Different Types of Doors and their Applications

 DOOR:

A door is defined as a moving piece of wood or glass or metal that acts as a barrier in a passage. It controls the movement, ingress in and out. It is an essential and primary thing that acts as security and provides privacy. There are different types of doors and can be moved in various angles along the axis like sliding, folding, and spinning.  

The door is an important mechanism that is found everywhere from vehicles to closets, windows, cabinets, wardrobes, and cupboards. It is either hinged or can be moved by either slides or counterbalance.

FEATURES OF A DOOR:

•  Basically, the door tends to serve an aesthetic, symbolic, and ritualistic purpose.
• It incorporates a locking mechanism for safety purposes with knockers and doorbells.
• It impacts the appearance of a house or building from the outside.
• Doors ensure privacy and separate space from one another.
• It blocks and controls the entry of light, air, heat, and cold.
• Also, it helps in damping noise.
• Easy to maintain, use, and repair.

TYPES OF DOORS & THEIR APPLICATION:

One chose the door type based on the type of building, house, area, and its purpose as there are numerous types of doors available in numerous kinds of material. Also, they can be divided based on their location (interior/exterior), operation, method of construction, and arrangement.  

This blog discusses some of the major types of doors and its application.

Sliding Door

The sliding door opens crosswise by sliding on a plane parallel to the frame or the wall. It works on a horizontal mechanism and moves along the track with the help of rails & runners. The upper part of the trolley hanger is hidden inside a concealed track, while the bottom is fixed with plastic rollers to make the sliding smooth.

Sliding doors are made of stainless steel, wood, and aluminum, and the most popular material used is UPVC plastic glass. These types of doors are commonly used in bathrooms as a shower door, glass door, labs, windows, in vans or screen door, hotel room, garage, workshop, airport terminal, as a French window, room divider, and many more.

 

It is also called ‘Patio Door’ or ‘Bypass Doors’. Though sliding doors have two panels, it is considered a single unit. It doesn’t require extra space as you open the door and slides with the wall mostly.

Composite Door

A composite door is mostly used in recent times as it has replaced wood, steel, and UPVC doors. Its modern door technology is made from fiberglass. As the name suggests, it is made up of different materials like glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), PVC, wood, and muffled foam.

The best part of a composite door is that it maintains the room temperature and saves up to 6 times energy when compared to other standard doors and is an appealing door for a home. It is perfect for a coastal location.

Swing Door

Swing door is the most used type of door with an easy mechanism. At times, it opens/swings on either side or one side is automated. For double side movement, double-action spring hinges are fixed to the frame as this spring action shutters the door to a closed position. It wings 90⁰ in and out. Automated swing doors close by themselves.

This is mostly hinged and has a doorknob, lock, and a peephole at eye level to prevent accidents as the other side of the door gets completely hidden. The common type of materials used is metal, wood, steel, aluminum, and solid MDF glass.

Glass swing doors are mostly used in commercial buildings at the entrance, hotels, hospitals, and shops that give an elegant look and also make the people see who is on the other side.  

Revolving Door

Revolving doors can be mostly seen in saloons, parks, theme parks, malls, hospitals, sports stadiums, and airports.  It is the façade of a building. It has 3 or 4 wings that hang on a mid-shaft and circles along a vertical axis. At the bottom of the central shaft, a ball bearing arrangement is made, and it enables a large number of people to move in and out of an area at the same time with a gentle push making no noise.

It is one of the attractive types of entrance and has a handle. A revolving door is also known as “Door without Draft or Air” and it minimizes the escape of indoor temperature. These types of doors are either fully or partly glazed.  

Folding Door

Folding doors or Bi-fold door provides a captivating design option like cabinet-hugging, guided system or freely moving one. Mostly, the folding section is exterior and the automated door slides with a flick of the wrist.

A part of the door can be opened to move in and out and no need to open the whole door unless it is necessary. Also, it is used in the garden side that gives glorious open access and an expansive feeling. It is widely used in restaurants, gardens, patios, verandah, and commercial places. These folding doors are made up of wood, bamboo, aluminum, PVC, and glass.

Pocket Door:

Pocket doors are that it gets disappeared into a hidden cavity inside the wall. This is an interesting style that most people like as it remains hidden and doesn’t disturb the space. This smoothly slides along a track mounted on the ceiling.

It is mostly used to separate two rooms. It can be a single slide or a double door. Any materials like wood, metal, glass, and UPVC. The pocket doors are architectural beauty that disappears into the adjacent wall. They travel on a suspended roller from an overhead track or with guides along the floor.

Pivot Doors:

Pivot doors rotate about its vertical axis of about 360⁰. It has a stopper, and it swings elegantly in the space. These doors have complicated hinges on the top and bottom of the attached that remain invisible and it holds the whole door. 3/4^th of the door is open and lands on the other side of the area to the other half of the door.

At times, the hinge allows the door to pivot from a single point. They are generally used for entry doors and need more space. They are normally large and heavy. They give a grandiose appearance and are used in gardens and verandahs.  

PVC Doors:

PVC or Polyvinyl chloride door is the most used and popular door. Its low cost, strength, attractive colours & designs, and lightweight make it a popular material choice. This type of door is mostly used in bathrooms.

These types of doors are not only simple to install but also easy to maintain. They look like wooden doors and are easy to clean. It doesn’t get easily affected by moisture. It is more flexible, soft, and 100% termite, and waterproof. PVC doors can be easily designed and painted.

Glass Doors:

Glass doors are popular for windows and doors. It can partially hinder the view and needs maintenance. They are usually heavy and can be combined with wood panels. It is perfect for both interior and exterior areas.

Fibreglass door is another popular one with an attractive look. It combines a piece of fibreglass with resin. They come in various colours and can be designed in multiple ways. They are a bit heavy yet affordable and do not easily bow, warp, or twist.

There are different types of glasses like insulated glass, textured glass, clear glass, tinted glass, toughened glass, stained, laminated, double/triple glazing glass, coloured, reflective, frosted, bevelled, and, etc. All these have different usage according to their property.

Steel Doors:

Steel doors are again mostly used in commercial establishments and homes. They are known for their safety and security, as they are strong, easy to maintain, and not easy to break. They are more durable, cost-efficient, stable, and do not easily crack or wrap even with strong external forces.

The steel can be stainless steel which is corrosion-proof. They can also be mixed with wood and fiberglass and makes them more attractive. These doors are found everywhere, give a grace look, and stand a timeless elegance. Steel doors are mostly used in vaults and safe rooms.

Though these are a few common types that are mostly used, there are innumerable other varieties like collapsible door, rolling shutters, panel doors, flush doors, louvered doors, wire gauzed doors, half doors or Dutch doors, French windows, Blind or jib doors, café doors, fibre reinforced plastic doors and many more types of Doors.

A door is an important gateway and the first best impression about what lies behind it. Choose the right fit for your place both interior and exterior décor from the curb through the foyer. I hope, this blog has given you adequate insight into the importance, types, and application of doors.

For expert advice and consultation, reach out to Hanuman Wood Industries, Bangalore.