Top Types Of Residential Doors

Doors are an essential feature of your home. Selecting the right type will impact how your home operates, feels and looks. Doors not only help you enter the home but welcome you into individual rooms inside.

The right choice of doors can produce a dramatic impact on comfort, convenience  and aesthetics of your home. Identify the various needs of your home and come up with a creative solution of doors which are not only attractive but also practical. You can choose from basic and simple hinged doors to custom interior glass doors.

Here are the main types of residential doors available in the market:

Hinged Doors

They are the most common type but vary in terms of locking mechanisms, shapes, handles and material. Such doors are as basic as they come. Typically, a hinged door features  either a solid wooden panel door or a door with a hollow core, stuck to a door jamb using  two  hinges or more. Extra hinges may be needed for supporting taller doors. Sturdier and stronger hinges are needed for heavier doors. The door may feature lever or  knob entry, locks and mechanism for self closing.

Bi-Fold Doors

Such doors feature two panels stuck by hinges that fold in the middle when opened. The best way to look at it is as a standard, basic hinged door, though with additional set of hinges in the middle. Mostly the outermost panel has a top corner which is connected to a rail running across the upper portion of the door frame, such that it just slides via the width of the doorway. This design of doors needs much less space than hinged doors.

French Doors

They are like hinged doors, typically found in pairs which are made of light wooden joinery that frames big panels of glass or other transparent material.  They make for custom glass front doors. They provide plenty of light in rooms as well as a clear, unobstructed view of the outdoors. Toughened glass is used for extra security.

Stable  Doors

Also called as Dutch doors, they are hinged doors, which are split horizontally at the center, permitting  bottom and top halves to close and open independently. They are usually used in farm houses with top part opening to let the air in and bottom half closed to prevent entry of farm animals.

Stacker Doors

They allow huge openings in homes allowing you to open  a complete wall to another room or outside. These doors resemble sliding doors but feature more moving panels. They are found commonly in shower screens made of glass wherein a three panel door has two panels which slide back and stack on top of the third. Such doors have aluminum framing to provide strength and let in light.

Sliding Doors

They make great use of space and allow bigger entry than traditional hinged doors. These doors feature single  fixed panel, connected to two hangers on rollers that slide along a track. The panel slides back and forth for creating an opening in the door.

Tilt Doors

Commonly used for sheds and garages. They  feature a single big panel attached to two hinges and various springs at top of the door, on right and left sides. To open, the door is lifted and it tilts back. Such doors suit practically any landscape.

These are some of the main types of residential doors.