Front door - plastic or aluminum

Just as a tip for looking or even buying, the Hörmann front door offer 2016. This runs until 30.06.2016, when we will order a Thermosafe front door with a glass section and side panel.

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Construction expert

And always this politically correct family that grins at you Seems to be some kind of house selling thing...

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I would inquire about the lightfastness for a colored door. Currently, I live in a rental building, and the front door is somewhat faded. It is a green door made of plastic, but it also faces south, so the sun hits it quite strongly. The house was built in 2000. For our own home, we chose an aluminum door with a metallic fine-structure coating. Supposedly, scratches, streaks, etc., are less visible on that than on smooth and matte surfaces.

The lock was a deal-breaker for us. Not only because of security, but also because of convenience. It had to be self-locking with a panic function, and opening by button or fingerprint press was an additional feature. Since then, keys have become superfluous.

Can you explain that a bit more in detail? I find it very interesting, but I think I don't fully understand it.

Self-locking: Does that mean you have to supply power to the door and that the door automatically locks itself with some kind of motor lock every time it closes? If yes, what happens in a power outage? What exactly does the "panic" refer to in this context?

Opening by button press: Is that a hand sensor like a remote control? Or how does the system know, if it is fixed next to the door, that you are authorized to open? Or is it automatically combined with fingerprint scanning? Then I would understand.

I basically like the idea of making keys obsolete. But I wonder if the gain in convenience justifies the extra cost and fear that "electronic" systems are easier to overcome than a classic, mechanical lock. I'm torn on the subject.

Thanks and best regards

There are mechanically self-locking locks and there are motorically self-locking locks. For the mechanically self-locking locks, you don’t need a power connection and it doesn’t bother them whether the power goes out or not. To open from the inside, you simply operate the handle. You can additionally lock them with the main bolt using a key. In this case, you have to open the door from the inside with a key. From the outside, these locks always have to be opened with a key. Panic locks ensure that they can always be opened in the direction of escape in an emergency, i.e., even when locked. These are usually not found in private areas. I know many people who do not additionally lock a mechanically locking lock with the main bolt. Then you have a VdS-certified locked front door lock that you can simply open at any time from the inside by operating the handle. In this lock, the optional motor is a comfort feature. You need power at the door. You can open the door with anything you can think of (intercom, button, remote control, fingerprint scanner, keypad, Bluetooth, smartphone...) and usually with a key. Remote controls are paired and are relatively tamper-proof. Whether the gain in comfort from these things is worth the extra cost to you – well, that is one of the big questions of this forum.