric is laid in such a way that the overlap on all sides is the same. Then the edges are folded inward, monitoring the uniformity of the fold of the fabric and its tension. Now it remains only to fix the leatherette with nails at regular intervals along the perimeter of the door leaf.

After the fabric is securely fastened, you can give the coating a pattern using decorative tape and upholstery nails. Ready-made patterns of the pattern are shown below, but you can also invent something new, focusing on your taste and imagination.

Schemes for decorative fastening leatherette

Upholstery of a metal door

The upholstery of a metal door is made a little differently, but this process is even simpler than in the case of a tree. After all, you don’t have to nail leatherette to the metal, and it is this part of the work that is the most time-consuming.
After preparing the canvas, which is identical to that described above, the door is removed from the hinges and placed in a horizontal position. The insulation is attached to the metal with glue, trying to lay it correctly the first time in order to avoid further displacements.

Then, leatherette itself (part of the material with an overlap) is attached to the ends of the door, smeared with glue. It is better to start from the top, then fix the material from the side of the hinges and the lock, and complete the installation with the bottom end. In this case, it is important to avoid the occurrence of folds and distortions.

After the glue dries, use a sharp clerical knife to remove excess material and install the fittings back. When cutting holes for door handles, locks, etc., do not forget that the slots must be smaller than the dimensions of the fittings. Otherwise, the holes may become noticeable and spoil the appearance of the structure. This completes the work, and your front door not only looks updated, but also provides additional heat retention in the house.

Finished construction

Clapboard door lining

Another way to inexpensively and tastefully update the door structure is to make doors from lining with your own hands. Where to start? For wooden panels, the following advice is relevant: if the finishing material you have stored outside the house, but will be used for interior cladding, then a few hours before the start of work, it is worth bringing it inside the room in which the decoration is planned. This will allow the wood to adapt to the humidity and temperature.

Wooden door

For sheathing a wooden door, you will need the following materials and tools:

panels of the selected material;
measuring instruments (tape measure, level);
pencil;
suitable cutting tool;
screwdriver;
planer and sandpaper;
screws or nails;
varnish and brushes.

Standard lining

Preparatory work is similar to that performed when sheathing leatherette. The door leaf will also need to be dismantled, cleaned and removed fittings. Then you need to decide on the direction of the skin - it will be horizontal or vertical.

The lining begins to be mounted from the lower edge of the door, checking the accuracy of its location with a level. It is better to fasten the material with special finishing nails, which will stand out less against the background of the coating, but self-tapping screws can also be used.

Panels can be fixed in different ways

During installation, the panels are fixed closely, inserting each subsequent one into the connector of the previous one, and the sides are closed with special corners. After the completion of the main work, the lining can be varnished. Then, after waiting for it to dry completely, fittings are installed on the door, and the structure itself is returned to its place.

Metal door with clapboard trim

Metal doors sheathed with clapboard, in view of the strength of the metal, will be a little more difficult to make. To fix the panels, you will have to build a wooden frame attached to the door structure, and then mount the finishing material on it.

To make a frame you need:

bars or slats made of wood;
drill and screwdriver;
self-tapping screws;
saw;
pencil and tape measure.

Frame installation

The slats need to be adjusted to the dimensions of the door (length and width). Then drill holes in them for the diameter of the self-tapping screws, attach the components of the frame to the surface of the door and through these holes put marks on the metal. In the intended places, the metal structure will also need to be drilled.

Further, the frame elements are attached to the door leaf with self-tapping screws. The resulting design can perform another function - to serve as the basis for laying insulation. If you want to reduce heat loss, the selected heat-insulating material is placed between the frame rails.

The next stage of work is finishing. The panels are mounted in the same way as described for a wooden door and using similar materials.

Clapboard panels are a good solution for finishing and simultaneously insulating the door

Decorating a door is a fascinating and creative process, but a responsible one. However, if you have a desire to try yourself in this business - do not hesitate. A serious approach and a little training before finishing work will allow you to translate your ideas into reality, and the result will be a reason for pride.

