Interior Doors

Types of Interior Doors:

Folding (or bi-fold) doors are often used to conceal a wide space where a conventional door's swing would be cumbersome or restricted. Mounted in hinged-together pairs, folding doors combine the actions of both sliders and hinged doors, using both end pivots and overhead tracks.

Bypass doors (sliding doors), are often used on closets or storage areas, are lightweight interior doors that hang from rollers that run along an overhead track. They're typically mounted in pairs or threes; they bypass one another to allow access.

A pocket door is another type of slider that is ideal for places where there isn't room for a door to swing. It slides into a cavity, or "pocket," in the wall.

Hinged Doors

Hinged doors may be either right or left handed. A door that opens toward you and has the door knob on the right is right handed. A door hinged on the opposite side is left handed.

While hinged doors come in many styles, the most common )especially in older homes) have panels. These panels can be recessed or raised.

These panels are set inside a framework, consisting of two stiles that run vertically at the edges, and two or more rails that run horizontally between the stiles.

The hinges are on one stile, called the hinge stile; the latch and/or lock are on the other, the lock stile. Flush doors have a core of insulating material, or filler material between the rails and stiles and a veneer that overlays both sides of the entire assembly. These are often used by builders in newer homes because they cost less than the panelled doors.

Most hinged doors are attached by two or three hinges to their frames. The frame (which supports the door) consists of a jamb, a casing, stops, a sill, and a threshold.

The jamb forms the sides and head of the frame, and the casing acts as trim for the jamb. The stops are wood strips against which the door fits when closed.

A few common styles of interior doors:

Colonial

These designs, which stress an Early American look, can be grand, classic, and elegant, often featuring eight-panel solid-wood construction and raised molding.

Contemporary

This style has a modern look that utilizes the most popular current trends, including strikingly stark flush doors with stained-wood facings, single glass panel designs, ornate geometric grills, and simple, sleek hardware. A good, less expensive alternative with much the same look as a wood door is a medium-density fiberboard (MDF) door. This type is solid and won't swell or bind. In addition, it takes a paint finish well. MDF doors come primed and ready to be painted.

Farmhouse

These designs reflect the Old World style adopted on American farms by some of the first European settlers. They typically feature square or rectangular recessed panels that project architectural simplicity. They work well in a "country" decore scheme.

Rustic

Doors of this style showcase the natural character of their wood and often feature species with dramatic texture, knots, mineral streaks, and color variations. These interior doors go well in log cabins.

Traditional

This popular look reflects the classic look of many American homes. A four- or six-panel construction with solid-wood or glass panels is typical of this style.

Victorian

A romantic theme that offers a variety of options. Some designs can be quite ornate, featuring details such as arched or circular panel designs and raised moldings that reproduce the grandeur of the Victorian era.

Standard interior doors are 1 3/8 inches thick and 6 feet 8 inches tall. You can special order taller doors, but be prepared to pay a premium. Standard interior door widths run from 24 inches wide (used for closets and small bathrooms) up to 36 inches.

A door that is 36 inches wide is necessary for handicap accessibility. If you're planning new doorways, be aware that many furniture pieces are too large to pass through doorways that are less than 30 inches wide.

Pre-hung Interior Doors

These doors are sold pre-hung in frames or as doors only, called blanks or slabs. The latter type are for hanging in existing door frames or for mounting in a situation where the interior carpenter is up for the challenge of building the entire jamb. They are sold without hinges, knobs, or locksets, but they may be ordered with a hole pre-bored for the lockset.

Pre-hung doors are the preferred choice in most situations because of the labor they save. The door comes mounted to a jamb, with hinges mortised into the edges. When ordering this type, you specify the surface-to-surface thickness of the wall (rough wall opening) and the size and location of the holes for the lockset.

Because your interior doors are highly visible, they deserve thoughtful attention when it comes time to buy new ones. The right doors will stand up to daily use, minimize sound transfer between rooms, and add character or style to the home's overall interior design.

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