Choosing Exterior and Interior Doors

Doors should fit tightly into the frame, with no more than 1/8-inch clearance between the door and the frame, and be equipped with secure door locks. Such simple measures will help increase your security and prevent air loss through the door that can increase your heating bills. "Security isn't really about the door but how the locks fit into the door jam," says Miedema. "Buy non-removable pin hinges for your door because the door hinges can't be removed from the outside." Mahogany exterior 6-panel door with complementary 3-piece transom above and 2 sidelights with custom art glass. Miedema is an advocate of locks and says if someone has to work at unlocking your front door for a long time, they'll simply move on to the next house. Interior Doors For interior doors, the choices are between solid and hollow core doors and composite doors that are made from engineered materials that can include wood fibers and glue that's compressed. "We can build interior doors that cost $800 or $900 or you can go down to a big-box hardware store and find a unit for $50," Mayer says. "You will have to paint it and it will be hollow core door." Pocket doors, a sliding door that slides along its length and disappears when open into a compartment in the adjacent wall, will free up floor space. These doors, however, involving ripping out the surround walls to install and are not easy DIY jobs. With regular doors, you must sacrifice 4 to 6 square feet of floor and wall space. For bathrooms, pocket doors probably won’t give you that secure feeling a regular door will afford. If you purchase pocket doors, make sure to get quality hardware. Look for a double track at the top of the door so the wheels can't slip out of the track. Trends in the Marketplace Mahogany half circle top exterior 2-panel door with custom "rope" molding around the raised panels including functional "speakeasy" with decorative iron work. "Now we're seeing different kinds of wood like alder,” says Miedema, “because people have finally discovered there is more than simply pine or fir." And don't forget the style of the handle set needs to complement the design of the door or entry. Brushed nickel and oil rubbed finishes are becoming particularly popular for lock and handle sets for door hardware. Priscilla Castellano, design consultant for Andrea Lauren Elegant Interiors in Tampa, Fla., says, "It's all about what you're trying to achieve in your home. The Tuscany look is a very popular style in doors right now." Castellano says she's seeing a lot of arched doors with wrought-iron bars across a 4x4 square peephole opening. Interior French doors remain a strong seller and are primarily used in an office, the pantry and the laundry with frosted glass panels. "You could put a laundry basket design on the laundry doors or the word ‘Pantry’ on the pantry doors," says Castellano. "Café doors can be used to separate a wine room or other areas of the house you want to off-set." Dress up your home with exterior and interior doors for a fresh new look. The options are limitless. Let your imagination and budget be your guide.

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