Each resident of a private house will agree that the front door opens quite often. The owners themselves go out and go, for example, into a garden or vegetable garden, to work, study, and guests often stop by, they need to let out or let in pets. Such manipulations with the front door involve the penetration into the home of cold or, conversely, warm air, which, of course, is undesirable. To prevent such a nuisance, a vestibule should be planned during the construction of the house.
What is a vestibule?
A tambour is a small space in its area between the first and second entrance doors to a residential building, that is, between the external and internal. Usually, two or three people can be in it at the same time. Shoes or some small equipment can be stored here. But the main function of these square meters is to prevent the penetration of cold air currents into the house from the outside.
There are frequent cases when the tambour in the house is not planned, since the owners of such housing do not consider it necessary to spend the area of the house on such a useless room. There is an opinion that this is just an unnecessary storage room that does not perform any useful functions. And to protect the house from cold air, the most insulated entrance metal door is installed . But this is fundamentally wrong.
The practical significance of the vestibule
Experienced builders and owners of country houses do not need to explain what a vestibule is. Each of them will say that this intermediate space between the doors is simply necessary in order to:
- in the cold season, to prevent and not let cold air into the living rooms;
- keep the house cool in hot weather during the operation of air conditioning devices;
- do not allow street heating during use on cool days;
- to stop and not to allow penetration of smoke and other unpleasant odors into the house.
How is the vestibule planned?
This room can be planned in two ways:
- be built into the house as a single building;
- can be attached additionally and look like a protruding part.
Metal vestibule doors are usually located on the leeward side, and they must be opened outside according to safety requirements, and the useful area of this room in this case is not infringed. The floor in its level should be lower than the floor level of the house itself, again in order to better restrain the cold air currents. The flooring must be safe, not slippery.
High-quality insulation is the key to maintaining heat in the house
What is a vestibule without reliable thermal insulation? Without this condition, this room will not fully fulfill its practical goals. Therefore, it is necessary to think about the insulation of the vestibule with all care. Depending on the material of the outer wall, the vestibule is insulated both inside and outside the street. Mineral wool, perlite or polystyrene can be used for internal insulation, and a thermal insulation layer with reinforcing mesh and subsequent plaster for external insulation.
The question of how to install the door to the vestibule should also be well considered. Several factors can influence the decision:
- in which climatic zone do they live;
- whether the vestibule will be heated or not;
- what are the financial opportunities, etc.
Both metal vestibule doors and solid wood can be installed, as well as simple and even interior doors. But in the latter cases, you need to beat them well with insulating material. Also make sure that there are no gaps that can subsequently let cold air through.
What to place inside the vestibule
This question depends on what is the area of the room. If it’s small, you can only put on a shoe rack and hang a few hooks for clothes, umbrellas, keys, etc. If the vestibule is spacious, you can hang a mirror, install a small closet for things and equipment, an ottoman, and also leave room for a baby stroller or sled. But at the same time, do not forget about what a vestibule is, what is its true purpose. This is not a warehouse or storage room, but a space for creating a buffer between the cold air from the street and the heat coming from the house.