When you start talking about upholstery of front doors with leatherette (it’s more correct to say leatherette, but this is the case when erroneous spelling and pronunciation prevailed over the correct one), then in response you can hear that this is a solution from the last century, the material is ugly and impractical. But this can only be said by those who do not know that manufacturers of building materials have developed and introduced to the market a whole line of dermantine canvases with a beautiful texture under the skin of various color shades.

As a result, new upholstery materials are gaining more and more popularity every year - do-it-yourself upholstery of doors with dermantine has become fashionable again. This is due to the beautiful appearance of the doors, wear resistance and low cost of materials.

General description of new leatherette fabrics

The classic definition of leatherette says that it is a rolled material based on a woven fabric made of cotton thread, on the surface of which a layer of colored nitrocellulose is applied. Material manufacturers took into account the previous shortcomings and decided to replace the woven base with a porous film of polyvinyl chloride.

The surface was coated with polyester, polyurethane or a mixture of leather fibers with latex chips. In the first two cases, new leatherettes were called eco-leather, and in the last version, using a mixture, they were called recycled leather.

As a result, practically new materials were obtained, which differ in:

elasticity;
wear resistance;
breathability;
strength;
affordable cost.

Tactile sensations make it almost impossible to distinguish synthetic materials from well-crafted genuine leather. But the main aesthetic advantage of the new leatherettes lies in the possibility of dyeing in any color and creating a beautiful surface texture. The price of the canvas depends on the constituent components and ranges from 500 to 1500 rubles / m 2.

Pros and cons of dermantin

The consumer properties of new rolled materials for fitting entrance doors and other household purposes even surpass natural leather in a number of indicators. Among them, experts include:

affordability for most consumers;
resistance to moisture, microorganisms and decay;
very high tensile and tensile strength;
wear resistance and durability;
operation in the temperature range from -40°C to +60°C;
service life - at least 20 years;
high heat and sound insulation qualities;
immunity to solar ultraviolet;
a wide variety of textures with a wide range of colors;
easy care and the possibility of using chemically active detergents.

There are only two drawbacks, but they are quite significant:

the impossibility of repair in case of mechanical damage or cuts - a complete hauling of the entire coating will be required;
all types of new leatherettes are capable of sustaining fire and belong to the G2 combustibility group.

These disadvantages are not critical and, given the large number of advantages, can be considered insignificant.

Materials and tools for door upholstery with dermantine

If you strictly follow the order of work, prepare all the necessary tools and use high-quality materials, then any man can properly upholster the door with dermantin on his own. For upholstery you will need the following:

rolled leatherette;
insulation in the form of thin sheet foam rubber or isolon;
decorative nails for wooden doors, and self-tapping screws for metal doors;

polymer glue and brush for one-time use;
thin braided brass wire or decorative polymer cord;
tape measure, ruler and pencil;
hammer;
furniture stapler;
sharp knife and scissors.

For metal upholstery, you will need a screwdriver, without which it is impossible to tighten the screws.

Door upholstery instructions

The full scope of work on sheathing the front door with dermantine includes the following steps:

preparatory activities;
production and fastening of the roller;
upholstery surface;
decoration;
finishing work.

The total duration, even for a non-professional, usually does not exceed 8 hours.

Preparatory stage

Before upholstering the door with dermantine, preparatory work is carried out, which includes:

dismantling of locks, handles and peephole;
removing the door leaf from the hinges, laying it on the stand;
revision inspection of the condition of the box and repair if necessary;
removal of old upholstery, if any;
inspection of the door for its integrity and checking the geometry;
cleaning and degreasing the door leaf on both sides;
painting or coating with a protective composition;
cutting insulation according to the size of the door;
cutting leatherette with an overlap of 100-150 mm;
development of a patterned decor scheme;
laying leatherette and fixing it;
roller manufacturing.

Rollers are called dermantine tubes with insulation located along the edge, which cover the gap between the canvas and the box, and also serve as a decorative element. Depending on the direction of opening the door, they can be fixed on the box or door leaf.

