An often overlooked feature of any home would be the door. Doors do a lot more than just open and close, they separate rooms, surfaces and they also stop pesky things from entering your home such as the weather, the sound of your neighbour’s old Ford Cortina starting up, unwanted people or a Gazelle. They come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, styles and materials however their purpose still remains the same.
So what door is right for your home? Well whether the door is solid, glass, louvered or half glass it should complement the look and feel of the wall where it is placed so skirtings, mouldings and trims are all complemented by its presence. It should also suit your needs so if, for example, you’ve just had all of your walls sound insulated, the last thing you would want is sound to still come through to your room thanks to having a hollow-core door.
There are many kinds of doors with specific names, depending on their purpose. The most common type of door is the single-leaf door which consists of a single rigid panel which fills the doorway. There are numerous variations on this design such as the double-leaf door or double doors. Below is a list of some of the door types available.
- Dutch door/ Stable Door
- Saloon Doors
- Batwing Doors
- Blind Door
- Barn Door
- French Door
- Louvred Door
- Flush Door
- Moulded Door
- Ledge and Brace Door
- Wicket Door
- Bifold Door
- Arcadia/Sliding Glass Door
- Australian Door
Since its introduction during the great housing boom, the Hollow-core door consists of 2 thin plywood or hardwood faces with supports between to keep the door rigid, these are often made from cardboard. These doors are light and cheap but are poor at sound insulation and are prone to damage. However they provide a flush face for paint or staining and are easily installed or replaced.
Because solid wood doors are not as budget sensitive as these hollow-core doors, manufacturers started to develop the engineered wood door. These doors are faced with a high-quality wooden veneers which are placed upon a core made from either high-density fiberboard/hardboard with higher quality engineered doors may use hardwood sticking (the pieces that go between the panels) to the sides and below – called the stiles and the rails. Top quality doors will also have hardwood support where screwholes are located for good adhesion without stripping. These doors, like solid wood doors, come in raised panel and flat panel styles. They can be stained or painted but typically have veneered faces that are suitable for staining.
Once you have chosen your door you will want to finish it (providing it hasn’t already been done for you!) For the best protection you should first apply a basecoat to all surfaces of the door – ensuring maximum protection. Once this has been done you will need to seal the end grain of the wood at the top and bottom of the door stiles as well as all joints before finally applying 2 coats of Top Coat to ensure you have a fantastic durable finish
Depending on the weather conditions Oak doors generally need a recoat every year, although with hardwood doors it is recommended to check the finish every six months and recoat as necessary.
We hope that this information has helped you in choosing the right doors for your home and given you some help in finishing your doors.
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