Doors deserve thoughtful attention when it comes time to buy new ones because they are highly visible, hardworking parts in a home’s interior. Why is it important to choose the right door for your house? The right doors will stand up durably to daily usage, minimize sound transfer between rooms, and add character or style to the home’s overall interior design.
We gathered several interior door characteristics to help you make the best choice for your home. Depending on the style, configuration and material, the type of doors can influence your home interior’s privacy, noise control, and overall visual impression.
The Style of the Doors
Mix and match a little in order to give your home a fun and eclectic look. While playing with this mixture, try to keep some elements the same so that there’s a sense of flow throughout the house. Keep in mind that the style of your door can make a big difference in your home’s design.
Take the overall size and feel of the room into consideration when choosing the interior door. If you have tiny rooms, don’t choose a massive and ornate door because it may overwhelm your entire house. Choose a minimalist design instead.
Door swing
When ordering or customizing a door you have the option to choose between a right-hand or left-hand door swing. This will determine where the hinges and handles are, and which way the door swings when it opens and closes.
Whichever side the handle is on as the door opens toward you will decide whether it’s a right-hand or a left-hand door. For example, a door that has the handle on the right side when it opens toward you is a right-hand swing door.
In case you have a hall or a corridor near a door, try to remember that the door should never open towards them.
The door frames
Make sure to follow instructions carefully, or hire help when framing a new interior door because incorrect framing can detract from the value of a beautiful and expensive door and it will add extra costs in the long run.
The doors’ sounds transmission class
The higher the STC number, the less sound will pass through the door. 25 is on the lower end of the STC scale (most normal speech can be heard through these doors), 40 is in the middle and anything over 60 should be almost entirely soundproof.
The doors’ materials
Solid wood
Solid wood doors are the priciest option on the market, but they have many benefits: their durability, classic style and great quality depending on the type of wood: cherry, mahogany, alder, maple, pine and others. The solid wood is usually used for the exterior doors, but depending on your taste, you can also use them for your interior doors. When choosing this type of material, remember that solid wood will shrink and expand with changing temperatures and humidity, so don’t use them as a bathroom door for example.
MDF
MDF is very stable and won’t warp like wood and nowadays most interior doors today are made of medium-density fiberboard. The MDF interior doors are entirely smooth and very easy to paint and maintain.
Metal and glass
This kind of doors offer a streamlined and modern look with less muss and fuss than a solid wood door and are frequently used in interior and exterior settings. Their cost is usually higher but still less expensive than solid-wood doors.
What kind of interior door would you choose for your home?
