Pendulum doors in a modern interior

In recent years, the pendulum doors, originating, according to one version, from the lobby of the subway, and on the other - from taverns in Texas, have been actively used both in private houses and apartments, and public spaces. The ability to open in any direction, unusual design, ease of installation and practicality of use - all this has led to the popularity of this type of door panels.

Pendulum, or "swinging" doors, as well as swing, belong to the hinged door structures. The main difference between them lies in the way of opening: the first can be plowed up in both directions - from oneself and oneself, and the latter only in one. The use of conventional hinges and a fastening mechanism allows the hinged door structure to be opened only to enter the room.By installing a pendulum design, you can open the door in any direction thanks to a special mechanism.

For the installation of such structures it is necessary to use special door hinges that allow the canvas to move in both directions. On the floor and the upper part of the doorway you need to attach two kind of canopy. Each has a pendulum mechanism built in - an axial device made of a spring. On it and secured the door, able to move in both directions. The lower canopy can withstand considerable weight, so the "pendulums" can be very large. It is also worth adding that in this case a door frame is not required, consisting of an upper crossbar and two vertical posts.

As a rule, canopies are equipped with closers. A closer is a mechanism that allows the door to return to its original state smoothly or remain locked in the open position. One is fixed in the lower shed, and it works when you open from yourself, and the second - at the top, activating in the opposite direction.Sometimes the axis of rotation is set in the middle of the opening part of the door, which allows it to move in a circle. However, this is rarely used in living spaces.

In general, accessories for pendulum structures include a floor closer, upper axis, door fittings, corners and clips, door knob and corner lock.

Among the many types of "pendulums" stand out elastic doors. They are made of PVC film with a thickness of 7 mm and are used in warehouses, refrigerators or other industrial-type premises. As a rule, they are bicuspid self-closing systems - when they are plowed open, both door leaves move.

If you want to install a “pendulum” yourself, then follow these steps:

• "Swinging" doors are mounted in a pre-repaired doorway, the sides of which must be strictly parallel. All four surfaces are smooth lines without bulges and depressions. Check the geometry by measuring the distance at several points.
• Test the perpendicular ratio of walls, floor and ceiling using a level.Make sure that there is no wiring at the points where the loops are attached.
• Position the axial devices so that the door is perfectly level. Keep in mind that any misalignment of the structure will lead to problems with opening the valves.
• Maintain a technological gap between the edge of the doorway and the axis of no more than 5 centimeters. If on the floor and ceiling there are irregularities, then the gaps will increase, which means that the sound insulation and heat insulation will decrease.

• Carefully monitor the quality of the canvas and its size - unlike the swing, with the installation it will be impossible to correct any minor flaws and inaccuracies.
• Start by installing the top canopy. Using a screw, fasten it to the top bar. If the doorway is made of brick or concrete, use dowels, drill or perforator.
• Then proceed to the installation of the lower canopy. Check its position by using a plumb line, and then using a screw, attach it to the threshold.
• On the canvas, install fasteners, door handles and a lock.
• Secure the canvas to the sheds.
• If necessary, mount the decorative elements.

You will learn more about how to install pendulum doors by yourself in the following video.

As swinging devices, "swinging" have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Among the advantages emit:

• there is no door frame, which leads to savings in money and labor resources;
• thanks to the lower canopy, you can choose large door leafs;
• the installation process is very simple: the interior door is quite easy to install with your own hands if two conditions are met. First, ensure complete coincidence of the axes of the pendulum mechanisms, and second, follow the standard recommendations regarding distances and angles;

• The “pendulum” is a stylish piece of interior that exists in various colors and is made of materials necessary for the customer;
• when used in public places allows you to skip a large number of visitors in both directions;
• it is possible to open and close the door in one direction or another;
• opening and closing is almost silent;
• you can adjust the speed of movement of the sash, as well as fix it in a certain position.

The disadvantages of the pendulum doors include:

• lack of sound insulation due to the lack of door frames, which can be a problem in private houses and apartments. However, in the case of aluminum doors this can be fixed by installing a special seal in the ends;
• quite high cost of fittings and glass models;
• low thermal insulation;
• an open door takes up a lot of space, which means it is not suitable for small rooms.

Thanks to its obvious advantages, pendulum doors are used everywhere: in homes, offices and public buildings, such as shopping malls and supermarkets.

According to their purpose, they can be:

• entrance (used in shopping centers, airports, train stations, subways - where there is a large flow of people);
• interior (apartments, medical institutions, restaurants and cafes);
• industrial (shops, warehouses);
• fire fighting

Home made to choose glass, woodand combinations of the above with aluminum. If you live in a city apartment, then you should look at relatively cheap ecological wooden canvases, stylized for different directions, for example, baroque or modern. As a rule, they are complemented by various wooden and glass elements.Constructions of this type serve for a long time and keep warm well, but are completely unsuitable for rooms with high humidity, so you should not install them in saunas or showers.

Lovers of minimalism and the inhabitants of country houses will suit the "pendulums" of glass. In addition to aesthetics, a pronounced advantage of such structures is the emerging abundance of light and the effect of expanding space. You at the same time receive easy access to both sides and a stylish element of decor. The transparency of glass doors can be changed with tinting films.

It should be noted that single-leaf or double-leaf doors are determined depending on the width of the passage: single-leaf go to narrow, double-wing - to wide (more than 1200 mm). There are also one-and-a-half doors, one half of which is a “pendulum”, and the other half is a swing construction.

Double-leaf plastic sheets are typical.In apartments and private houses they are equipped with double-glazed windows and, as a rule, are used at the exit to the balcony or loggia. They do not have any particularly pronounced flaws, except for boring design. They are quite cheap, practical and serve for a long time.

Plastic "pendulums" are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Doors of this type are often purchased for workshops, warehouses, bases and other production facilities, so as not to impede the movement of people flow. Due to the fact that they open in both directions, workers can easily pass from room to room, even if their hands are occupied with boxes, carts and other goods. PVC doors are framed by an aluminum tubular profile, inside which is placed a return mechanism.

Often in restaurants and hospitals set plastic "pendulums" with a glazed window. Such models are characterized by impact resistance and wear resistance, and also allow you to observe what is happening in both rooms separated by a door.

The doors in the aluminum profile, in contrast to the wooden ones, demonstrate moisture resistance and are easy to clean. As a rule, they are glass, plastic or wooden cloth with an aluminum frame.Perhaps they lose to other types of doors in terms of design, but are considered to be easy to use and affordable.

Glass pendulum doors are made of durable tempered glass with a thickness of more than 10 mm, which, if damaged, is broken into small pieces that are not dangerous to people. Then they are covered with a shockproof film. The advantage of such doors is the stability of both mechanical stress and temperature changes. In addition, glass webs possess fire-fighting properties - they are able to stop the spread of smoke and fire for a longer evacuation. However, the valves have great weight, which means that they cannot be installed by themselves.

Metal doors made of stainless steel and filled with polyurethane foam are installed in warehouses and other industrial facilities.

You will learn more about the use of swing doors in modern interiors in the following video.