Types Of Doors : A Short Guide

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Written by Mark Walters

Tuesday, 08 June 2010 08:13

The doors in your house can be a burden if they're not properly fitted, are poor quality, heavy, or won't latch or unlatch right. Without really being aware of it, you use your home's doors a lot more than you might think, so even a small problem quickly becomes annoying, because you have to deal with it so often. Therefore, it certainly pays to put the time and effort in when deciding what doors to buy and when fitting them.

by MarkWalters

Without even giving it much thought, we use the doors in our house a lot. New doors can either be a valuable addition, or a hindrance, based on the size, shape, materials, how well they are made, and how well they fit. Instead of installing cheap doors that are too heavy or don't close or open properly, why not put in the time effort to get and fit ones that don't cause you any problems. It's certainly worthwhile to do so.

When we take a little extra time to consider all the options, materials, colors, and styles of our home's exterior doors, they can say a lot about our home and its characteristics. Let's face it - they are the first thing guests sees when they come over. Of course, a nice sturdy door not only looks pleasing, it holds up to constant use, the elements, and even keeps us safe from break-in attempts.

Although the color and building material of the door are important to us, they aren't nearly as important as how the door is going to function. Glass doors, for instance, can be made of a very durable shatter-resistant material. Wooden doors can be very sturdy too, depending on the wood used. When picking out a wooden door, be certain it is made out of hardwood (ash and oak are excellent choices). It's necessary to consider the width and thickness of the door's rails and stiles too. Adequate weather sealing is also essential to keep out the harsh weather.

Insulated doors of metal or fiberglass make great doors for regions subject to sub-arctic climates. A quality metal or fiberglass door offers superior protection against the elements like brutal wind, rain, and snow, with an internal layer of thermal insulation. With this type of well-insulated door, moisture and frost cannot invade your doorjamb, thereby further protecting your home from weather damage over a period of months and years.

Then there's interior doors. Here's a brief overview of the four main styles of interior doors for the inside of your house. There's pocket, folding, conventional hinged, and bypass doors. Working much like a paper fan, folding doors actually fold to close, and unfold to open. They are typically seen in closets that have many shelves, or in other tight spots that a conventional hinged door will not completely open.

A pocket door is used for closets, too, or other such areas for storage. This type of singular door is typically suspended with small wheels into a track, in which the door moves back and forth, sliding into a specific hole or "pocket" area when open. Bypass doors similarly move along the same type of track system, and are used for the same purposes. The difference is, there are two or more doors on separate tracks that go behind or in front off the other doors while open.

So, as you can see, it does take some extra thought, energy, time, and money to effectively choose and install quality doors in your home. If done right the first time, though, this hard work and expense will pay off in the long run, as you will be sparing yourself the headache of repairing or replacing substandard doors, and gaining a valuable addition to your house and its value for decades to come!

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