Door Buying Guide
Doors are generally divided into 2 different types - there are external doors that require extra strength and security measures, such as garage doors or house doors. The other type of doors are internal doors, such as those on your wardrobes and in your kitchen and bedroom. Some door specialists focus on one type of door where as others will carry a wider range. It is advised to find a company that specialises in the type of door you want - most companies will show a bias towards one type, and they will offer a wide range of doors depending on your needs.
Exterior Doors
When buying an exterior door you will obviously need to ensure that it is the appropriate size for your entry. While this may sound silly, you also need to consider the depth of the door to ensure that the lock and entry system will fit into the space required.
You will have to consider the entry system on your door. If you are buying a base door then you will have to organise for your current entry system to be transferred or a new entry system to be fitted. If you are purchasing a door which already has a built in entry system, then you will have to consider the size of the entry fitting and how much work will be required to fit the whole system.
Another important fact when purchasing a door is to consider the security required for your door. A glass panelled door might look nice, but provides marginally less security for your home. You will want to ensure that your lock and entry system is sufficient for your neighbourhood.
Interior Doors
Interior doors tend to come in a much wider variety of styles. They perform less of a function than an exterior door and have more of an aesthetic use. Although there are more styles, the most common styles for interior doors are;
Flush doors are the most basic type of door, and are simply flush on both sides. They are easily painted and varnished to fit the style of your home and offer a contemporary feel.
Panel doors are similar to flush doors but have numerous panels (often rectangular) of wood bevelled into their surface. These are the most standard type of door and have a lot of options available for them. You can vary the number of panels to your liking and you can even have curved panels to suit your the feel of your home. If required, these doors can also be painted in a decorative fashion to fir a child's bedroom or other surroundings.
Bi-folding doors bend outwards in the middle and tend to come in pairs for closets or smaller rooms and cupboards. These doors don't require to swing open and so they can be good in smaller rooms or bedrooms.
French doors are panel doors with glass panels instead of wooden panels. They brighten up most rooms by allowing more light to filter in and can make rooms feel bigger by blurring the boundary of the room. French doors bring a wonderful feel to large rooms and can be made with few or many panels as required.