Manufacturing and installation of the roller

The number of rollers depends on the type of door hinges installed. With an open design, 6 tubes are required, and for a hidden one, 4 are enough. The fact is that the outer loops are not covered by this decor.

For the manufacture of a roller, strips of dermantine 100-150 mm wide are required. They can be taken from scraps that remain after cutting the main material. The length of the bead should take into account the possibility of a slight overlap to form beautiful corners.

Nail or screw the prepared strips along the edge of the door or door leaf with the front side away from you with self-tapping screws. Lay the insulation on the strip, cover it with leatherette and connect the seam with a quick-drying polymer adhesive.

Insulation.

As a result, the fixed roller should protrude beyond the edge of the door leaf or box by no more than 30 mm.

Classic upholstery technology

This is the easiest way to sheathe a door with dermantine with your own hands. The design of the canvas can be wooden or metal. This factor implies significant differences in performance.

To finish a wooden door leaf:

lay insulation between the stuffed rollers and fix it with a stapler or glue it;
tuck the leatherette fabric around the edges and spread it on the surface so that it goes under the rollers;
fasten leatherette with decorative nails along one long side, at a distance of 5-7 mm from the edge of the roller, with a fastening step of 100-120 mm;
after that, at the same distances, drive nails along the top and bottom side, and then along the remaining edge.

In the laid and fixed canvas, cut holes for the elements of locks and fittings. Installation locations are easily determined by touch. The process of decorating the surface will be discussed later.

When tightening a metal sheet: nails cannot be hammered in and therefore special self-tapping screws are used, which are screwed in with a screwdriver or a low-speed drill. Moreover, they are twisted at the points marked on a pre-compiled scheme of the wire clamping decor.

Markup.

Button fastening.

But first, the insulation, and on top of it, the leatherette is temporarily fixed with glue. The decoration process completes the work and fixes the canvas completely.

Carriage upholstery method

The idea of the carriage technology is that the insulation and leatherette upholstery are fixed on a plywood sheet with a thickness of at least 10 mm and exactly the same size as the door leaf.

Holes are drilled in the plywood sheet in accordance with the intended surface decor pattern. Usually this is a continuous division into diamonds or squares, although other finishes are allowed.

Markup.

After that, a heater is glued to the surface of the plywood sheet, in which, using a special crown for soft materials, recesses are also selected that correspond to the markings in the holes in the wooden sheet.

Hole cutting.

The dermantine fabric is fixed (sewn) step by step with brass wire or cord, which are passed from both sides and attract the upholstery to the plywood sheet without nails. The plywood sheet itself is fixed with long self-tapping screws screwed on the back of the door leaf.

Upholstery decor options

On the surface of doors upholstered with leatherette, in most cases, decor is provided. There are a lot of decoration options and the choice depends only on your taste and imagination. The only thing to consider is that wire, cord or just decorative nails provide additional fastening of the canvas to the surface. Shown below are some of these finishes.

To complete the decor, markings are made, at the points of which nails are hammered into 1/3. After that, a wire or cord is pulled over them, the nails are finished to the end, creating a relief pattern by pulling the cord.

What else can be upholstered entrance doors

Answering the question of how to upholster the door instead of dermantin, then among the popular materials, you can specify:

vinyl artificial leather - vinyl-based composition;
natural leather;
special upholstery fabrics, according to the type of materials for finishing passenger car interiors.

Metal doors are often trimmed with plastic and wood panels. However, it should be noted that all these materials are much more expensive than leatherette.

Further use of the upholstery

The surface of the upholstery, covered with polyester, polyurethane or a mixture of leather fibers with latex chips, is easy to clean with a soapy solution. It is allowed to use chemical detergents. However, to avoid discolouration, test the detergent composition on a piece of upholstery material first.

If wear occurs and the color of the material changes, these places can be easily tinted. The most important thing is to accurately guess the color shade. To do this, contact a specialized workshop and bring there a sample of the remaining and saved scraps.

Modern leatherette is a strong and durable material that usually does not require additional care, except for cleaning from dust and dirt.

