Interior doors are essential to the integrity of our homes. They safeguard our security, privacy, aide with soundproofing and help maintain a suitable ambient temperature all while reflecting our personal style.  How does one choose a satisfactory interior door for home or office? There are many components to consider.

Longevity

Remodeling or building a home from scratch is an important investment that takes a lot of time, money and personal sacrifice. Between he workers in your house and the lack of access to  rooms under construction, remodeling can disrupt the daily function of a home. When you decide to make changes in your house, you want to use products that are going to withstand the tests of time, both in style and integrity.  Doors have to withstand a lot of daily wear and tear, it is important to invest in a product that is going to last.

Cost

Replacing the doors in a home can get expensive- almost every room in the house is safeguarded by one! Does price alone make a difference in what product you choose? Inexpensive products can seem appealing when looking at price estimates for a remodel, but there are many hidden “costs” that the consumer is not always made aware of. Durability is one example of this, if the door is initially inexpensive, it may need to be replaced more often. The costs of purchasing a new door, hardware and labor will add up over time. Another cost to consider is the environmental cost, as well as the cost to your personal safety.

Ease of Maintenance

You already take care of so much every day, make doors one less thing you have to consider. Select innovative products that require little maintenance (like dusting, oiling or wiping)  to really make the product worth your while.

Ease of Installation

A lot of money can be saved if the door is so easy to install that you could do it yourself! This is definitely an important consideration when deciding to update your home.

Customization

Style and personal taste change with time. It is so fun to paint, rearrange furniture and shake up the look and feel of your home. Selecting a door that is as easy to customize as the rest of your home is important. The ability to apply color is essential to a door’s versitility.

Material Selection

This brings us to material selection. What makes a quality door? It all depends on how you prioritize the above criteria. For each possible material, there are going to be advantages and disadvantages. In terms of price, from least expensive to most, you have PVC, steel, wood, glass and aluminum. In regards to safety, from least to most safe: UPVC, steel, wood, glass and aluminum. Within these categories is a lot of nuance. UPVC doors may be the cheapest, but are they sustainable and long lasting? Aluminum doors may be considered the safest, but what kind of ambiance do aluminium doors create in the home?

Wood

Wooden doors are the most popular choice from home use. Beloved for being elegant and durable, they provide buyers with countless possibilities of style and a wide variety of  wood to choose from. From classic to rustic to ultra modern, doors are easy to customize to match home decor.

Environmentally speaking, doors derived from wood can promote practices that benefit the environment. When done sustainable, companies that practice reforestation promote the production of oxygen and sequestering of carbon.

From a pragmatic standpoint, wooden doors provide excellent thermal and acoustic insulation. They are durable and resistant to wear and tear. With the addition of paint or varnish, their life span is increased. No other material provides the same sense of warmth and comfort as wooden doors, especially considering their cost and durability.

Iron or Steel

Older metal doors are typically made of iron, though today it is common practice to blend metals that have a lower oxidation rate, like steel. Steel is inexpensive and durable. Iron doors have a couple of major disadvantages for home use; like rust, high-maintenance, low thermal and acoustic insulation, industrial aesthetic, short service life, not easy to customize, easy to dent and scratch and general utilitarian restrictions. Metal products require a lot more energy to produce and are often created using environmentally hazardous processes.

Aluminum

Aluminium may be considered one of the safest materials for door construction, but they are most commonly used for outdoor areas only. Whereas they are easy to maintain and have good acoustic insulation, aluminum doors have low-impact resistance, are not easy to customize  and do not provide a warm ambiance for inside use. 

Glass

Transparency can make glass an attractive option in some spaces; but with that comes lack of privacy. Glass can be used to make spaces feel larger and can provide natural lighting, making spaces feel brighter and bigger. Glass doors are easy to clean and maintain, but are also easier to shatter and not as simple to customize. Tempered glass is more shock resistant, but does not provide much acoustic or thermal insulation.

UPVC 

UPVC doors are sturdy, durable and require very little maintenance, though in spite of their robust nature, they actually lack structural integrity. Whereas they are cost-effective and provide thermal and acoustic insulation, they are challenging to customize or update, making them less able to withstand the tests of time and fashion. Synthetic materials are becoming more challenging to recycle and reuse, making them a less sustainable option.

Overview

Wooden doors may be the best choice for home use due to their ambient and thermal warmth, acoustic insulation/privacy, ability to customize and update over time, durability and longevity. When selecting a wooden door, it is important to choose a company that cares about quality assurance and transparency, using only certified wood and sustainable reforestation practices.