Door Construction

Most doors are designed to look as though they're made from wood, even if they're not. Non-wood materials such as steel and fiberglass are excellent at simulating the look of wood yet are more affordable, have a greater insulation value and require far less maintenance.

All-wood doors are made from softwoods or more durable and elegant hardwoods. 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 do a less convincing impersonation of wood. Their surfaces are typically coated with polymer or vinyl and are wood-grain embossed. You can also buy exterior doors made from solid wood (planks or blocks glued together and sanded), veneer applied over solid wood or veneer applied over a hollow-core.

Standard doors are 6-foot, 8-inches tall and vary in width from narrow 12-inch-wide cupboard doors to 8-foot (or wider) sliders.

Panel doors are made from a framework of stiles and rails that hold wood panels. This construction method is common because it minimizes the effects of wood's tendency to shrink, warp and swell with variations in humidity. Some panel doors have glass lites rather than wood panels. This glass may be clear, beveled, etched, leaded, ornamental-or a type of energy-efficient glazing. Panel doors are generally referred to by the number of panels they contain (an eight-panel door has eight).

MORE ABOUT:
/ Outer shell / / Types of doors / / Exterior doors / / Interior doors /
/ Door construction / / Doorknobs & locks /
/ Window types / / Window parts / / Glazing /

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