If you are shopping for new interior doors for your home and thought they only come in standard wooden rectangles that either swing or slide, you’d be wrong. Whilst swinging and sliding are certainly the most practical options for doors – they literally have to do one or the other, there is a range of options with either type. Talk to your local internal door installation expert about your options.
Internal Passage Doors
Passage doors are the most common doors found in homes. They use leaf hinges and swing open and closed. If this is for a new build, you should consider pre-hung units. The door is already installed into its frame so all your internal door installation contractor has to do is fit it into the opening. However, it is more common to buy just the doors themselves, in which case your door installer will need to construct the doorframe and hang the door. If you are renovating then you will be looking at just the doors.
Internal French Doors
French doors are the oooh la la of internal doors! They can be dramatic, and are often used as focal points in the home. Their main feature is the glass panels that allow light and unobstructed views. French doors hang in pairs that are hinged on either side of the doorframe so that they swing towards each other and meet in the middle. However, if you’d like your French doors to slide instead of swing, just talk to your local door store!
Interior Louvre Doors
Louvre doors are a popular choice for your closets, laundry and utility rooms. These have the same hanging system as passage doors but instead of being solid, have angled wooden slats instead. Their advantage over solid doors is that they allow airflow whilst retaining privacy.
Internal Saloon Doors
A variation upon a theme are the classic saloon doors. These are also often louvered but don’t extend from floor to door top so can’t be used anywhere that requires privacy.
They are however good for separating spaces like the kitchen and dining room, or dining and living rooms as an alternative to full height doors.
Saloon doors come in pairs and are attached to each side of the door frame with double action hinges that allow them to swing open and closed in both directions.
Most saloon doors also have auto closing mechanisms.
Interior Sliding Doors
Sliding doors can be either bypass or barn doors. They are good for large doorways like closets, which typically use bypass doors whereas barn doors work well between living areas. Barn doors are also handy for small spaces that may not have room for a swinging door.
Internal Pocket Doors
Pocket doors are an interesting take on sliding doors. They slide in and out of pockets or spaces between the walls, making them super convenient space savers. You can get single pocket doors that slide both ways into pockets on either side of the door (ideal for the middle of a wall), or backwards and forwards into the same single pocket (you’d use this type in a corner door). You can also get double pocket doors that slide across from each side and close in the middle.
Internal Bifold Doors
Bifold doors are a convenient option for pantries and laundries. Because you can fold the doors right back, they offer a larger opening than a bypass door, which can only open one side at a time. Concertina doors are similar but are made from more panels than bifold doors.
Find Your Internal Door Installation Guru
The best place to start your search for a good expert is online. Just type “interior door contractors near me” into your favorite search engine and you’ll probably get several pages of relevant results. However, just because a contractor comes up in your ‘interior door contractors near me’ search doesn’t necessarily mean they are the right one for the job. Do your research before committing to hiring any of them. Visit their website. Use independent review sites to check their customer reviews and feedback. Talk to your local builder or realtor. They may have a list of the ones to avoid!