Entrance doors are, of course, first of all, protection from unexpected guests, as well as from the penetration of cold air into the room, extraneous sounds, and so on. However, its functionality does not end there. The door leaf is also, one might say, a business card or face of a house or apartment. After all, when visiting someone, the first thing we see is, of course, the front door. That is why the appearance of the door leaf is a rather important aspect.

The most popular and cost-effective method of improving the appearance of this element of the house is its sheathing with materials intended for this purpose. Probably the most used of them is dermantin. How to sheathe a door with dermantin with your own hands will be discussed in this publication.

This sheathing material has a number of advantages compared to other similar materials:

High quality at low cost. Modern types of this sheathing material practically do not differ from natural types of leather. However, it is many times cheaper than genuine leather. Therefore, upholstery of the door with dermantine is also economically beneficial;
This upholstery does not shrink. Its dimensions do not change under the influence of ambient temperatures, and it is not afraid of exposure to moisture, while not losing its qualities;
It is an excellent heat and sound insulator. The canvas, sheathed with leatherette, retain even more heat and prevent the penetration of extraneous sounds into the room. Therefore, door insulation with dermantin is often used along with sheathing;
Easy care. To maintain a decent appearance of the door leaf sheathed with this material, it is enough to wipe the surface of the sheathing from time to time with a damp cloth, it is possible using degreasing detergents;
Excellent decorative properties. Due to the variety of textures and colors, dermantin sheathing of entrance doors can give it a completely different, modern and stylish look.

How to choose material

When choosing the material that will be used for thermal insulation and upholstery of the front door with leatherette, you should pay special attention to its base, as well as to the quality of its coating. Most preferred is a dense, slightly springy material when stretched. The absence of stains from paint indicates the high quality of this material. Good and high quality leatherette is scratch resistant.

Most preferred is a dense, slightly springy material when stretched.

To check its quality, it is enough to run a fingernail over its surface - no traces should remain on high-quality material. And finally, about one more important nuance when choosing high-quality leatherette: pay attention to the smell of this material. Cheap and low-quality, it tends to exude a specific "ambre" with chemical undertones. This can be a very serious problem, especially if the door trim is on the inside.

When buying sheathing dermantin, remember that the dimensions of the material should be 10% larger than the dimensions of the door leaf.

Required Tools

Before sheathing the doors with dermantin, it is necessary to prepare the necessary tools. This list is quite short:

Nails with wide (better decorated) hats;
Sandpaper. Preferably fine-grained;
Hammer;
Scissors or sharpened penknife;
A screwdriver and a Phillips screwdriver (needed to dismantle existing fittings);
Pliers and pliers. In case, when cleaning the door leaf, you have to remove old nails;
Construction stapler.

Preparing for sheathing

In order for the upholstery to lie on the door leaf evenly, beautifully, without distortions, the latter must be prepared for the sheathing process. Consider how to sheathe the door step by step:

Having removed the canvas from the hinges, we dismantle all the fittings on it (latches, locks, handles, viewing eye, and so on).

We release it from the old skin, if any.
If there are any significant irregularities on the canvas, for example, the remnants of old paint, then, before sheathing the door with dermantine with our own hands, we clean it all with fine-grained sandpaper.

After all the preparatory operations done, it is possible, as an additional protection for the door leaf, to degrease its surface with any degreasing agent and cover it with some kind of antiseptic. After that, the canvas should dry a little.

Sheathing process

If it is planned to lay insulation and lining materials, they should be prepared and marked out in advance. Then begins, in fact, do-it-yourself upholstery of doors with dermantine.

We measure the height and width of the door leaf.
We mark and cut the leatherette according to the measurements obtained, not forgetting to make 10-15 cm allowances for each side.
On a pre-prepared door leaf, we evenly spread the marked and cut out sheathing material.
On one of the edges of the canvas, we tuck it in and fasten it on the other side of the door with staplers. It will not work to sheathe an iron door with such brackets, therefore such canvases are sheathed using special self-tapping screws.
We smooth the upholstery by pulling it over the surface of the door leaf, starting from the fixed edge to the opposite end. After that, we perform step 4 on all other ends. As a result, we get a surface completely covered with dermantin.
The final step of the sheathing is the final fixing of the leatherette sheathing with curly nails with wide hats.

