Types of Doors To Upgrade Your Home

• 01of 20Hinged Door Common application: Interior, exterior, residential, commercial.
• A hinged door is any door that opens and closes via a hinge attached to a frame. Hinged doors are among the first types of doors ever made and remain the most common doors to this day.Most modern hinged doors are purchased as “pre-hung” which designates a door already mounted to a frame via hinges. The installer simply installs the entire unit into the rough opening.
• 02of 20Solid Wood Door Common application: Exterior doors, front doors, premium construction.
• Solid wood doors are doors crafted with solid wood throughout, though not usually one single piece of wood. While also used in interior applications, solid doors are the standard for exterior doors.TipSolid wood doors shouldn’t be confused with solid-core doors, which are doors with a wood fiberboard core and an outer veneer. The use of fiberboard as the core cuts the cost down and makes the door more dimensionally stable, but doesn’t offer the same resell value as solid wood.
• 03of 20Hollow-Core Door Common application: Interior doors, bedrooms, closets, pantries, hallways, budget-friendly construction.
• Hollow-core doors consist of a thin outer layer often made of plywood or fiberglass and an inner core of cardboard or plastic. Not only are hollow-core doors significantly cheaper than solid doors, but they also perform well in interior applications where solid wood construction isn’t a must.Hollow-core doors are also quicker to install than solid wood doors, as they are significantly lighter. One of the biggest downsides to hollow-core doors is the noise bleed, which is notably worse than solid wood or solid-core doors.
• 04of 20Sliding Door Common application: Patios, indoor-outdoor living areas.
• Sliding doors open and close by sliding horizontally on a track. The most common application for sliding doors is glass sliding doors leading to an outdoor space.Nowadays, many sliding doors are built with multiple tracks, allowing several panels to slide over top of one another. This allows the homeowners to completely slide the panels out of the way, seamlessly joining an outdoor space with an indoor space.
• 05of 20French DoorCommon application: Interior, exterior, home offices.
• French doors typically consist of a pair of operable hinged doors with glass panes from top to bottom. While French doors aren’t exclusively double doors, it is most common to see this installation, so the term has become synonymous with double doors with glass panes.
• 06of 20Double DoorCommon application: Interior, exterior, wide openings.
• Double doors primarily consist of two hinged doors in one opening. While not exclusive to the aforementioned French doors, French doors are commonly installed as double doors.The obvious benefit of having two doors instead of one is the wider opening created when both doors are open. For exterior doors, this can greatly aid in moving things in and out efficiently. For interior doors, double doors can open to allow two spaces to flow naturally together.
• 07of 20Pivot DoorCommon application: Exterior, front door, luxury homes, modern exteriors.
• A pivot door is a door that pivots on a vertical axis, via hardware stretching into the ceiling and floor rather than on hinges or sliders.Pivot doors have become synonymous with luxurious, modern homes and are typically much larger than a standard door. This is because the use of pivots rather than hinges offers superior strength and support to the door, allowing for a much heavier door than could be supported by standard hinges.
• 08of 20Bifold DoorCommon application: Closets, laundry rooms, room dividers.
• A bifold door is a door consisting of two panels hinged together in the center. This allows the doors to fold neatly out of the way, conserving floor space. The doors typically ride along an upper track.While there are numerous applications for bi-fold doors, they’re commonly used for wide closet openings or spaces that can’t accommodate a full-size swinging door.
• 09of 20Accordion DoorCommon application: Closets, room dividers, wide openings, laundry rooms, indoor-outdoor living spaces.
• Accordion doors are doors with several panels that fold in on themselves. Unlike bi-fold doors, accordion doors can fold several times, which makes them ideal for wide openings separating two living spaces, where the user may want to occasionally join the spaces.
• 10of 20Barn DoorCommon application: Covering uncased openings, rooms with limited floorspace, farmhouse-style homes, industrial homes.
• A barn door is a door panel hanging from a track suspended above the opening, allowing it to slide open. This is perfect for applications that don’t have ample floor space for a hinged door or as an aesthetic feature.A major benefit of barn doors is that they require no door jamb and very little hardware, making them an unintrusive option for quickly and inexpensively adding privacy to an existing uncased or cased opening.
• 11of 20Panel Door Common application: Interior, exterior, residential.
