5 Smart Door Solutions For Renovating Your Old House

There’s so much to love about a period property, but there are also some quirks and frustrations that come along with an old house renovation. The challenge is to keep as much of that heritage charm as possible, while also uplifting your home and making it work for your modern lifestyle. The good news is that we have some smart door solutions to help you do just that…

1. Trim For a Perfect Fit

When you set out on an old house renovation, one of the things you might find is that your older property doesn’t have the standard size doorways of a modern home. When looking to update your doors, you might struggle to find an affordable solution that fits, rather than a costly, bespoke option.

At Doors Plus, all of our doors can be trimmed down to fit your frame exactly, and some styles allow up to 20mm to be trimmed off each edge. So you have our complete collection to choose from, in full confidence that we’ll be able to ensure the right fit.

2. Hire a Skilled Carpenter

Another challenge of an old house renovation is that houses move and warp over time, so older properties may have slightly uneven floors and walls, resulting in doorways that are no longer quite square. This is why it’s crucial to choose doors that can be trimmed as needed, and to work with skilled carpenters to fit them. With our professional expertise and made-to-measure service across a selection of product ranges, we can retrofit new doors into your existing frames, without the fuss or risk, and your doors are still covered under warranty.

3. Introduce Glass

Whereas contemporary homes tend to be airy, light and open plan, older properties (built pre-2000s) often have long hallways, with lots of doors leading off to the various rooms. This means darker rooms and hallways, and a more closed off feel. An old house renovation therefore gives you an opportunity to brighten up your living areas and open up your space.

A very simple way to do this is to install glazed doors that allow an uplifting flow of light between rooms and into hallways, and instantly brighten up rooms with smaller windows. At Doors Plus, we offer a wide and varied selection of glazed door styles, so you can choose something in-keeping with your property and décor. With clear, frosted and decorative glass options, French doors can become a feature in themselves, adding their own character to your rooms.

All of our glazed doors use our exclusive SafeGlass that’s 500% stronger than the 3mm glass that you often find in older homes, so it can stand up to everyday use and busy lifestyles. If SafeGlass does break, it will crumble rather than shatter into dangerous shards of glass, so it’s the smart choice for you and your family.

4. Match the Heritage Style

The key to a successful old house renovation is to refresh your property without losing its period charm. One of the things we pride ourselves on at Door Plus is our extensive range of door styles and finishes, making it easy for you to find internal and external doors that reflect the architecture and décor of your older home.

Our Woodland range of engineered timber doors, for example, offers the richness and elegance of 100% Pacific Ash timber, for a feeling of traditional charm. With a single or double configuration, and hinged or sliding options, these elegant doors can work throughout your period home while complementing your modern lifestyle. With the Caulfield range, you can add one, two or nine glass panels, with various glazing options, to combine traditional timber with a light and airy contemporary twist.

5. Weather-Proof Your External Rooms

Many homes in Australia built prior to the ‘80s had external laundry rooms, detached garages or even out-houses that were exposed to the elements. As part of your old house renovation, why not equip your out-buildings to withstand the harsh Australian climate by fitting doors that can take the heat (and the cold, wind and rain!).

The Doors Plus range of Climactive fibreglass doors has been designed to stand up to this challenge. The fibreglass skin makes these doors tough and durable, and the moisture-proof bottom rail feeds water away from the bottom of the door to prevent it from pooling around the base and causing warping or rotting.

Whether you’re just starting out with your old house renovation, or already in the thick of it, making smart choices about your internal and external doors will set you on track for success, so that you can enjoy your dream home to the full, for years to come!