Get In Touch With Local Pros Get Free Quotes Now We pass through doors everyday without giving them a second thought, but when it comes time to buy new doors, there's scarcely a detail that goes unnoticed. Familiarize yourself with the most pertinent wood door options in order to find the type that suits your needs. And keep in mind that, if you can imagine it, a custom wood door manufacturer can create it. Wood doors installed on the inside of a home typically have a thickness of 1 3/8" and are made from softwoods in order to reduce costs. Most are flat, but decorative panels add a nice touch. It's common to paint wood doors, but they can also be stained or sealed and clear coated - finishing methods which preserve the subtle warmth and natural grain of the wood. Exterior wood doors are made from hardwoods such as mahogany, oak, walnut or cherry, usually in thicknesses between 1 5/8" and 1 7/8". A raised panel door is a popular option for an exterior application - especially front entry doors.
Many homeowners also choose to add sidelites - windows placed on either side of the door to let extra light in - and/or transoms, which have the same effect, but sit above the door. As with interior wood doors, painting, staining, and clear coating are all possible. Hollow core wood doors are made with a 2" wide perimeter of solid wood to accommodate hinge and handle installation, while the rest of the door is covered with a less-expensive veneer of 3/16"-1/4" wood laminate. They are commonly used as closet or bathroom doors, as their simple construction results in low retail prices. French doors, bedroom doors, and exterior entry doors are common examples of doors with solid wood construction. Office and government buildings also use solid wood doors for their insulating and sound dampening properties. Despite their positive qualities, solid wood doors tend to expand, swell, warp, and shrink with changes in temperature and humidity. Engineered wood doors, on the other hand, are designed to avoid these problems.
These doors have a core made from multiple pieces of solid hardwood that have been sawn apart and glued back together, thus providing some give as the wood expands and contracts. A solid hardwood skin - or veneer - is applied over the core to add strength and durability. Engineered doors are ideal for use as exterior doors that are subject to yearly temperature fluctuations. The following prices are for a typical 2' 8" (32") x 6' 6" (78") interior pine wood door: The following prices are for a typical 3' (36") x 6' 8" (80") exterior oak wood door: Receive complimentary wood door estimates from prescreened and licensed professionals in your area. Save time and money by comparing prices and professionals side by side. Start now with this fast, easy, and free service!Despite some pretty dismal summers and utterly freezing winters, here in the UK we seem ever optimistic about the weather, determined to do everything we can to ‘bring the outside in’ — and what better way to take advantage of any rare glimpses of sunny weather than with doors that allow you to open up an entire section of your home to the outdoors.
What are my options? Perfect addition to period homes; Usually provided by window suppliers so can easily be designed as part of a new window scheme. Forget the 1960s problems — more modern, sleek designs have now been introduced, making the frames almost invisible; They can be designed as ‘pocket doors’ that slide away into cavities within the wall; A great option for large apertures as each panel can be far wider than the typical maximum width of 1.1m for a folding sliding door panel. Give a clean, sleek finish and usually run on tracks that lie flush with the floor. If your opening is relatively small (around 4m or less), folding sliding doors will not block much of the opening when open; Bear in mind though that this style of door stacks – when open – at a 90° angle to the track, so there needs to be a clear area at one side of the opening (either inside or out) for them to sit. What materials are available? Aluminium is the perfect choice for contemporary homes, allowing for very slim frames on doors and comes in a range of finishes;
If you are considering French doors because you feel they will fit in with your traditional-style home, timber will be the best option. Softwood will be the cheaper option, but will require a little more upkeep to remain in good condition than those with hardwood frames; Doors with aluminium exteriors and timber interiors offer the benefits of seeing the beauty of the timber inside, whilst the aluminium exterior has greater resistance against the elements. How does glazing differ from one door to another? With the trend towards minimal sightlines (as low as 60mm) the performance of the glazing becomes increasingly important. Any large expanse of glazing will mean potential heat loss and you will need to choose carefully. All new and replacement windows must comply with Part L of the Building Regulations, which states that any glazed doors must achieve a minimum U value of 1.6, but you can often pay for upgrades from the standard glazing offered — reducing U values much further (on triple-glazed models especially).
Standard double glazing is commonly 24mm or 28mm thick. It often has a low E-coating which improves energy efficiency and will be toughened or laminated safety glass that complies with Building Regulations. How do level thresholds work? A level threshold (where the floor track that the doors run on is flush with the floor and the internal and external floor levels are the same height) is perfect for those with mobility issues and also works well with young children, allowing them to run in and out without constantly tripping up. However, to work successfully, the space must remain watertight and so good drainage must be incorporated into the design (try ACO’s Doorway Drain). The floor in front of the threshold should slope gently away so that water cannot pool in front of the doors. Another option is to build up the external floor level with a timber deck, that gives the appearance of a level threshold without the risk of water ingress. What will they cost?
Expect to pay from around £1,200 per linear metre, plus VAT. You will probably be asked to pay a deposit, with the full amount due on delivery. How do I compare suppliers? “The price range is very wide, but what a lot of clients don’t seem to realise is that the differences in quality are also very wide,” says Charlie Sharman, Managing Director at Cantifix (who supply Schuco doors). If you’re choosing aluminium, check that the frame has been designed to be thermally broken, which will combat heat loss and condensation problems. Kloeber’s range, for instance, is made up of extruded aluminium profiles insulated with a polyamide thermal break. Track systems also vary. Ideally they should be stainless steel and the mounting on which they sit should be extruded aluminium. The robustness of the hinges is another differential between the better and not-so-good models. Some systems use a cast aluminium hinge, which will never last with regular use and are easy to break into.