5) What are the various types of Doors used in a house? What are the functions of doors?

 In continuation with the earlier article on ‘the various stages in construction of a house’, after external finishes of a house we will go for the installation of door and window frames

In this article we will be discussing on the various types of doors used in a house

At PKC Realtors, we install doors as per the client’s requirement. Some of them are discussed below.

Types of Doors:

There are many varieties of doors available in the market

Below is the classification of doors based on the materials used for manufacturing them.

• Timber Wood Doors:

• Traditionally, timber wood is largely used for the manufacture of doors/windows 
• Timber is most commonly being used for making of doors
• Its main advantage is the local availability of material and the ease with which it can be made 
• Although they can be used for all locations in the house, they are best placed for exterior locations i.e., main door

• Battened and Ledged Doors:

• Battened and ledged doors are the simplest form of doors and are in use since ages
• Such doors consist of vertical wooden battens of the height of the door 
• Usually three horizontal ledges are provided, one each at the top and bottom and one in the middle
• Battened and ledged doors can also be either braced or braced and framed to provide rigidity and better appearance
• Such doors are commonly adopted for toilets, baths etc., and also in houses where economy is of prime consideration

• Framed and Paneled Doors:

• These types of doors are most commonly provided in the houses 
• The frame for the door is made out of wood and the shutter panels out of timber, plywood, block board, hard board, etc.,
• A number of designs can be made on the panels, thereby making such doors quite decorative
• The panels can also be made out of glass. In cases where part of the door is in wooden panels and the remaining is of glass panels, the door is known as paneled and glazed door
• Paneled and Glazed doors have a flexibility of design which can look aesthetically pleasing
• The door frame for such types of doors can be made out of wood itself or of metal sections like steel etc.,

• Flush Doors:

• A flush door is a completely smooth door, having Plywood or Medium Density Fiberboard fixed over timber frame which is comparatively light
• Flush doors are most commonly employed in the interior of a dwelling
• The frames for such doors can be made out of wood, steel etc., which can hold its weight
• The doors are usually hinged along one side to allow the door to open in one direction only
• Flush doors are commonly provided in houses these days due to the reasons of economy, pleasing appearance, durability etc., 
• While providing these doors for toilets, baths, the inner face of the door should be covered with aluminum sheets to provide protection against water

• Glass Doors:

• Glass is usually provided for doors, mostly for paneling
• Normally such doors are provided on the backside of the house as it provides unobstructed view of the backyard or garden
• Front doors made of glass are equally beautiful, but care should be taken to ensure both privacy and durability 
• Cut glass panels set into wooden frames are frequent and beautiful options for front doors. Such doors are costly and require good maintenance
• They are usually costly than other doors besides being heavier

• Steel Doors:

• Steel or other such metal construction has been used for years as they are efficient and are a sturdy option for exterior and interior doors alike 
• It has been found to be a good substitute for wood and is being used extensively for making frames 
• Holdfasts and hinges are normally welded to the frame in case of steel frames
• Steel frames are quite popular and are being used extensively for houses and other locations as they are economical than the conventional wooden frames
• Shutters can also be made out of Mild Steel (MS) sheets, welded or riveted to a frame of angle iron or channel section, properly braced
• They are long lasting with minimum maintenance
• These can invariably be used where security is of a greater concern

• PVC(Poly Vinyl Chloride) Doors:

• It is basically a plastic material commonly used for making various products including water tanks, pipes, fittings etc., for houses
• The use of PVC for the manufacture of doors has become very popular and a large variety of the same are available in different colors and designs
• The advantages of using PVC doors are that they are termite proof, durable, anti-corrosive, light weight and moisture resistant
• They are also easy to fabricate, install and very economical when compared with wooden doors
• However they are not suited for entry doors as, security is an issue. Also they are not weather proof like wooden or metal doors, also they cannot resist the harsh environmental conditions

• Fiberglass Doors:

• Glass fibers bonded with resin that can be used to manufacture a range of products including bathtubs, doors and windows etc.,
• Fiberglass is said to be one of the most hardened materials with relatively low maintenance costs as compared with wood and steel
• Fiberglass doors are expected to be stable as they do not warp, bow or twist  and offer good insulation properties
• Fiberglass is strong, light & non-flammable and has a high tensile strength
• They can also be painted as per design
• Doors and windows made out of fiberglass can be provided with wooden panels on the surface to improve upon the aesthetics
• Doors made out of fiberglass can be used for both exterior and interior locations
• The exterior doors have designer options such as beveled glass and door stiles

• FRP(Fiber Reinforced Plastic) Doors:

• FRP is a general term relating to the reinforcement of plastic with fibrous glass
• Due to its high strength it can be put to many uses including manufacture of doors
• Typically, the tensile strength is about ten times that of PVC
• FRP molded doors are available in many colors and finishes including natural wood finish
• Necessary wooden supports are provided for fixing the handles, locks, stoppers and other accessories
• FRP doors are in good demand these days for use in modern houses

• Aluminum Doors:

• Aluminum is a metal which has been put to a large number of uses due to being light in weight
• A large number of products made out of aluminum are available including doors, windows, partitions, curtain walls etc.,
• Aluminum frames for doors have the distinct advantage of resisting difficult environmental conditions
• Being light in weight they transfer less loads to the foundations
• Aluminum frames are not affected by termites and as such they are long lasting
• Aesthetically they are quite pleasing and are quite economical in the long run

• Bamboo Jute Composite Doors:

• Bamboo is one of the fastest renewable plants with a maturity cycle of 3-4 years, making it a good natural resource compared to forest hardwoods 
• Bamboo offers good potential for processing it into composites as a wood substitute
• Bamboo laminates could replace timber in many applications including for doors & windows and their frames etc.,
• One of the alternatives to wood product is the jute-coir composite board which can be utilized for the manufacture of doors
• Bamboo-jute composite doors have the advantage of being water resistant, corrosion resistant, termite resistant, eco-friendly, bio-degradable and cost effective

Therefore these are some of the doors used by PKC Realtors in their construction projects

In the next part of this article, we will be discussing on the various types of windows used in house construction and their functions

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