At the final step of the sheathing, when the finishing is almost completed, there is an opportunity to give free rein to your own imagination. To decorate a sheathed door with dermantine with your own hands, you can use a variety of decorative corners, slats, curly elements, and so on. Everything is limited only by the imagination and financial capabilities of the owner. If desired, sheathing the door with your own hands with dermantine and decorating it, you can get your own exclusive design of the "gate" of your house.

How to sheathe a door with your own hands, see the video below:

No matter how expensive and high-quality the door is, after some time it will lose its original appearance and require restoration. The easiest way to give a door a second life is to upholster it. A variety of materials can be used for door trim. The technology of work from the upholstery material practically does not change. Read the suggested instructions, and you can easily do the repair yourself.

Many different materials are suitable for self-upholstery of doors, namely:

PVC film;
leather;
dermantin;
vinyl skin.

The last option on the list is the most preferred. Viniliskin is superior to leatherette and artificial leather in terms of basic quality characteristics and is cheaper than genuine leather.

The upholstery material can be purchased at a specialized store in cuts. In general, the size of the cut should be approximately 15 cm larger than the dimensions of the door on each side.

Upholstery will require you to make special rollers from upholstery material. In total, you need to prepare three strips with a width of about 100-150 mm. Choose the height individually according to the height of your door structure.

Choose your lining material. Budget option - foam rubber. A lining 1-2 cm thick is enough.

If you want to improve the sound and heat insulation characteristics of the door, use isolon instead of foam rubber. This is a very practical material with excellent performance and properties. It costs a little more than simple foam rubber and significantly surpasses it in all characteristics.

Additionally, you will need to buy various small accessories, the same decorative nails. A huge selection of such products is available for sale in a wide variety of color variations. Choose to your taste.

If you wish, you can buy upholstery nails, originally upholstered in leather or leatherette. They will be invisible on the main door leaf, which in many situations is the right decision.

In general, try to choose nails whose color will be as close as possible to the color of the upholstery. After restoration, the door should have a harmonious appearance, unless otherwise provided by your design project.

Work on self-upholstery of the door is carried out using glue. You can buy the most ordinary Moment type glue, etc. About 100 ml of glue will go to one side of the door leaf.

In the process of self-upholstery of a wooden door, there should not be any difficulties. Understand the proposed instructions, understand the difference between the sheathing of the outer and inner planes of the canvas and get to work.

Finishing the inside of a wooden door

This method is suitable for finishing those models that open inward, i.e. into the space of the room.

First step. Make a special roller. With this element, you will hide the gap between the door frame and the canvas itself. Also, in some situations, the roller will contribute to a tighter fit of the canvas to the frame.

Second step. Attach a strip of upholstery to the front of the door so that it rests on the base by about 35-40 mm. Fix with a special stapler.

If overhead locks are installed on the door, start fastening the material from it. If your locks are mortise, fastening should start slightly below the central part of the long side of the door. Cover the entire perimeter of the canvas with similar strips.

Third step. Lay foam rubber or other selected filler. Pre-cut the material into strips about 100 mm wide. To attach the lining, use the same stapler. The resulting roller should protrude by approximately 10-40 mm, depending on the characteristics of the ratio of the door itself and decorative trim. On this roller is ready.

Fourth stage. Measure the space between the inner edges of the roller you created and cut out a strip of thick foam rubber. To determine the appropriate strip width, subtract 10 mm on each side from the previous bead measurement. Attach the finished foam strip.

Fifth stage. Proceed directly to the upholstery of the door. Take a piece of the selected upholstery material around the corner, carefully fold its edges about 6 cm and lay it in the corner of the door leaf so that the upholstery comes a little on the surface of the previously prepared roller.

Hammer a decorative nail at a distance of about 0.5 cm from the edge.