• A panel door is a door that is constructed out of several panels of wood rather than one solid piece. Not only does this construction method cut down on the cost of the door, but it can also increase the door’s dimensional stability while adding beautiful aesthetic detail.
• 12of 20Pocket DoorCommon application: Spaces with limited floor space.
• A pocket door is a door that slides into a pocket inside the wall. Their ability to completely slide out of the way makes them popular in spaces where floor space is limited. Once a popular home feature, pocket doors are less common today due to their involved installation and difficult maintenance level.The sliding barn door has replaced the pocket door in some ways, as the exposed hardware and easy installation are appealing to many homeowners.
• 13of 20Dutch DoorCommon application: Exterior, kitchens, mudrooms.
• A Dutch door is a door consisting of two separate pieces, split down the middle horizontally. The primary purpose of a Dutch door is to provide an opening for light and airflow while keeping pets and children in or out.Dutch doors are mostly popular in rural areas, in farmhouse design, and even in barns themselves.
• 14of 20Storm DoorCommon application: Exterior, regions with harsh winters.
• A storm door is an exterior door installed on the outside of the primary door, which offers additional protection from the elements. Most storm doors feature removable or sliding glass panels with screens to allow for ventilation in warmer weather.Storm doors are often confused with screen doors, which are simply full- or half-screen panel doors used solely for ventilation and don’t offer the same protection as storm doors.
• 15of 20Flush DoorCommon application: Low-budget interiors, minimalistic interiors, closets.
• A flush door is a door with a completely flat, smooth profile absent of any molding, panels, or other decorative elements. While flush doors are generally associated with low-cost options and hollow-core doors, they are often preferred for minimalistic interiors.
• 16of 20Roman DoorCommon application: Interior, exterior, traditional.
• Roman doors are known for their distinctive 2-panel design, with a lower square panel and an upper panel with an arched top. Though a true Roman door is traditionally a pivot door, modern Roman doors are most often mounted on hinges.
• 17of 20Bypass DoorCommon application: Closets, laundry rooms, wide openings.
• A bypass door is a set of sliding doors in which the doors slide over one another when opening and closing. They’re beneficial for covering wide openings, especially when wall space on either side of the opening is limited, as the doors can pass over one another to open fully.
• 18of 20Colonial Door Common application: Interior, exterior, residential.
• Colonial doors are solid wood doors with recessed panels. Out of all doors, these are the most commonly used type for exterior doors, primarily at the front entrance of the home. When used as front doors, Colonial doors are often installed as both single doors and double doors.
• 19of 20Louver DoorCommon application: Bathrooms, closets.
• A louver door is a door that features horizontal angled slats that allow air and minimal light passage while protecting visual privacy. Louvered doors are ideal for spaces that require airflow when the door is closed, such as bathrooms and closets.TipMost bi-fold closet doors are louvered to allow air to circulate, keeping clothes fresh.
• 20of 20Tudor Door Common application: Tudor-style homes, front doors, cottages.
• Tudor doors are characterized mainly by their arched top that often resolves in a subtle centered point. They often feature wrought iron, embossed panels, and other decorative elements, and are often left as raw wood stained in a rich, dark hue rather than painted.

5 Types of Door Materials

While many of the door types listed above are limited to certain materials, others are available in various materials, which could alter the door’s performance in certain applications:

• Solid Wood. Since doors became commonplace, wood has been the go-to material. Still today, wood is a popular door material. While it does have its downsides, including warping, rotting, cracking, and other decay, it’s hard to duplicate the natural beauty of wood.
• Glass. Naturally, the benefit of incorporating glass into door construction is its transparency, allowing light transfer and visibility through a closed door. From small windows to full-length panes, glass has become integral to residential and commercial door construction.
• Steel. Steel is considered one of the best door materials for its supreme durability and low maintenance. However, one of the main benefits of using steel for door construction is the increased level of security the material can offer.
• Fiberglass. Many modern doors presumed to be wood are actually made of fiberglass. Unlike wood, fiberglass doors won’t rot, crack, and decay, and require much less upkeep to maintain their looks and quality.
• UPVC. Unplasticized polyvinyl chloride, better known as uPVC, is a widely used building material commonly used for doors and windows. It’s low maintenance, easy to clean, energy-efficient, and highly durable.