Interior
Door Basics
Interior doors are both form and function in a home—not the place where
a ballooning budget is balanced during construction. Take the time to
evaluate doors choices now to avoid disappointment later.
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Quick
Tips |
Pocket
Doors Save Space
Pocket doors are a quick, neat solution for space savings and accessibility.
Unlike left and right-handed doors that can take up to 10 square
feet of space, pocket doors slide into the wall, leaving room for
furniture, artwork, and access. Pocket doors are recommended for
easy handicapped accessibility. They can provide openings up to
32 inches, and be outfitted with access pulls for ease and independence.
Pocket doors should be purchased in kits, with nylon rollers and
box tracks. Be sure to finish unsealed door edges before installation
to prevent warping. Studs or furring strip should be sealed or wrapped
in metal to prevent rubbing later on. Insulation can be added above
the door to prevent heat loss. Pocket doors can be installed singly
or as a pair, and are available in all door styles including panels,
flush, divided light, and French. An average pocket door kit can
carry a door weighing from 125 to 150 pounds. Specialty kits can
carry doors weighing up to 200 pounds.
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Typical
elements of a raised panel interior door.
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Doors
do more than open and close. There are part of a home's d?cor, a buffer
between one space and the next. It stands to reason, then, that door purchases
should weigh heavily in the home construction budget.
Door Form and
Function
A door, whether it is solid, glass, louvered, or half glass, should complement
the surrounding d?cor, and ornament the wall on which it lives. At the
very least, the style of the door should complement existing accents like
moldings and trim. A raised panel wood door finished in a natural stain
is a bold accent when fitted into painted trim. Homeowners typically choose
stained wood doors to complement stained trim, painted doors to accent
painted trim. Mixing these styles brings great attention to both, and
places great focus on the door, its styling, and finish.
Doors create buffer one
space from the next. Like walls, doors need to be insulated to protect
against sound transfer. If sound buffering is important, as for bedrooms
and offices, a solid-core door is the best solution. Too often homeowners
get to the end of the project and opt for less-expensive doors. While
they may have budgeted for sound-deadening insulation or panels in the
walls, they often opt for less expensive doors to complete those walls.
Hollow-core doors allow sound to enter, defeating the hard-won sound insulation
in the walls or floor. "Homeowners forget about budgeting for doors
early, and they compromise" says Jim Daniels, national sales and
marketing manager for Woodport Doors. Since homeowners rarely replace
doors, it's best to think about them early on. "You'll look at them
forever," Daniels says. |
Door
Types
The great housing boom after World War II brought with it the advent of
hollow-core doors. Hollow-core doors are made from two thin veneer plywood
or hardboard faces. Between the two are supports, often made of cardboard,
to help keep the door rigid. These doors are light, inexpensive, prone
to puncture, and ineffective as sound barriers. Still, they provide a
flush face for paint or stain, are easily installed or replaced, and fit
into the most modest of budgets. As these houses were purchased and renovated,
it became evident to builders and homeowners that an affordable alternative
to hollow-core doors was needed. Finding an affordable, well constructed,
and beautiful solid core door became an industry-wide quest as the renovation
market took off in the late 1970s and 1980s.
At first, door makers attempted solid
wood doors made of young oak and pine in an effort to supply high market
demand for a moderately priced solid-core door. "They'd dry, cup,
and crack," Daniels says, "and they were too expensive compared
to a $30 hollow-core flush door." High-quality wood doors were and
are an investment in excellence and craftsmanship, an investment that
is beyond many homeowners. Solid wood doors must be kiln and air dried
to prevent warping or cracking. Joints must be manufactured to withstand
stress. They are not budget sensitive.
Engineered Wood Doors
So the industry came up with engineered wood cores, faced with high-quality
wood veneers. Some manufacturers carry solid core doors made from high-density
fiberboard or hardboard. A top-quality engineered-core door may be constructed
with hardwood sticking – the pieces that go between the panels, to the
sides, and below – called the stiles and the rails. Some manufacturers
edge their panels in hardwood where they meet the sticking. A top-quality
solid-core door will also have hardwood support where screw holes are
located for good adhesion without stripping. These doors, like solid wood
doors, come in raised panel and flat-panel styles. They can be stained
or painted, but typically have veneered faces that are suitable for staining.
Another option is solid medium-density-fiberboard
(MDF) doors and moldings. MDF is an engineered wood product that is produced
in sheets and then milled like hardwood. It is extremely dense, with a
tight, flat surface. It is suitable only for paint, but gives a flatter
painted surface than wood. Its sound insulation is superior, and MDF can
be milled to any profile. "MDF is a very versatile product,"
says Daniels. It is an easy-to-finish, affordable alternative to solid
wood doors.
Practical Advice
Doors are a substantial portion of any building or remodeling project.
While it may break the bank to spend 300 dollars per door, there may be
areas of the home that need high-quality profiles, finishes, durability,
or sound-deadening qualities. First determine which doors have a decorative
function in the home. Select a door that will complement the furniture,
moldings, and style of the rooms. Determine whether these doors need to
be wood, wood surfaced, or paint grade, then budget accordingly. Next
evaluate which rooms require doors with sound-deadening capabilities.
Again determine whether they need a natural wood face or whether a stain-grade
product would serve as well. Finally, decide which doors are strictly
utilitarian and can be served by flush or hollow-core doors. This approach
will help you determine how to best budget for the doors in your home
while making a decision you can really live with.
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