Take the upholstery material by the second upper corner, tuck it in the same way, and hammer in the second decorative nail, pulling the upholstery a little.

Make sure the piece of upholstery is laid evenly. To do this, run your hand along the center line of the door with a small clip, reach the bottom and, holding the upholstery tightly with your hand, attach its lower corners to the edges of the door. If the distance is the same on both edges, you can continue to work. If there are discrepancies, the fastening of the upholstery will have to start over, otherwise it will be uneven and ugly at the end.

Nail the upper edge of the canvas with decorative nails in 1 cm increments. Then, follow the same pattern, finish any side part, carefully tucking the upholstery material at an equal distance and slightly pulling it back.

Get to the bottom edge and move on to finishing the second side. At the end, fix the lower free edge with a stapler. On this self-plating is completed. Proceed to install the peephole and old or new locks.

If the door structure consists of two wings, the restoration is carried out in the same order. An important nuance is only that the vertical roller needs to be equipped on a sash with a handle.

Video - Do-it-yourself door upholstery

Finishing the outside of a wooden door

This is an instruction for structures tearing outward.

First step. Close the door and transfer the projection of its box directly onto the canvas. This will give you the outline of the new upholstery. Indentation around the edges is necessary for the "quarter".

Second step. Fasten the lining material with about a centimeter indent from the intended line.

Third step. Just as in the previous instructions, nail the main piece of upholstery, leaving its bottom edge not fixed.

Fourth step. Make an insulating roller. With external upholstery, it is attached to the box, and not to the canvas. It is made in almost the same way as when making internal upholstery, only the volume of internal foam rubber needs to be slightly increased.

Place the roller on the hinge side so that it is flush with the door jamb. In relation to the lock side and the upper part, the roller must be extended by 0.5 cm. Attach the underside of the finished roller to the door leaf so that when closing it is tightly pressed against the door sill.

If you attach the roller directly to the threshold, it will wear out very quickly due to rubbing with your feet.

Fifth step. Fix the bottom edge of the upholstery with a construction stapler, and then install the locks, new or old handles, a peephole and, if necessary, decorative elements.

There are two main options for sheathing a metal door structure: a budget one using materials like vinyl leather, leatherette and the like, and a more expensive one using decorative panels. Read the instructions for each of them and choose the option that suits you.

Video - Upholstery and insulation of metal doors

Budget way

Restoration of metal doors can be performed using the same materials as wooden doors. However, in this case, there is no need to use decorative carnations - everything is done with glue.

First step. Carefully grease the edges of the door leaf with high-quality glue and fix the foam strips on it. Cut off the excess lining along the door profile.

Second step. Apply adhesive to the end of the top of the door and proceed with gluing the selected upholstery material. First glue the top, then the door hinges, then glue the locks, and finally the bottom of the door. Smooth out creases and get rid of material distortions directly in the process.

Third step. After the glue is completely dry (drying time is indicated in the instructions for a specific tool), cut off excess material, if any, with a sharp clerical knife. Be careful not to damage the main upholstery.

Fourth step. Install the peephole, handles and return the locks to their place.

expensive way

This method involves upholstering a metal structure with special panels. For outdoor upholstery, linings made of MDF are optimally suited. They are made in several standard sizes. After such upholstery, the door will look no worse than expensive factory-made counterparts.

Perform interior decoration with wall panels. Choose the upholstery material in accordance with the interior of the room and the features of the operation of the door. MDF has a more attractive appearance, often imitating the texture of exclusive and expensive wood, but this material needs to be treated with care. Plastic panels are much easier to maintain, but not as beautiful.

First step. Measure your metal drill. You need to know the width and exact height of the canvas. On the inside of the door you will find corners designed to increase the rigidity of the door structure. The width of such corners corresponds to the depth of the door leaf. You also need to fix this parameter in the measurements. You will need it when buying sheet foam and wooden beams.

Define the inner height of the canvas as the distance from the bottom to the top corner. The width of the inner surface, respectively, will be equal to the distance between the side metal corners. Record the measurement results.

