Interior doors: how to choose

The main function of interior doors is simple - to separate the rooms in the apartment from each other. However, choosing the right door from the variety offered is not as easy as it seems. Faced with a choice, you have to decide what qualities are important to you - reliability and durability, practicality and soundproofing properties, stylish design and compliance with the requirements of the interior, or maybe all it together. Having examined in detail the types of interior doors by material, method of opening and other parameters, you will surely be able to choose the most suitable option for you.

How not to make a mistake in choosing?

To find the best option among the variety of interior door structures, you need to choose for yourself the basic selection criteria, which include the following characteristics of the products of this type:

• The material of manufacture. It plays a key role in choosing a door, since many properties of a product, its weight, and also cost depend on it.
• Weight and thickness. Since we are talking about interior structures, it is better to choose light products, especially if you put them in thin partitions. The thickness should be such that the door can provide optimal sound insulation.
• Design. Doors are solid panel, panel, with inserts, with honeycomb filling.
• Exterior finish. Determines the appearance and design of the product.
• Way of opening. Ease of use and sometimes durability depend on it.
• Color. The factor that is paid attention to almost more often than the material. It depends on the color how the door fits into the interior.
• Soundproofing. This criterion is especially important when choosing doors to the bathroom, toilet and bedroom.
• Moisture resistance. It matters for designs that are placed in the bathroom and in the kitchen.

Choose material

Since the main selection criterion is the material, we will find out what the interior doors are made of. Most often, door structures are:

• Wooden. They are distinguished by high strength, reliability, environmental friendliness. Door structures made of precious wood look very presentable. Well suited for living rooms, but in the kitchen and in the bathroom, where there is high humidity and temperature changes, it is better not to put them.

• Made of MDF. This is a modern material that is not inferior in quality to solid wood. MDF constructions have many advantages: many finishes, ranging from color, coating and ending with the type and shape of the surface, and light weight, which facilitates the installation and adjustment of the door fittings.

• Made from chipboard. An affordable option, but with a significant minus: the material does not differ in durability. The quality of the door will depend on the processing of the particleboard and coating material. It will be correct not to install chipboard constructions in the bathroom, toilet and in the kitchen due to the dislike of this material for moisture.

• Plastic. PVC is an excellent material for the case when high moisture resistance is required. Such designs are usually put in the bathroom, toilet, as well as on the balcony.

• Glass with metal elements. Glass is often combined with other materials, but it can be used independently.

Decorative finish

The type of door will depend on the decorative trim used. It could be:

• Lacquer. Ideal for wood structures, preserves the natural structure of the material. It can be combined with other finishing materials, playing the role of a protective layer.
• Veneer. The main supporting structure can be made of inexpensive wood (usually pine) or MDF and covered with thin veneer of valuable wood. It is impossible for a non-specialist to distinguish a solid and veneered door.

• Enamel. Used to paint the surface of the door, makes it possible to choose any shade.
• Plastic. This material can be applied in a thin layer on the base or act as a sheathing, provides moisture resistance to the structure.
• Film. With its help, lamination of the structure is performed. This material is worth a little more detail.

Laminated doors differ in the type of film used.

• A cheap product laminated with plain paper film has only two advantages - a wide selection of shades and a low price. Resistance to mechanical stress is extremely low and tends to zero.
• The paper backing for a laminated construction can be impregnated with melamine resins. Such a material - laminate (laminate) - is better, an order of magnitude stronger and, accordingly, more expensive.
• PVC film blurs the line between the external differences between wooden and plastic doors. Structures laminated with such a material have the highest resistance to mechanical damage. Modern laminated doors have a wide selection of colors and textures.

Types of interior doors by opening method

Most door structures can be divided into four types:

• Swing. The classic version, when the door is attached on one side to the door frame and can open in the selected direction. They require a place to open, which is not always possible.
• Sliding. Such designs are similar to the doors of a sliding wardrobe: they can be opened moving along the wall or deep into the cavity in the wall. Save space in the apartment. They require the use of quality guides.

• Folding. They consist of several sections and work like bellows. Such a design is not always functionally convenient; its reliability is also in doubt.
• Rotational. Thanks to a special mechanism, they can not only rotate around a vertical axis, but also shift to the side. A high-quality mechanism for such structures is quite expensive and is not applicable in the case of using heavy doors.

The only drawback of a classic swing door is only the requirement for a certain space. The design has been tested for centuries and will not lose its relevance for a long time.

Choose color

We need to talk in detail about how to choose the color of interior doors correctly - the shade of this interior element plays an important role in the design of the apartment. We bring to your attention several valuable tips on the coloring of interior doors from a professional designer.

• Natural neutral colors will fit into any interior. The difference when used in different styles will be in the design of the door leaf: classic and baroque gravitate to gilded elements, rich decor, modern - to stained-glass windows, modern styles - to clarity and conciseness of lines.
• Dark, almost black tones - wenge, merbau, teak - are best combined with ultramodern interiors.

• Cool colors are best for modern styles such as minimalism, hi-tech, art deco, loft.
• The door in warm colors will fit perfectly into the interior in Art Nouveau, ethnic, rustic or classic style.

The white color of the door structures is universal and suitable for almost any style - from classic to hi-tech, from provence before the scandinavian style.

When thinking about how to choose the color of interior doors, you can focus on the option that will be combined with one of the existing interior elements:

• with window frames;
• floor covering;
• the walls;
• furniture;
• skirting boards and platbands.

In the latter case, there are two win-win options:

1. Doors, platbands and plinths of light color are selected - white, cream, the color of pine or bleached oak.
2. The choice of contrasting colors. For example, a light door and dark platbands with baseboards to match the furniture or floor.

Interesting options

Less common and non-standard solutions that deserve attention include glass interior doors and structures with a mirror.

Glass doors

Glass doors look very stylish and modern, visually expand the space, make it brighter.

Glass used for the manufacture of door structures is manufactured using a special technology. It is distinguished by high strength. Its three main varieties:

• Triplex. It has a perfectly smooth, easy-care surface. Like automobile glass, it consists of several layers glued with plastic film. Such a glass with a powerful blow breaks into small fragments, but it does not crumble, but remains in place.
• Matolux. Strong frosted glass, opaque, but at the same time transmitting light. A very interesting option for the bathroom and toilet, usually devoid of natural light.
• Tempered glass. 10 times stronger than ordinary glass, with a strong impact with a solid object it crumbles into small fragments that have almost no sharp edges.

Doors with mirrors

For rooms with small sizes, including a bathroom with a toilet, you can choose interior doors with a mirror.

• The mirror surface, especially if it occupies the entire area of ​​the door, can visually increase the size of the room.
• Mirrors are installed in all types of door leafs, both from classical wood and from modern plastic.
• The shape can be both the simplest, rectangular, and absolutely fantastic outlines.

Mirrors with additional processing of a part of the surface by tinting or matting are widely used. As in the case of glass doors, mirrors are also treated to increase strength.