What is a Door?
The door is a moving mechanism which is more like a barrier made of wood, stone, metal, glass, paper, leaves, hides, or a combination of materials. A door understands the importance of having options when it comes to choosing the right fit for the architecture of our home and interior and exterior decor from the curb through the foyer. Trendy to timeless, understated to elaborate, the door provides a warm welcome. There is a sharp contrast between interior and exterior door. A door has an aesthetic purpose in creating an impression of what lies beyond.
Types of Doors
There are many kinds of doors with different purposes. Doors are largely defined by the materials they are made from. Also, door classification varies due to the mechanism and usage. Followings are the classifications of doors:
- Considering Material Used
- Considering the Mechanism & Usage
Types of Door Based on the Material Used
Doors can be classified based on the materials used for making doors. The most used materials for the door are-
- Wood
- Metal
- UPVC
Wooden Door
The wooden door is the top choice for the homeowners. It is a premium choice for your home interior and exterior with a rich sense of character and beauty on its own. Many antique doors were made of wood. A wooden door can be custom made which has decorative yet functional design options. Most of the wooden doors open in a swinging system; also it is stained rather than painted because stain is a marketable choice allowing you to show the wood's natural grain.
Advantages of Wooden Doors
Wooden door has lots of appeal and benefits given below :
- Wood is a material that is easy to work.
- Solid wooden panel PVC glass door is eco-friendly, soundproof, waterproof (suitable for coastal areas).
- We can use it as a security door, entry door or a revolving door.
- A wooden door has simple installation, smooth surface, master sculpture, and durability.
Disadvantages of Wooden Doors
However, the wooden door has some disadvantages too. These are :
- It needs care and maintenance to keep performing at its peak.
- A wooden door should be sealed before installation, otherwise, it might absorb moisture.
- Because of its heavy material, a wooden door may sag over time. Thus, it needs to update its hardware and frame.
Metal Door
As the name suggests, metal door is made of metal. It has a prolonged functional life with high dimensional accuracy and eminent corrosion resistance. It functions as a way to bolt the entrance to a formation and seal the components out. It's more like a barricade type which can withstand storm and earthquake. A metal door can be made with glass kit, louver, fire, storefront.
Advantages of Metal Doors
Metal door provides the following benefits -
- This door is effortless to handle.
- It can only be placed on a door frame with durability and easy installation.
- Having windstorm resistant component, it can be as aristocratic as a wooden door.
- The metal door comes in various forms. Fire rated metal door is a great way to include extra light in a room, providing additional security.
- Sheet metal door is a hinged door made of metal fragments with a lock and a lock code.
- It is sturdy with various designs and patterns, also chemical resistant.
- Real wood texture effects are the reason behind the success of a metal door.
- Using paints, we can keep it for a long time.
- As the price is not high, all classes of people can afford it.
Disadvantages of Metal Doors
The disadvantages of a metal door are -
- It has a rusting problem.
- It cannot give an architectural view.
- This might be heavy in weight.
UPVC Door
UPVC door is a replacement for a wooden door. It is made of a fully recyclable material, in keeping with our green living either like plastic, glass or bamboo. It has various types e.g. gold, solid or platinum. Double glazed UPVC door is in high demand nowadays. It is mainly used in the interior, bathroom, and garden.
Advantages of UPVC Doors
The UPVC door has many pros and fewer cons. Pros are-
- It keeps a home safe and secure by multipoint locking.
- Guarantees never to warp, rot or discolor.
- The UPVC door looks good because of its different color and sizes.
- It is durable and water resistant.
- Strong and affordable at the same time.
- You can make it energy efficient by upgrading thermally.
- It is long lasting and maintenance free.
- The central pane U-value is quite low.
- It is made of lightweight material.
Disadvantages of UPVC Doors
Nevertheless, there is only one con which is -
- It is not suitable for front door due to its lightweight.
Different Types of Doors Based on the Mechanism & Usage
Doors are of various kinds. Only a few are famous because of their mechanism and usage. They are-
- Sliding Door
- Composite Door
- Swinging Door
- Revolving Door
- Folding Door
Sliding Door
A sliding door is an elegant aesthetic to any home or places providing euphony. Sliding door opens crosswise by sliding which is parallel to the wall.It has a horizontal mechanism. Slide door is also known as"Patio Door".It is commonly used as shower door, glass door, screen door or in vans. It permits people to both enter and leaves. It is usually considered a single unit which consists two-panel sections. A sliding door is usually made of wood, aluminum, stainless steel but it appears in its best form when it is made from UPVC plastic glass. A sliding door offers different design possibilities. We can see the usage of sliding doors in the airport terminal or in a hotel room.