Second step. Go to the construction store along with the results of previous measurements. Buy foam plastic, panels from the selected material, a wooden beam and a decorative corner there with a 10-15 percent margin.

Third step. Return home, and proceed to finish the door. First, cut the block into 4 pieces. The length of these segments must correspond to the width of the door leaf.

Take a bar, attach it to the upper edge of the canvas and, using a marker or pencil, draw a line along this bar on the base. Do the same at the bottom of the canvas. Place the remaining blocks on the door so that all 4 bars as a result are installed approximately at the same distance. Leave appropriate labels.

Fourth step. Armed with an electric drill, make 16 mounting holes in your door. There should be 4 holes for each bar. The diameter of these holes should be equal to the diameter of the screws.

Fifth step. Fix the bars on the canvas with self-tapping screws. This will give you a frame.

Sixth step. Drill mounting holes to secure the upholstery panel. The optimal number of holes for mounting each such panel, as a rule, is given by the manufacturer in the attached instructions.

Seventh step. Prepare peepholes, locks and handles in the facing panel.

Eighth stage. Fix the panel. For greater convenience, you can remove the door leaf from the hinges.

Move on to upholstery on the inside of the door leaf.

First step. Fasten the frame bars to the canvas as you did with the outer upholstery.

Second step. Cut the foam into pieces, focusing on the distance between the frame bars. In the appropriate parts of the foam, make holes for the peephole, handles and door locks.

Third step. Lay the foam sheets in the spaces between all the bars. Additionally, you can fix the foam with high-quality glue.

Fourth step. Attach the inner panels to the frame. Plastic panels are fastened with a stapler, while MDF panels are fixed with clamps.

Fifth step. Fasten a decorative corner of a suitable material around the perimeter of the door leaf. It will hide the edges of the upholstery elements and give the door a more attractive appearance.

Sixth step. Put a peephole, handles, locks, if necessary, replace the trim.

These simple instructions will allow you to update the look of your door with minimal financial and time costs.

Successful work!

Video - How to upholster a door with your own hands

The upholstery of the front door improves the performance of the door structure. This is insulation, sound insulation, protection of the room from dust and insects, improvement of the design of the door leaf.

The choice is determined by the purpose of the work - preventing heat loss, protecting against loud sounds from outside, sealing gaps around the perimeter of the door frame or changing the appearance of the door leaf. Sheathing of the front door can be carried out from the outside, from the inside or from both sides.

Lining and MDF panels

The elegance of the door leaf will give a wooden lining. The texture of wood, emphasized by paintwork materials (paints and varnishes), forging, carving, decorative metal, polyurethane moldings. Refinement of the interior will be given by the wooden upholstery of the entrance doors, decorated with rows of beads and rivets.

Well processed MDF panels:

Painted - suitable for interior decoration only. To improve the resistance of MDF to damage, moisture, various coatings are used.
Veneered - from veneer of oak, birch, ash, less often valuable wood: mahogany, beech. This is a durable option, it is suitable for outdoor and indoor use.
Laminated - covered with a durable PVC film that imitates the structure of various materials. Optimal value for money for indoor and outdoor work.

Finishing the front door with plastic clapboard will not improve the appearance of the canvas, but it is inexpensive, durable and practical.

Plywood

Plywood outwardly imitates solid wood. This material treated with special compounds is durable, resistant to moisture and tolerates temperature extremes.

External cladding of entrance doors should be made of ship (aircraft) plywood:

with double-sided polishing;
from peeled birch veneer;
well glued.

A film of bakelite resin covering the outer surfaces can make work difficult: if necessary, stickers on the surface of decorative elements must be sanded.

Laminate

Glued-pressed boards made of wood fibers are initially designed for loads. Their surface is easily and without consequences cleaned of dirt, resistant to damage - not afraid of the claws of even large dogs. With proper selection of panels, tongue and groove joints create the illusion of a monolithic coating.

Outside, only the door of the apartment can be sheathed with laminate, since this material is intended for interior decoration and is not resistant to moisture, cold, and sudden temperature changes typical for outdoor conditions.

