Picking Out The Perfect Door

The door is one of the most important elementsfor years. In the past, metal doors were not
of home design, whether viewed from inside orterribly aesthetically appealing, but that is changing
out. Finding a quality door can be difficult, but it'sas new technology becomes available. If metal is
an undertaking worth quite a bit of effort. Theused, take care to properly maintain it, as metal
right door will provide design focus, beauty, anddoes corrode when not properly sealed.
appropriate security to the home, but the wrongWooden doors have been an old standby for
door can prove a nettlesome problem.centuries of architecture. Also coming in solid or
The first question is simply what function will thehollow core options, wooden doors have been the
door serve? A door requires sturdy, long wearingbenchmark and gold standard for beauty and
construction and an appropriate aesthetic appeal,aesthetic appeal in home design. Again, solid doors
as doors are featured throughout any home.are probably best for exterior placement, while
Good door materials include heavy wood,hollow core or engineered wood doors are so
engineered wood, steel, glass, or fiberglassefficient that most contractors use them as a
construction, and all will serve well for manymatter of course. Wooden doors require
years.occasional oiling or sealing.
To pick out the right look for your home consultWhen it is used, glass is most often featured as a
a good architect, delve into architecturalback door option, although lovely cut-glass front
magazines, or get some books on art compositiondoors are an option as well. Glass is wonderful for
and design.large back doors, as it leaves the view into the
Doors should be picked out according to thebackyard or garden unobstructed. Front doors
function they will serve. For instance, a front doormade of glass are equally beautiful, but some care
and a back door may have two totally differentshould be taken to ensure both privacy and
sets of requirements, and both are different stilldurability. Cut glass panels set into wooden frames
from an interior door. Exterior doors shouldare a frequent and beautiful option for front
always have secure fastenings and sufficientlydoors. Glass doors, of course, must occasionally
sturdy construction to stand up to the elementsbe cleaned to remove finger and hand prints.
as well as providing security to the inhabitants ofFiberglass doors, a recent addition to door
a home. Interior doors, on the other hand, shouldmaterials, have improved so much that it can be
be light enough for all family members to handleextremely hard to tell the difference between a
easily, and aesthetic appeal can take the place offiberglass door and a wooden one. These doors
stoutness in homeowner priorities.are sturdy, well constructed, and extremely
Steel or aluminum construction has been used forstrong. They are also maintenance free beyond
years as an energy efficient and sturdy option foran occasional wipe-down, and improve home
exterior and interior doors alike. Metal doors caninsulation.
be either solid construction or hollow core,Loni L. Ice is a freelance writer/editor, who lives in
depending on the desired placement and job.Lawrence, KS, caught in a happy tornado of
Foam core doors are probably best for exteriorrampant creativity. Visit her website, Ice and Ink
doors, as they come with a sturdy wood or steelfor a look at what solutions she can offer for any
frame and foam filling, while hollow core doors arewriting need.
a relatively inexpensive option for interior doorsAll rights reserved.
that are sturdy enough to stand up to hard use