An armoured door lasts for decades, but only if you look after it now and then, exactly as you do with your car. A few simple jobs are enough to keep it quiet, smooth and secure over the years.
An armoured door should be serviced at least once a year, twice if it is heavily used or exposed to the outside, and it comes down to three jobs: lubricating the cylinder, lubricating the hinges and bolts, and cleaning the panel. These are things you can do yourself in half an hour.
The rest, meaning the fine adjustment and the more delicate checks, is best left to a technician. Here I explain what you can do with your own hands and when it is wiser to call in someone who knows the job.
In this guide I explain:
- how often to service your front door
- the three jobs you can do yourself, step by step
- when the door needs adjusting and what the warning signs are
- what you should never do, so you do not make things worse
Let’s start with the simplest question: how often.
How often it should be serviced
For a front door in good condition, one check a year is enough. It is the right frequency for most homes, where the door works in a dry, sheltered setting.
It rises to twice a year if the door is heavily worked or exposed: an armoured front door that opens straight onto the outside, in rain and sun, or the door of a business with dozens of openings a day, needs more frequent attention.
In these cases one check in spring and one in autumn keep everything in order.
The three jobs you can do yourself
DIY maintenance is made up of three jobs, all within your reach. You do not need special tools, just a suitable lubricant and a cloth.
Lubricating the cylinder
The cylinder is the heart of the lock and should be lubricated with a specific product, never with any old oil. A light spray into the keyway, then slip the key in and turn it a few times so the lubricant spreads.
For the exact steps, you’ll find everything in the guide on how to lubricate a euro cylinder lock.
In the video below you can see the three steps of lubrication in practice.
Lubricating the hinges and bolts
The hinges, the pivots the leaf turns on, should be oiled on the pins with a spray oil. Once you have applied the product, open and close the door five or six times so it runs along the whole pin.
The same goes for the bolts: throw the bars out as far as they go by turning the key and wipe on a thin film of lubricant, so the locking stays smooth.
Cleaning the panel
The wooden or laminate panel should be cleaned only with a soft, slightly damp cloth, with no harsh products. No solvents, alcohol or abrasive sponges, which ruin the finish.
A wipe now and then keeps the door looking good and protected from dust.
When the door needs adjusting
Over time the leaf settles and can drop by a few millimetres under its own weight, starting to rub or close badly. When this happens, the door needs adjusting, meaning the hinges are set to bring it back into position.
Adjusting the hinges lets you raise the armoured door, move it sideways and bring it closer to or further from the frame. On many models this is done with an Allen key on the adjustable pivots, and it is a job you can sometimes try yourself, while other times it is better left to a technician.
I explain the procedure in the guide on how to adjust and realign an armoured door.
In the video below you can see how an armoured door is adjusted in a few seconds.
The signs it is worth calling a technician
Some symptoms tell you it is time to bring in a professional, not to push on with DIY. Ignoring them means risking being locked out or forcing a mechanism that is already struggling.
A key that turns with difficulty or a lock that jams is the clearest sign: in that case, first read what to do in the article on a jammed armoured door lock, and if it does not sort itself out, call support.
New draughts, a door that closes stiffly or that moves even when shut point to seals that need looking at or an adjustment that is due.
If instead you notice drops of water on the inner surface, it is a problem of condensation on the armoured door, which has separate causes and remedies.
Maintenance changes with the seasons
The climate tests your front door in different ways through the year. Knowing how helps you prevent the nuisances rather than chase them.
In summer the heat expands the materials and wooden parts can swell, making the leaf rub: if the door starts to resist in the warm months, a small adjustment and a clean of the seals is often enough.
In winter, on the other hand, the temperature gap between outside and inside can bring condensation and damp: airing the rooms regularly and checking the draught excluders keep the situation under control.
What you should never do
There are two mistakes that do more harm than missing the maintenance itself. Keep them in mind before you touch the door.
Do not put chemicals, solvents or abrasives on the panel, because they ruin the finish, often beyond repair.
And do not take the lock or the hinges apart on your own if you do not know exactly what you are doing: refitting a security component badly is worse than leaving it as it was.
Ariete support makes the difference
A well-kept armoured door lasts for decades, and with Ariete you are never on your own in keeping it that way. After-sales support is handled by in-house technicians trained at the Accademia della Posa in Opera in Genoa, Italy’s leading fitting academy, not by an outside call centre.
This means original spare parts, work done by people who truly know our doors, and a two-year warranty on materials and operation. If you want to understand in detail how the door you are looking after is built, read also how an armoured door is made.
Want an armoured door that stays efficient over the years, with people who really follow it up? Tell us about your situation and what you need: a few details are enough to get started.
Conclusions
Maintaining an armoured door is simple and makes the difference between a door that lasts ten years and one that lasts thirty. One check a year, the three basic jobs done with the right products and an eye on the warning signs are enough to keep it secure and quiet.
When the door starts to ask for more than a simple spot of lubrication, do not push on with DIY: a properly done adjustment or a check of the components, left to a technician, bring it back to life.
Are you thinking of replacing an old front door that will no longer let itself be fixed?
At Ariete we design and fit the complete armoured door and follow it up over time with our own technicians.
Frequently asked questions
At least once a year for a front door in normal conditions, twice if it is heavily used or exposed to the outside. A regular check costs little and greatly extends the life of the door.
Yes, the three basic jobs are well within reach: lubricating the cylinder, hinges and bolts and cleaning the panel. The fine adjustment and the checks on security components, however, are best left to a technician.
A lubricant suited to locks and cylinders. A few drops or a short spray into the keyway are enough, then turn the key a couple of times to spread it well.
It needs adjusting at the hinges to raise it and bring it back square. On some models this is done with an Allen key, but if you are not sure it is best to call a technician so you do not throw the alignment off further.
Because the heat expands the materials and wooden parts can swell slightly, making the leaf rub. It is usually solved with a small adjustment and a clean of the seals.
