A new front door has the power to transform your home and develop an excellent initially impression for guests. Having said that, it pays to perform your research properly beforehand - selecting the wrong size or style could prove an highly-priced and time-consuming error.

You will discover several elements to bear in mind when selecting a door, like size, design and style, building, material, spending budget and accessories.

Size

Off-the-shelf doors may be identified inside a number of typical common sizes. They are typically classified by width, and variety from 30" to 36". In case your frame doesn't conform to a standard size you might be capable of trim the door to fit; numerous wooden doors may be lowered by up to 12mm along every edge.

In some instances you may be better off shopping for a comprehensive door set, which consists of a frame and matching door. This could be a specifically very good move should you have an older house, exactly where the original frame might have warped or perhaps cracked more than time. Alternatively, you could possibly decide to pay a little more and have the door made to measure.

Design and style

As the front door will set the tone for the entire household, it is vital to opt for a style and colour in keeping with the general architectural style. An ornate panelled and glazed door would suit a Victorian or Edwardian residence, one example is, whereas clean, minimalist lines are normally the ideal option for modern properties. This applies to other fittings like door handles and letter boxes too.

Construction

The way the door has been constructed plays a aspect also. Less high-priced dowel doors are produced from kiln-dried wood which has been assembled working with fluted dowels (compact wooden pegs) and adhesive. Premium M&T (mortice and tenon) doors are manufactured from specially selected kiln-dried timber and put together working with traditional mortice and tenon joints and adhesive for superior weather-proofing properties.

Material

The most well-known type of natural material used in external doors is timber, particularly oak, pine and hemlock. Solid timber is prone to cracking and warping over time, so nowadays most wooden doors are manufactured from engineered timber. This is created by gluing together modest sections of wood to form a multi-layered building which is stronger and much more stable than solid timber. The components are covered in wood veneer afterwards - a process which ensures matching colour and grain across the door panels.

Engineered timber is superior for the environment, because the manufacturing process produces much less waste. On the other hand, unless the door is supplied ready-finished you will have to coat it with paint or a high performance wood stain to weather-proof the surface, and re-treat it on a regular basis.