How to secure your flat
ight when the doorbell rings. You glance through the peephole and see a creepy person standing outside. Maybe heХs a thief or maybe heХs your neighbor hoping to borrow a cup of milk.
No matter who he is, you probably donХt want him busting into your digs with one swift kick. These are the moments when you probably wished youХd had a steel-clad door.
If you live in a standard apartment, installing a steel door is not paranoia. Most Soviet-era doors can easily be knocked out with a shoulder, and most locks can be picked with a hair pin.
Maybe thatХs why the number of firms offering door-installation services is growing daily. If you donХt know where to begin your search, the best source is to check RIO or Kyiv Na Dolonyakh, classified ad newspapers which have sections devoted to bronedveri (Steel doors).
Prices vary tremendously depending on what you want. But in many cases you can find an adequate door for about half the price of a top-the-line model.
If you want an inexpensive door installed quickly, call Bronedveri at 413-4726, 510-2954, 458-7529 or 558-5582.
The cheapest doors run about Hr 495 each, but thatХs the price for the smaller doors of the ТkhrushchovkaУ apartments. You can get a larger door for about Hr 745.
Generally, you need only place an order by telephone and give your address. The next day, (or whenever you find it convenient) someone will come to measure your door. You also order the lock and the keys, which costs between Hr 5 and Hr 30.
The next day, a pair of workers will come to install your door. The process takes no longer than an hour and a half. Some firms charge a minimum of Hr 500 per square meter for installation, which is about Hr 800 per door. You buy your own lock, handles and a peephole, and bring it to the firm. The whole process takes about two weeks.
HereХs the list of things to keep in mind.
Ґ You can order various types of coating: leatherette is the cheapest, wood is the most expensive.
Ґ Some firms hang doors on two hinges, and some on three. Three is better, because the heavy doors tend to sink with time.
Ґ Some firms drill the walls, push the pins through the concrete and hang the doors on those pins. This method is more expensive but also more reliable. Other firms simply attach the pins to a metal frame.
If you live on the first floor, you will probably also want metal bars on your windows. RIO is a good source for those advertisements as well, and the price structure is similar to that of the doors.
The prices vary from Hr 80 to Hr 200 per square meter of the window. (The price of metal has risen three-fold since June and continues to rise.)
If you donХt want to feel like youХre living in a prison cell, install bars that open. Tetris is one of the most expensive, but also one of the most popular firms that install opening bars. The number is 216-7804. Work takes one week or less depending on how many windows you have.
Anna Kozmina
