Types of doors

Most houses have several different kinds of doors, each designed to address a particular need. All doors are classified as exterior or interior, differentiated by construction, weather-tightness, weight and related factors that determine whether or not they can survive exposure to the elements.

• Typical weathertight exterior doors include front entry doors, back doors, French doors, glass sliders and patio doors.
• Interior doors are lighter in weight and less durable.
• Most doors are designed to look like wood. Materials such as steel and fiberglass can simulate the look of wood, plus they are more affordable, have a greater insulation value, and require far less maintenance.
• All-wood doors are made from softwoods or hardwoods, which are more durable and elegant.
• Fiberglass-composite doors made from a core of rigid insulation clad with a fiber-reinforced polymer are often embossed with artificial wood grain so they look like wood.
• Steel doors, made of heavy-gauge, galvanized steel over a core of rigid foam, are strong but look less like wood. Their surfaces usually are coated with polymer or vinyl and are wood-grain embossed.
• You can also buy doors that consist of veneer applied over solid wood, or veneer applied over a hollow core.
• Storm doors and doors with screens are made of metal, vinyl, or wood. They may have fixed, sliding, or removable glass and screen panels. All have a latch, and usually either spring hinges or a hydraulic or pneumatic closer to automatically shut the door. New doors have sweeps that prevent breezes from blowing in at the bottom.

How doors work

Doors are also distinguished by their action. Although most swing on hinges, some slide along tracks or fold and unfold. Exterior sliders have one fixed panel and another that glides along top and bottom tracks. These doors operate easily, seal out the weather, and admit plenty of light. Hinged glass-light doors mounted in pairs that swing independently are called French doors. Folding doors are often used to conceal a wide space where a conventional door's swing would be cumbersome or restricted. Mounted in pairs that are hinged together, they combine the actions of both sliders and hinged doors, using end pivots and overhead tracks.

Bypass doors, often used on closets or storage areas, are lightweight indoor sliders that hang from rollers that run along an overhead double track. They're typically mounted in pairs or threes; they bypass one another to allow access. A pocket door is another type of slider that is ideal for places where there isn't room for a door to swing. It slides into a space or "pocket" installed in the wall.

Conventional hinged doors may be either right- or left-handed.

-- Tips courtesy of HomeAdvisor.com