Advantages of Sliding Doors
Sliding Door has many advantages providing-
- The best feature is you don't need any extra room to open the door.
- It makes a room soundproof, thus it can be used for a private space.
- It has a security mechanism which can be used for office entrance, elevators, patios door or even a room divider.
- A Sliding door made of glass enhances natural light in.
- It has efficient insulators which ensure the perfect temperature in the room.
Disadvantages of Sliding Doors
Also, there are few disadvantages of sliding doors-
- The installation is not a cakewalk.
- The trail of a sliding door is a magnet for dirt and sludge.
- It can become a fingerprint magnet.
Composite Door
A composite door is a new invention which is depicted with the modernistic door technology. Lately, it has become the alternative to wooden, steel or UPVC door. It's not made from a single substance. Instead, it is made using a combination of material like PVC, wood, muffled foam and glass reinforced plastic (GRP). In most cases, it is made from fiberglass.
Advantages of Composite Doors
A composite door is prominent for its special features-
- It has a stainless steel hardware which is exclusive to the buyer's market.
- Xtreme door is the most wanted composite door which has 12 different methodologies, 13 standard colors, over 100 decorative glass design on 15 Pilkington glass pattern.
- Security is one of the main reason for buying a composite door.
- The um locker is perfect for coastal locations.
- Types of a composite door which have PVC-u thermal, slots for additional energy saving. In another way, it is up to six times more energy productive than a standard door by making an essential part to keep the room thermal.
Disadvantages of Composite Doors
In spite of having so many advantages, Composite Door has some problems too which regard the following-
- Tend to be more expensive than the other doors.
- Although they mimic wood, they still not boast of the natural wood texture.
Swinging Door
The swinging door is a simplified and easy technique. It is mainly a swinging hurdle that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle. Swinging on a double hinge. it opens in either direction as automated. Sometimes it can swing open in both directions. Mostly, a swinging door is made of steel, metal, aluminum or solid MDF glass. It is especially important to get the hand and swing correctly as the transom is usually sloped and sealed. Specifying an incorrect hand or swing can cause the door to the blind. It can be reversed or a normal swing. Nowadays, automatic swinging doors are much in demand.
Advantages of Swinging Doors
Advantages of swinging doors are followings
- People use swinging doors in laundry, saloon or kitchen
- It is convenient
- gives a good impression.
- it's a great way to create privacy
- It saves energy than the other doors, in other ways, it is energy efficient
- Such door swings closed by itself
Disadvantages of Swinging Doors
Swinging doors have some disadvantages too.
- If the door opens inward and there is an accident inside, there can be a crush of people.
Revolving Door
Newer revolving doors are the visual focus of an entrance. A revolving door consists of three or four stiff upright sections hanging on a mid shaft and rotates around a vertical axis. It allows a large number of people to pass in and out only by a gentle push. A revolving door is called "Door without Draft or Air" because it averts drafts and air pressure. As a result, it is energy efficient by saving 30% of energy cost. The very first revolving door was installed in a restaurant. Mostly, it is used in sports stadium, theme park or airport for bypass security.
The revolving door has some pros and cons.
Advantages of Revolving Doors
- As it is designed for one-way traffic, it can be used as a security device to restrict entry to a certain person.
- Revolving door maintains a comfortable indoor climate by keeping out street noise and fumes.
- It is a component of the facade.
- This door functions reliably and safely despite high frequencies of a mechanism.
Disadvantages of Revolving Doors
- Sometimes it is heavy to push or its components are claustrophobically narrow
- There's also anxiety about getting stuck in a component with another person
Folding Door
Folding door ajars by folding back in sections. It is also known as "Bi-fold Door". Most of them are made of either wood, bamboo, aluminum or PVC. A folding door can be as good as the utility door. It provides fascinating design options such as freely moving, cabinet-hugging or guided systems. Nearly all time, the position of a folding door is exterior. From residences to restaurants and commercial projects, it has created an overwhelming call; can be used as a room divider too. If properly maintained, this door will perform for years to come.
Advantages of Folding Doors
- Being reliable, the folding door allows for dream living space to be created.
- It has patented sealing technology which makes the door waterproof and protects the interior.
- You can also add fingerprint option for security.
- It opens with just a flick of the wrist.
- The most interesting part is you can go in and out without opening the whole door.
- It can create the illusion of a larger house and opens spaces up to 90%.
Disadvantages of Folding Doors
- A folding door has difficult installation and reflects way too sunlight into your home.
- Because of its being pricy, it is considered as a luxury. Though it's worth it as it tends to give any space a contemporary, elegant appearance.