A flat entrance door that is not entirely yours
In the blocks in Génicart, Carriet and Les Iris, the entrance door to the home has generally been fitted or replaced by the landlord during the refurbishment works. Reinforcing it requires their written agreement, all the more so because the landing is a communal area and the appearance of the doors was often standardised on that occasion. Even before looking at a technical solution, the first step is an administrative one: write to the managing organisation, describe what you want to do, and ask on what terms they will allow it.
Technically, these homes have one advantage and one limitation. The advantage: the frames are recent or have been made good, properly anchored, and many doors already lock at several points up the height of the leaf. The limitation: the landing leaves little room to manoeuvre, access is by a stairway or a modestly sized lift, and movement through the communal areas genuinely counts. That often points towards reinforcing what is already there rather than replacing the whole assembly.
Village doors: measure up before dreaming of a security door set
Houses in old Lormont have entrances that bear no relation to market standards: tall leaves, a glazed fanlight above, sometimes a double door, frames set into the stone. An assembly in a common size does not always fit, and made-to-measure becomes the rule rather than the exception. In return, old masonry offers solid anchorage, provided you know how to work with it and do not settle for plugs driven into tired render.
The question of external appearance also arises, since these doors face the street and are part of the character of the riverside village centre. Before starting work that changes a façade visible from the public street, check with the town's planning department which formalities apply at your address. One last piece of common sense: reinforcing the main entrance while a rear yard remains reachable from a lane moves the problem rather than solving it.
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 Lormont.