There are a surprising number of different materials and types of doors to choose from, and while in most cases people will opt for the obvious, it definitely pays to know what your options are. Not only can different styles give you more space, they can help you change the entire dynamic of your living areas.
Likewise, different materials have different thermal properties, different levels of strength and very different costs - sometimes the cheapest or most popular choice isn't the best one for your needs.
Below are a few of the questions you should ask yourself when choosing the doors for different parts of your home:
What is the door used for?
Answering this not only identifies the door’s purpose, but also other things like how frequently it will be used, and how much security or privacy it needs to provide. At the very least, this should give you an idea of what kinds of materials it should be made of.
Where will the door be used?
Knowing whether the door's going to be used on the inside or outside of the house will determine things like how much weather exposure the door is expected to get, how resistant it needs to be to heat and sound, and whether or not security is a concern. Likewise, knowing where in the house it'll be will help you to decide whether or not privacy locks are something you'll need.
How much space do I have?
This can help decide what type of door you should use. The two most common styles of doors in Australia are hinged and sliding doors, and both use the available space very differently. There are many other methods of arranging a door too that can make use of space in ways that can give you a brand new perspective on the room.
Measuring up and viewing the position for the doors can often reveal problems that are not immediately obvious, and this should be done before you make any decisions, wherever possible. Doors are very difficult to re-hang once they’ve been put up so it's important that you're clear how they'll swing and how much space they'll take up before you go out and buy anything!
What's my overall design theme?
Doors are normally large, solid objects, and they do tend to stand out visually. The right choices of door style, door materials and door furniture (door knobs, knockers etc.) will complement the rest of your home, whereas the wrong choice for any of these three options can be really jarring.
If you're not sure, it's a good idea to talk to a design consultant. The look of your home both inside and out will have a big impact on both its resale value, and how comfortable it is to live in.
