When decorating or renovating your home, many things take priority. Paint color, lighting, and furniture placement. Some essential elements are often overlooked, one of them being the most used element of the home: your door.
A front door sets the tone and expectations for the rest of your home. You need a door that is just as aesthetically pleasing as it is energy efficient, and finding doors based on your needs takes time. Doors get an incredible amount of use, and you should spend as much time choosing new types of doors for home as you would choosing a new paint color.
So, how will you choose?
Steps When Choosing the Right Types of Doors for Your Home
The purpose of a door is simple: offer safety and privacy, and look good while doing it. While you can overlook the appearance of a door, it’s important to ensure that it fits your needs in aesthetics and functionality.
Location, Location, Location!
A door meant for the bathroom can’t also be the front door to your home. When selecting a door, choosing the right door for the location you're looking to fill should be your priority.
There are a few locations you should think about when choosing a new core door:
- Entry Door/Exterior Door
- Interior Doors
- Bedroom/Bathroom Door
Front doors must be sturdy and durable, as they will face the most use. Many common exterior door styles include wood, steel, fiberglass, and metal doors.
Their overall aesthetic appearance can negate the upfront cost of wooden doors, but many homeowners choose to use more cost-effective steel doors and aluminum doors. It's also highly recommended to invest in storm doors as well.
Entry doors and exit doors have a range of door types. Sliding glass doors are excellent as back patio doors, and nothing beats beautiful french doors opening out onto your backyard.
Popular Types of Door Frames and Designs
The design of your door adds a special touch to the design of your home, but can also impact the types of doors opening for effective use of space. Here are some different door design types and their uses:
Fiberglass Doors
These doors are timeless, durable, and energy-efficient, making them excellent. They are reinforced plastic doors with a polyurethane insulating core. Because they are fiber-reinforced with plastic, they are long-lasting, durable, and require minimal maintenance.
Screen & Sliding Doors
Sliding doors are often made of glass and lead out into the backyard/patio. Sliding patio doors often include a screen door, which is strongest when the screen is aluminum. Though sliding doors can be exterior, pocket doors are a different type of interior sliding door that takes inspiration from sizable sliding barn doors.
Pocket doors work best when space is limited, making them great for bathrooms and closets. They are not great for damping noise, as they do not close as firmly as traditional doors. These types of doors can replace bi-fold doors.
Bifold doors are folding doors made from panels that fold up like an accordion. They have long since gone out of style, as this type of collapsible door feels outdated compared to newer alternatives, such as louvered doors and other types of collapsible doors.
If it's within your budget, and you like the idea of an unconventional door, try pivot doors! These large doors are stunning to look at and save on space, just like a pocket door.
Wooden Doors
Wooden doors come in various shapes and sizes and have many different designs.
Panel doors can either be made entirely of wood or have a hollow core. Paneled doors can be highly durable and make great exterior doors.
Flush doors are also known as timber doors, as they are wooden timber frames with a solid core and finished with plywood. Core flush doors are best in a room that requires light and cross-ventilation.
When buying a wooden door, whether panel or flush, always spring the extra money for a solid wood option; it's worth it long-term.
French Doors
French doors are double doors or hinged doors. They are exterior and interior swing doors for easier installation and access to different areas of the home.
Dutch Doors
A Dutch door is split halfway down the middle, with the top and bottom half opening separately. These swinging doors are perfect for when you want sunshine or a nice breeze.
Ledged Doors & Braced Doors
These quaint and traditional doors are recommended for indoor use only and are extremely sturdy due to their framed, ledged, and braced construction. They are constructed from vertical panels, which give the door extra support. The brace prevents the door from sagging over time.
Slab Doors
A slab door is the basic outline of a door: a flat slab of wood, metal, or fiberglass without any hardware or frames. They are generally less expensive, but require more extensive installation than framed doors.
Importance of Door Materials
Choosing a door with suitable material is essential for the upkeep of your home, as a well-built door requires very little maintenance.
Fiberglass doors are incredibly sturdy and versatile. They require very little maintenance and are energy efficient, meaning they will save you money eventually.
Wood doors are also very energy efficient while providing soundproofing for your home. They can withstand years of daily use while still maintaining their beauty.
Polyvinyl Chloride, or PVC, is an excellent material for interior doors. PVC doors make ideal bathroom doors because they won't degrade in a moist environment; no fading or rotting here!
Metal and aluminum are common types of materials used for rolling shutter doors and screen doors, as they are durable, strong, and weather-resistant.
No matter your door style, choosing types of doors and windows is an essential step in building your home, and you can trust us at
Atlanta Area Window & Door Co to answer all your questions when choosing the right core doors for your home. We act like revolving doors – work with us once, and you'll keep coming back for more!