Leatherette

Decorative upholstery with cotton fabric with a layer of nitrocellulose is recommended for interior work: in the house, in the apartment, at the entrance. Leatherette is not afraid of moisture, but is sensitive to ultraviolet rays - it changes color, becomes tougher. This item has already been discontinued.

Faux leather

For door upholstery, materials with a base impregnated with polymers are used: vinyl, PVC leather, vinylis. Faux leather is durable and practical. The specific smell inherent in it disappears within 1-2 weeks.

Artificial leather differs from leatherette:

strength and elasticity - it does not tear during work, it stretches well, there are no traces of folds on the unfolded canvas;
a variety of textures, smooth or imitating various types of natural leather;
range of colors - matte, shiny, with a metallic effect.

The leatherette allows air to pass through, so the wooden doors upholstered with it do not become moldy, and the steel ones do not rust - excess moisture is removed through the pores of artificial leather.

What is better to choose for the entrance group

In addition to the characteristics of the upholstery material, when choosing, it is necessary to take into account the conditions at the installation site of the door.

How to sheathe the front door from the outside:

in the cottage - wood, laminated and veneered MDF panels, marine plywood, plastic;
in the apartment - in addition to the above options, materials such as leatherette, artificial leather, laminate are suitable.

You can sheathe the canvas from the inside with any upholstery materials, both soft and hard.

When upholstered on the outside, it is possible to lay an insulating layer of batting, felt, foam rubber, foam plastic, mineral wool, etc. Insulation of the door lining from the inside threatens to shift the dew point, which causes condensation on the surfaces of the door structure, the appearance of mold, rust.

When choosing a material for upholstery, you need to consider how this option is suitable for self-assembly, whether the necessary tools are available, and experience in finishing work. It is necessary to take into account the service life of the finish, as well as the possibility of replacing the skin in the future and the cost of such work.

Preparatory work

The process of preparing the door leaf is the same for all materials. Consumables are purchased with a small margin.

Before sheathing a metal door, you need:

remove it from the hinges, you can put it on stools to make it convenient to work;
dismantle accessories (handles, peephole, locks);
clean the canvas of dirt.

https://youtu.be/0ukuhbxYSZ0

If necessary, the design is washed, detergents are selected depending on the material. Detected defects are eliminated: damage by fungus, mold, rust spots. A moisture-proof, antiseptic or other coating is applied to the canvas.

The sheathing material must be deployed 1-2 days before the start of work so that the folds on it are straightened out.

To sheathe the front door with your own hands, you will need gloves and a set of tools.

Tools

They are selected depending on the specifics of the work, the material of the door leaf and the material with which the door is trimmed.

Standard set of tools:

measuring - tape measure, square;
cutting - scissors, hacksaw;
fasteners - simple and decorative nails, self-tapping screws, epoxy glue or liquid nails;
hammer - if the upholstery is fastened with nails;
brush, roller - if the canvas is covered with paintwork materials.

To dismantle the fittings, you will need a set of screwdrivers and pliers, for the accuracy of upholstery work - a marker, a construction pencil.

Using a professional tool, such as a furniture stapler, will help speed up the process. The screwdriver can be replaced with a drill with a special nozzle,

door upholstery technology

Work begins with finishing the end: it is painted in tone, and with double-sided upholstery, it is trimmed with a strip of upholstery material so that it goes on both sides. A roller is fixed along the perimeter of the door, covering the gaps between the jamb and the door, a bundle of insulation is laid in the middle of the upholstery strip and crimped in the middle.

How to sheathe the front door - stages of work:

Insulation fixing. It is carried out using liquid nails or a furniture stapler. Insulation can be fixed either immediately on the canvas or on a wooden crate
Sheathing with finishing material. At this stage, rigid panels, lining or artificial leather upholstery are fixed.
Installation of accessories, decorative elements.

Preliminary basting with a pencil or marker of the location of upholstery nails and moldings will facilitate installation.

You can change the upholstery of the front door yourself, but experienced professionals quickly and efficiently trim the doors.