A flat door is not a door like any other
In a block, the door to a home opens onto shared space. Replacing or cladding it requires the written agreement of the landlord or the co-owned building, and compliance with what has been set for the stairwell: which way it opens, how it looks from the landing, and where applicable the fire resistance of the leaf, required in many blocks of flats. Reinforcement also makes a door heavier: the hinges and the frame have to take it, which is checked on site before anything is committed to.
Sometimes a more measured solution answers the need better. Protecting the cylinder with a guard, resetting poorly anchored strike plates, adding anti-lift pins: on a flat door that is already sound, these steps correct the real weak link for a fraction of the work. Consistency matters more than headline performance. A very strong door leaf is of little use if the cellar that belongs to you closes with a simple padlock in the basement of the residence, two floors below.
On the hillside: the structure first, the logistics second
On houses on the slope, how well reinforcement holds depends entirely on what surrounds it. A frame bedded into old masonry gives excellent anchorage; an entrance rebuilt as part of a lightweight extension, far less so. The survey therefore covers the door frame, the wall behind it and the threshold, before any product is even discussed. There is a further constraint specific to Cenon’s post-war houses: original doors sometimes have dimensions that match no standard set, and a made-to-measure build becomes necessary.
That leaves delivery, which is often underestimated. A security door set is heavy and bulky; it has to be carried up climbing streets, taken up an outside staircase, sometimes through a narrow gate or a stairwell with no lift. This is dealt with at the survey stage, with measurements of the route and the parking to arrange in front of the access. Finally, if the outward appearance of the door changes and it is visible from the public road, ask the town’s planning department about the formalities that apply at your address.
How does this service work?
Techniques, typical situations, standards and things to watch out for: it is all on our door reinforcement page. This page focuses on what the service involves in Cenon.