Types of Doors

As homeowners, we tend to take doors for granted, despite the fact that we use them multiple times throughout the day. They are the first part of the home we see when get home and the last part we see when we leave for work. The right door can turn a hum-drum entryway into a work of art and keep your house secure at the same time. With that in mind, this blog post will focus on the different types of doors you can choose for your home remodeling projects.

There are two basic types of doors – interior doors and exterior doors. Interior doors are, as you might suspect, doors used for bedrooms, bathrooms, and any place inside of the home and are typically safe from the elements.

Exterior doors are made to withstand the rigors of the outdoors and act as a stop-gap to help prevent intruders from entering the home. Because of this, they are studier and made of stronger material. This also means that they are more costly. When you think of exterior doors, you typically think of the front and back entryways of your home.

Interior Door Types

Below is a list of interior door types and styles you can install in your home.

Bi-fold Doors

Bi-fold doors are made up of a set of panels that are attached via hinges. When opened, the set of panels folds in the middle. This type of design is common in closets, walk-in closets, or wardrobes. Because of the design, you can cover a larger vertical space, while reducing the amount of swing arc you would require from a normal type of door, such as a hinged door.

Bi-fold doors (also known as accordion doors, concertina doors and folding sliders) are usually installed on a rack system, which can consist of a sliding rack and wheel system at the top of the panels or, in some instances, a sliding rack and wheel system at the top and bottom of the two panels.

Bypass Doors

Another choice for closets, bypass doors (also known as sliding doors), also run on an overhead track system, only they use a parallel set of tracks so that one closet door slides behind the other when you need to access your closet space.

Dutch Doors

Unless you lived in a farmhouse growing up or watched a lot of cartoons, you may have never seen a Dutch door before. Some modern homes use them in kitchens, especially if there are small children in the home. Essentially, a Dutch door is a hinged door split in half, horizontally. This allows you to open the top half of the door, while the bottom portion remains closed. This type of door might also be useful if you have pets and wish to keep them out of the kitchen, while allowing yourself to view other rooms at the same time (for instance, you can leave the bottom half closed to prevent children from entering, and pass plates through the top half for whoever is setting the dinner table).

French Doors

French doors can work as both an interior and exterior door type. When employed indoors, they are used for their decorative appeal and often have glass panels to allow more light into a space or offer a view into another room. They are perfect for areas with an extra wide entryway and make for a great transition piece between rooms.

Summary

We have only just scratched the surface when it comes to the different types of interior doors and exterior doors that you can use in your home remodeling and renovation projects. In our next part, we will look at more door types, including flush doors, pocket doors, hinged doors, panel doors and more.