A guide to door types for your home

We recently published A Guide to Window Types for Your Home; so we thought we should naturally follow that up with A Guide to Door Types for Your Home! Deciding on new doors for your home can be an equally daunting task, even if it is a simple entry door or as sophisticated as installation of an entire bi-fold door system as part of an expensive renovation. What material to choose (there are so many options), security (stopping people getting in, and often with young children stopping them getting out!), what functionality does it need to serve… all questions that you may be unsure of the answer of at this stage! So we’re here to help.

Some quick points to consider when choosing a new door for your home:

Where – where is the door going to be placed? As this will have a big impact on your choice. If it is a front or back door, you will want a door that is secure and provides a certain degree of privacy. If it is going to be part of a living room, you may opt for a door that will allow more light into the space or even become a feature of the room.

Why – why is there a door there? Is it to allow you to easily move from an inside space to an outside area, whilst maintaining a flow? Is it a necessity, such as being able to access a part of the house securely. Is it to allow light into a room whilst also providing an entry and exit point.

How – how do you want your door to work? Do you want it to open inwards or outwards? Should it slide or fold, to help maximise the space when you are opening them? Considering how you want your door to operate will play an important part in deciding what door to choose.

Like we did with the windows, let’s explore our top four door choices and why each would be suited to different parts of your home.

Bifold Doors

Okay so we will start with the door of today; bifold doors are the talk of the town right now. Why? For many reasons. They are stylish, modern and provide an array of benefits to the home or your room.

• Bifold doors pretty much replace a wall in your room, allowing an abundance of light to enter. Not to mention bringing the outside to the inside even when they are tightly shut.
• Bifold doors fold easily (the name kind of gives it away), meaning they save a lot of space while creating space.
• And when they’re creating the space, they are allowing you to bring your inside area to outside and vice versa, quickly and easily. So not only are they fantastic at providing freedom of movement, they can quickly and completely change spaces.
• The folding options are almost endless. Just want to let in a bit of air? Fold them back slightly to allow a modest gap? Want to double your living space? Fold the doors right back to combine inside and outside space. Somewhere in the middle? That’s cool too.

ENTRY DOORS

From the sexy bifold door to the not so sexy of doors, yet the most popular door that every home has at least one, usually two. Entry doors. This type of door does exactly what it says on the tin; it provides and entry (or exit) point to your home. But wait, they don’t have to be as boring as they sound…

• Entry doors don’t have to be stand alone doors. Choose to have a window panel on one or both sides of the door, allowing you to:
• Bring light to a likely darker space in the home.
• Check out who’s lurking behind the door, without compromising on security or privacy.
• Glass panes/windows aren’t only reserved for beside an entry door either; you can choose to have window panes in pretty much any style or size that you like, for the same added benefits as the above, or just simply to add a bit of style.
• Entry doors are traditionally the main entrance to the home, and therefore security has always been a top priority. That is why you will find that these doors are made of solid material as opposed to just glass. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t control the material used. For example uPVC is not only strong, but it has many other fantastic features such as being weather and fade resistant, requiring little to no maintenance (simply wipe it clean, no re-applying of paint or stain required like timber for example) and is also fire resistant.

French Doors

From the sexy to the standard back to the sexy again. French doors have been around for centuries, and even in the modern home are still a classic choice for a lot of people. But why?

• Even though when you think of French doors you simply think of two doors that open inwards or outwards, don’t be fooled. They come in a variety of styles and choices themselves. Choose to have glass panes either side, or a window on either side. Or even windows above. You can create your own combination to suit your room/home.
• French doors are safe and secure, so you can let all of that beautiful light into your space whilst being reinforced with the same locking mechanisms as an entry door. In fact some people often choose to have a French door as an entry door to the rear of the property.
• They are one of the most popular choices because they are also budget friendly, whilst offering huge benefits, not only as being suited to small or large spaces, but bringing light and ventilation to any room.
• Open one door, open both doors, the choice is yours.

Sliding Doors

Sliding doors are found all over Australia. They are incredibly popular in houses and apartments alike for their many advantages.

• Space saving – as they don’t open in or out (like the French door), they slide, they mean that you can have quite a large opening without having to take up space inside or out (that you may not have). This is why they are popular door choices for apartment balconies, for example.
• Would you be worried about little fingers getting caught in the folding functionality of a bi-fold door? No such worry with a sliding door, which can create just as much light and transform a space just as effectively. Sliding door panels come in many sizes, meaning you can bring the outside inside and vice versa very quickly.
• They are versatile in that you can choose to have one door sliding over a glass pane, or two doors sliding over two glass panes. Combining the best of both the French and the bifold door. Plus the sliding mechanism is smooth, silent and requires no strength to master.

Of course every home is different, every room is different, everyone’s style is different, and therefore your choice of door will be bespoke to you. That’s why you should speak to the experts at Integra Windows and Doors. We have many years experience working with our clients to help them create the perfect uPVC door solution for them. Contact us today to find out more, or to get a complimentary no obligation quote, or even visit our showroom to check out the different door types available for yourself.