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How to Choose Interior and Exterior Doors When Renovating Your Home

Choosing new interior and exterior doors for your home can be time consuming and stressful. Both your interior and exterior doors play a vital role in how you enjoy your living space, and they influence the style of your home. Think about how you want your home to look and work for you and your family, both inside and out. Consider the flow from room to room, and ask yourself how you and your family use your various living areas. The challenge, then, is to choose ones that will both complement your décor and enhance your lifestyle – without blowing your budget!

Choosing Internal Doors:

There are a huge number of different types of interior doors to choose from, so let the following factors be your guide…

  • Functionality

Ultimately, your internal doors need to integrate into the day to day life of your home, perfectly complementing the way that you use your living spaces. Think about the space you have and the role your doors are playing, and decide whether you want a single or double configuration. For larger openings, wardrobes, or to save on floor space you might find that sliding, folding or stacking options are a better choice than the classic hinged door.

Do your rooms have multiple uses? Are they office spaces or play rooms that turn into guest rooms occasionally? Do you like to close off rooms when they aren’t being used to save on heating and cooling costs, but have them open when entertaining?  All of these questions and more should be asked

  • Style

The material, design and finish of your internal doors can make or break your interior design schemes. You might choose engineered timber, for a warm and traditional feel, or a more economical and versatile hollow core or semi-solid construction to complement a contemporary home. Whichever way you go, you can then finish your choices to suit your style. Alternatively, we can arrange for the wood to be painted or stained in our signature finish options

Most types of internal doors come in a range of designs, too, so you can choose the routing or paneling style that you like, or opt for a sleek and simplistic look. Our Shaker range of composite internal doors offers 13 different designs, for example, including both solid and glazed options, so there’s something to suit every home.

You might even want your doors to be a striking feature in their own right by opting for something stylistic and distinctive, like our Glengary barn doors. The solid timber sliding doors come in 4 different classic country barn door designs and makes a stunning statement in both traditional and contemporary homes.

  • Glazing

When choosing between glass or solid types of doors, this isn’t just a question of personal preference. You should think about whether you want to introduce more light into certain areas of your house, or encourage an unbroken flow of light around your living spaces, as this can seriously uplift and transform a room. We offer various interior door ranges in both solid and glazed options, and you can choose clear, obscure or decorative glass which will provide different levels of light.

  • Flexibility

Some types of internal doors have the power to change the layout and functionality of your living spaces in the blink of an eye, so your home can effortlessly adapt to your flexible lifestyle. Our innovative Zone Living solutions come in folding, sliding or stacking options, with up to 8 panels, and make it easy to open up or close off areas within your home. They are made to measure, and you can choose from 8 panel designs and 3 finish options.

Choosing Exterior Doors:

When considering the various types of exterior doors, you should think about the following…

  • Durability & Security

Your external doors are your first line of defence against the elements, such as the weather, so your choice of material is about more than just aesthetics. Solid timber front doors, like our Arcadia range, are stately and resilient, but adding glass invites more light into your entrance way. You might want to consider a solid timber front door with corresponding glazed side panels from our matching Eden collection.

For superior durability and protection against the elements and if you really want to guard against extreme heat, cold or rainy weather, the innovative ClimActive range is our most resilient and hard-wearing choice. The polyurethane core expands and contracts with temperature changes, and the fibreglass skin is guaranteed not to warp, split or rot. The anti-rot bottom rail even repels water to protect against peeling and swelling. If you want the elegant appearance of solid timber with the advanced resilience of the ClimActive range, you can even opt for a timber look finish, so it doesn’t have to be one or the other.

And it’s not just the elements that you want to keep out with your robust exterior doors. For maximum security against unwanted visitors, our Guardian 2in1 external options have an integrated stainless steel mesh security screen. You can choose solid timber wood or primed HMR skin to suit your style and budget.

  • Functionality & Lifestyle

Depending on your space, and the kind of statement you want to make, you should consider whether you want a single or double configuration. The Eden range is available in widths up to 1200mm to fit wider openings and make a grand impression.

As with your internal options, there are certain types of exterior doors that can actually change how you use your space and enhance your lifestyle. With French doors, you can blur the lines between your indoor and outdoor areas, letting your home expand out onto your patio, decking or verandah.

Our made-to-measure ranges of bi-fold, sliding or stacking doors allow you to create the ultimate outdoor living space and enjoy al fresco living, dining and hosting, all year round. You can choose between the Bona Vista range of aluminum doors, or our Panoramic solid timber frames, combining multiple panels to suit your opening. Clear Doors Plus Safe Glass floods your house with light and lets you enjoy the outdoors with an unbroken view.

The Question of Cost

Replacing doors throughout your house doesn’t have to break the bank. The cost of new internal doors depends on material, style, size and configuration, so it all comes down to making the right choices for your home, your lifestyle and your budget. You can choose economical flat panel hollow core redicote doors. Or choose from our Vogue or Definiti ranges and add a slightly routed design, for a touch of style, while still making an economical choice.

Again, the cost of an exterior door will depend on your choice of material and configuration and can vary wildly. Our solutions are custom made to suit your space and specifications, but one of our consultants can talk you through your options and help you find your fit. For a full and detailed quotation for the cost of a bi-fold exterior door, or other configurations, contact the Doors Plus sales team and we’ll be happy to help you make the right choice.

Get in the Know

There are a million and one decisions to make when renovating a home but it’s important not to let your choice become an after-thought. You should consider both functional and aesthetic factors, and make sure that you get clued up about your options before you commit, so that you get the best results for your budget. Drop in to your nearest Doors Plus showroom for friendly advice from one of our experts.

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