By Meg Brazill

Whether you’re replacing a single exterior door or installing interior doors throughout your new house, the choice of doors can easily overwhelm you. It’s an important decision though, especially the front door, which is the threshold to your home. It’s where your friends and guests will first respond to your dwelling. Perhaps more importantly, you’ll walk through those doors everyday. Like any important decision about your home, there are a few things that can transform the process into a shorter, more productive one.

Inside Out

First, is this an interior or exterior door? If it’s for a residential interior, will it serve as an additional barrier to the outside? For example, a “sun room” or a “mud room” can serve as a buffer between indoors and out. It may also act as a security door, housing a deadbolt lock. If the door is inside the house, but actually functions as an exterior door, consider it an exterior door.

Style is Substance

Two important factors when selecting a door – whether interior or exterior – are style and materials. If you’re replacing one or more doors in an existing building, be sure you can match the existing wood and the finish. For new construction, the door should match the style of the windows and the trim and harmonize with other aesthetic elements throughout. Keep interior doors uniform throughout the house, except for special situations like a pocket or folding door. Uniformity creates a simple and elegant solution.

The second important factor is the door material. Is it wood, fiberglass or steel? Most doors are actually a combination of several materials, such as steel with a wood frame. It’s this material that will drive the pricing, durability, security – and, of course, appearance of the door. If it’s made from wood, is it stained or painted? If you decide to paint your front door, you can choose from a whole variety of hardwoods or materials. If it’s stained, you’ll need to try and match the wood.

A Sense of Stile

There are dozens of door construction terms you’ll want to become familiar with. Here’s a few: A Panel Door is constructed of panels, stiles and rails, which allow the door to contract and expand with changes of temperature and weather. Stiles are the vertical outside pieces of a door, and the rails are the horizontal components on the framework of a door. A Raised Door Panel is one in which the edges have a three-dimensional look because they have a shape or contour to them.

Handsome and Tough

A door’s job is never done. Daily, it separates the inhabitants of the house from the outdoor elements. It must be able to withstand direct sun, wind, driving rain, snow, sleet, and whatever weather comes its way. And, at the end of the day, it’s still expected to look good.

The new wood doors that are available, as well as the metal and fiberglass wood look-alikes, are better protection from the elements than their predecessors. As the first line of defense against the weather, a good exterior door can be an energy saver. The metal and fiberglass doors often add a measure of security beyond what the wood doors offer, and often cost less than the equivalent model in wood. Unquestionably, when it comes to beauty, wood has no rival.

Selection

Lumberyards and home centers usually have a wide selection of styles available onsite. The manufacturers often have dozens more styles in different materials, including solid wood doors in cherry, mahogany, maple and oak, as well as pine and fir. Steel doors, fiberglass-composite and aluminum doors are also widely available. You can also “design” your own door by specifying the kind of panels or glass that you may want.

It’s worth sounding a note of caution here – these doors are considered special order and require additional time for delivery. Find out the estimated delivery date before signing on the dotted line. If you’re ill prepared for the delay, eight weeks can be a very long time without a front door.

Two important factors when selecting a door – whether it’s interior or exterior – are style and materials. If you’re replacing one or more doors in an existing building, be sure you can match the existing wood and the finish. For new construction, the door should match the style of the windows and the trim, and harmonize with other aesthetic elements throughout.

Pre-Hung Doors vs. Do It Yourself

Prehung doors can be purchased in any style. Most new doors are prehung, which simply means that the door already hangs on hinges within a new frame. The doors and jambs must still be adjusted, carefully and accurately, which is why the term “prehung” is a bit misleading. These doors are a good choice if there is a need to change the size of the opening or if you are removing a frame that is bad. Prehung doors can save a lot of time and effort, but they are not foolproof. Purchasing a prehung door will not automatically rule out the need for a carpenter. If the frame is “out of plumb,” your door will not have the necessary ease of use that is required of a door.

The Moment of Truth:
Wood, Steel, Fiberglass or Aluminum

And the winner is… well, you be the judge. Appearance, price, security and durability each affect the decision. As for the rest of the country, wood doors are still the most common. They are also the most beautiful.

1. Wood

There are two basic kinds: hollow core doors and solid wood doors. Hollow core cost considerably less than solid-wood doors and are never used as exterior doors. They usually consist of a wood-veneer over an engineered-wood core. Solid-wood doors are exactly that: made from solid wood – not a laminate. They are the most costly. A pre-hung door with a complete system of frame, hinges, locksets, sidelights and weather-stripping will bring up the price considerably.

There is actually a third kind of wood door, which is made from a laminate. Two pieces of wood are laminated together and they have an insulated core, which is rated at R-5, compared with a typical R-2 conversion. This sandwich technique reduces warping.

The top and bottom edges of doors must be finished to prevent the door from absorbing moisture and no longer fitting correctly in its frame.

2. Steel

Security and durability are two outstanding features of a steel door. With an inner frame made of wood or steel, they are stronger than their wood or fiberglass door counterparts – and don’t warp. They also cost the least, but keep an eye out. With sidelights and premium hardware added on, the steel door system can rival that of a wood door system.

The finishes on a steel door can vary considerably from a baked-on polyester finish to a wood-fiber coating, which can be stained. They usually come as part of a prehung door system. Be sure to know what you are buying. Steel doors usually come with hinges attached and/or predrilled holes.

3. Fiberglass-composite

These doors are considered to be tough, maintenance free doors with a long warranty and reasonable price. They can even imitate the look of wood and be stained to match a hardwood. They are very affordable but, by the time you add on the accessories of a full entry system, the price may substantially rise.

4. Aluminum

Aluminum doors also use an insulation core, which is covered by a metal “skin.” Their baked-on enamel finish means they won’t rust and never need painting. Aluminum doors are only available through dealers. Their long-life, long warranties and extensive variety of styles, colors and finishes make them an attractive choice. They don’t come cheap however; they are the most expensive choice following that of a solid wood door.

If you choose a wood grain texturing for an aluminum, fiberglass or steel door, make sure that the grain pattern on the rails runs horizontally and, on the stiles, runs vertically. This is how the grain would actually run on a wood door, so it will look more natural if it imitates this look.

Do-it-yourself Doors

Despite the seeming complexity of doors, interior doors can be a very good do-it-yourself project for the ambitious. If you are building or replacing all of the interior doors, it can also be very cost effective. First, you’ll need to know how to mortise and tenon.

For materials, white pine (aka sugar pine) can be used to build a simple panel door that can go “country” or modern. If you want to use glass panels, you’ll need a more rigid wood like white oak. Frosted glass panels can brighten a room and are especially attractive for a bathroom.

To make the job go smoothly, you’ll need a table saw, a good orbital sander, and a jig for mortising and tenoning. Alternatively you can buy a commercial quality mortiser (a mortising machine that is custom designed to make the joint). Purchasing this tool new would not be cost-effective if you plan to build only one door.

Behind Closed Doors

Working with a reputable lumberyard, home center and/or manufacturer will help provide peace of mind and ensure a dependable quality. Choosing your selection of doors wisely will provide years of comfort from the weather, and a quiet indoor environment to enjoy your home.