Types of Doors for Interiors
The single-hinged door is the most common interior type of door. Room design must allow space for hinged doors to swing. Interior doors typically are lightweight and have two hinges; exterior doors are heavy and often use three hinges. Interior doors are usually 1-3/8 inches thick, and exterior doors are commonly 1-3/4 inches thick. A panel door is a classic style. It usually has three or four horizontal rails and three vertical stiles. The spaces between them are filled with thinner panels. Decorative molding (or some representation) called “sticking” surrounds each panel. The result is a richly textured look at home in traditional and modern settings. A flush door is a simple flat slab. It’s usually the least expensive choice. If the surface is a hardwood veneer (usually birch or oak), a flush door can be stained, but other materials generally look best painted. Flush doors blend well with contemporary settings but may look out of place in a traditional home. Interior flush doors are often hollow core, while exterior flush doors have a solid core. Exterior doors may have a metal or fiberglass face rather than wood veneer. A pair of French doors add a charming touch and an extra-wide doorway opening. These doors are almost always traditional in design. Often they have glass panels. They’re most commonly used as exterior patio doors, but interior French doors can make a stunning passageway between rooms. Many older homes have interior pocket doors, which slide into the wall when fully opened. They allow you to completely open the doorway without taking up any floor space. Pocket doors are now found in many newer homes; various styles are available, single and double. A pocket door requires wall space that doesn’t have electrical or plumbing lines running through it. A set of bifold doors is the most popular choice for a 6-foot-wide or larger closet. Each door takes up about half the swinging space of a hinged door. Bifolds can be flush, paneled, or louvered. A somewhat less common type of door is bypass doors. These operate much like sliding patio doors but are far lighter in weight. They are generally flush doors.
Types of Doors for Exteriors
Entry doors can be made of wood, metal, or fiberglass. They range from straightforward panel doors to windowed doors (the windows are sometimes referred to as “lights”), with attractive muntins or removable grills. Increasingly you can find decorative carved-wood doors. These often have rails and stiles with a carved section in the middle. They are expensive but make a memorable impression. Even the most tightly sealed entry door can benefit from the addition of a storm door. These are usually metal or vinyl, but wood models are also available. A security storm door can be locked to keep out intruders and may be heavier than a standard door. Self-storing storm doors have a window and screen. Inexpensive storm doors are often plain in design and can detract from the appearance of an entry door. You can pay more for a storm door that makes a design statement, but perhaps the best choice is a storm door that unobtrusively frames your entry door. Patio sliding doors are typically made of large panes of glass encased in wood, vinyl, or metal frames. They’re the ideal type of door when you want to maximize your view of the yard. Compared with French doors, they take up no floor space when open. A possible disadvantage is that they only open half as wide as the doorway.
