Handyman Made, Home Single and Double Steel Security Doors
Often when starting something new such as a career or developing a business idea, it always seems overwhelming and challenging to make it work. Among the services I offered as the Handyman, metalwork repairs was not what I imagined I would be able to do. But, it could also be a good idea to be able to attend to Clients requesting such services. I thought to myself, perhaps if I get a simple small welding machine, I could start practicing. Eventually if I get better at it, I could take on metal works whether repairs or creation orders.
Well, practice and patience are exactly what got me here, a request to build two security metal doors for a single and a double opening at a Client's house.
Feeling safe in your house is one of the reason that makes a house a home. This particular Client decided to secure a door opening in one of the bedrooms of her house as well as a double opening in the living room. I received a request from this Client to build two metal security doors with simple designs.
Many people unfortunately do not know that it doesn't require much 'breaking' to break in through aluminum openings. Thieves might have prior knowledge from perhaps spending a few months working for aluminum opening companies. The method of removing the glass panes can be easily learnt, unfortunately.
Tip: When ordering aluminum doors and windows, always ask your manufacturer to have the glass pane clips to appear on the inside. The risk that I can think of when doing this could perhaps be the rain water, but that's a very minimal risk that occurs when the rubber band is not inserted properly. Having the border clips on the inside prevents the glass from being removed.
As you can see (or not see) in the photo below, the triangular bar clips that hold the glass panes appear on the outside. It exposes and renders the door vulnerable to break ins.
Installing a security door is a must in this case.
The thing with security doors is that sometimes it may seem too imposing and not aesthetically nice to look at. I suggested that we could at least make them to match the existing aluminum openings. Of course before starting anything, I took some measurements and notes regarding direction of openings etc.
After that, as is my usual procedure, I got in front of my computer and started sketching the 3D models.
I used to draw using pencil, ruler and paper but nothing beats a simple line drawing software. It saves a lot of time drawing out multiple possibilities that could be proposed to Clients. It took me a few days to complete sketches of both doors and preparing the list of materials and their prices from the hardware store for the purpose of my quote.
This would be a completely Handyman Made Home Security Steel Doors.
My sketch proposals as well as my quote were accepted and I started working as soon as the materials were delivered to my workshop.
For this project, it would require the following:
45mm by 45mm Galvanized Square Steel Tubes 12mm Steel Bars
3 pairs of Bullet Hinges
Some 80mm long concrete screws
Primer and Paint
I remember I had security cameras installed at home and for that I needed to fix four metal tubes as poles on which the cameras would be installed nice and high. Conveniently, I had just purchased an 24L Air Compressor which was meant to facilitate multiple jobs. I used the compressor to spray paint these poles and man, how I enjoyed that.
A lot of stories will be written on my tools and how I came to acquire them, that will be done on separate posts from time to time.
For this particular order, it is best using an Air Spray to coat with paint. This method allows the paint to access the hard corners and not to mention the effectiveness of the time it takes to coat. It also renders a neat and uniform layer of coating with exactly the finish you want whether matte or glossy finish.
But before getting to the painting, of course the doors had to be made first. It started from cutting to length all parts which would make up the frame structure as well as the vertical bars.
Welding together the frames with the tubes in between was quite fun. I won't hide the fact that there were a few times where the welding didn't go right or the 45 degree cut were not really 45 degrees. These orders require much attention and once you get going, you don't want to stop... at least that is the case for Yvan The Handyman. Every new welding job is an opportunity to practice and improve. These challenges whether relating to cutting or welding should be learning opportunities. It also helps to know how to properly adjust and operate every machine and power tools.
When building such structures, there are quite a few steps to consider and when exactly to execute them in the whole process. Let's consider the vertical 12mm bars. They each had to be full lengths from top to bottom. So the steel tubes which the bars would pass through needed to be drilled right after cutting the tubes to length. These 12mm holes should be done using a Drill press for precision. Once I was done with the drilling, I assembled the frames together with the bars and got on with the welding.
I was very much eager to get to the coating part but it was very important to not rush the welding process. When the frames were done, I welded the hinges and made sure everything aligned correctly. I then finally moved on to painting each part using my Air Compressor. At that point I had two frames which would remain fix, double doors and a single door which all needed to have a coat of primer and neat coat of paint.
I kept the sections separate, standing to dry. I gave them two days to dry in the workshop and allow the smell of paint to dissipate. I believe it makes better impression when delivering a clean product without any uncomfortable smell, specially when these will be installed in the home.
It is essential to plan beforehand how the installation would proceed. This prevents any unnecessary mess made at someone house. Always have contingency plans for whatever may go wrong. It could be anything from breaking drill bits to having to adjust frames to fit in a space. This is where I met with an obstacle. Unfortunately, I did not take into account the tile skirting. Fortunately, I came prepared with the appropriate tools. I adjusted the bottoms corners and welded them closed. I also brought along Primer and Paint for last minute touch-ups. It took about 30 minutes extra but it is worth it.
Above all, I welcomed these obstacles, they add to the list of solutions if I would be faced with similar situation in the future or avoid them as much as I can.
I completed the installation and installed the locks. I tested the doors in front of the Client. It is also a common practice of mine to assist the Client in using the product to make sure it works smoothly and whether it requires any further adjustments.
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It is always a pleasure sharing my experiences, the challenges and how I overcome them. Delivering the best products and services to my Clients is my priority.
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