The global interior doors market will be valued at $85,410 million within the next few years. Surprisingly, a huge percentage of that amount is spent on unsuitable doors that owners replace after a while. If you’ve stumbled upon this article, you can probably relate.
Finding a door that complements your interior design can be quite tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right tactics, you can easily find the right internal door for your home. In this detailed guide, we will discuss what you need to know about internal doors. This will help you make a more informed buying decision.
Let’s get started, shall we?
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Types of internal doors
There are different types of internal doors in the market, which is probably why many people get confused. Visiting reliable sellers such as Internal Doors UK might increase the chances of picking a perfect door, but you must also know what you really want.
These are the most common types of internal doors:
- Solid wood doors
- Engineered wood core doors
- Hollow two-skin doors
- Glass doors
Solid wood core doors
This type is typically made from a single huge piece of wood. Solid wood core doors are usually excellent for renovating homes and can be customized to match specific requirements. However, these doors are prone to cracking over time. They are also not fire doors, but you can add a veneer to make them handle fire more efficiently.
Hollow two-skin doors
Hollow two-skin doors are usually lighter and cheaper than most options out there, making them budget-friendly. Their core is mostly a lattice or honeycomb of corrugated cardboard, thin wooden slats, or polystyrene foam. Plus, these doors don’t contract or expand. However, they are less robust than most regular doors.
Engineered wood doors
Engineered doors are pretty strong as they are made of several layers of timber put in different directions and glued together. This makes them less likely to change shape or twist compared to regular wood doors. Plus, they provide excellent thermal and sound insulation.
Glazed doors
As the name suggests, these are typically made of glass, but they could also be combined with other materials such as wood for maximum strength. Glass doors allow you to make any room lighter and bigger.
There are different types of glass doors. So, you can choose those with transparent or translucent glass depending on the amount of privacy you need.
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Styles of interior doors
Since you now know the different types of interior doors, let’s discuss the various styles you can choose from. This will help you pick a style that offers the privacy, security and design you need for your different rooms.
Bi-fold doors
Bi-fold or folding doors use hinges and a sliding mechanism to open and close. They are made from materials such as glass, wood or metal. Bi-fold doors allow in plenty of sunlight, making them suitable for small spaces like kitchen pantries, bedroom closets and laundry rooms. You could also use them in rooms that connect to balconies and gardens.
Double doors
These are a pair of doors that meet at the centre of the frame. They open separately to different hinges like most doors. These stylish doors make your house look more aesthetic and spacious. However, they occupy space, thus making them suitable for big houses.
French doors
French doors are another excellent style booster as they effortlessly complement most interior designs. They are mostly made of wood and glass that extends from top to bottom. French doors are a perfect choice for dividing spaces in your home as they offer a great visual connection while still maintaining privacy.
Most French doors are white since that provides an expensive look, but you can paint them any colour to match your needs. They are perfect for kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and entryways.
Pocket doors
Pocket doors slide into an open space in the wall. This could be one door that slides into one side of the wall or two doors that use both sides. They are great for partitioning houses with small spaces such as study rooms, storage areas, closets and kid’s rooms.
Pocket doors might seem complicated, but they are pretty simple to use. They can be made of wood, glass, metal or a combination of different materials.
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Choosing the size of your internal door
Size is a crucial factor that most people ignore as they assume all doors are similar. Doing so could lead you to buy a bigger or smaller door than your frame, thus wasting money.
When renovating your home, ensure you measure the exact size of your door before ordering another. Nowadays, you can order a ready-made door online, which increases the chances of buying the wrong size. Luckily, you can avoid that mistake by sending the correct measurements to ensure you get a door that will fit perfectly in the frame.
When building or remodeling your house, also ensure you have the exact measurements you need, especially if you’ll install sliding or pocket doors.
Do you need fire doors?
Fire safety doors have become quite popular today as they help slow down the spread of fire from one part of the house to another. You need fire doors if your property is more than two storeys or if you have converted your loft. You could also need them in an integral garage.
Fire safety doors are usually more expensive than standard doors. But you can easily convert your standard doors into fire safety doors if need be.
If you have been wondering how to pick the right internal door for your project, we hope this article was helpful. Besides applying the above tips, ensure you research more on the specific door you want since most doors don’t match every interior design.