Getting The Right Interior Doors For Your Home

I know this may be an unusual opening to an article about doors, but whenever I think of doors, I remember the scenes in the Pixar movie Monsters, Inc., with the millions of different doors in a door vault. No two were alike and, apart from the wonderful visuals, it reminded me of just how important doors are in our lives. And that goes for front doors as well as the simple interior doors in our homes, and any other doors out there.

Doors provide security, boundaries and comfort. Doors can be basic, decorative, ornate, or just symbolic. Doors can provide privacy and create intimate spaces, or they can open to wide-open rooms with lots of light. Doors can lock things away and out of sight, or they can provide access. Doors can frame a room, facilitate traffic patterns, or keep out the cold and rain. Some doors are glass, some have windows in them, and some are solid and opaque. Doors can be intricate and ornate, or basic and utilitarian. There are wood doors, metal doors, front doors, entry doors, interior doors, exterior doors, office doors and many more. Doors are everywhere. Doors are an important part of our lives and homes, and sometimes we don't give them enough attention.

Doors are complex, too. While we rarely give them a second thought as we go through them or lock and unlock them, doors are actually quite sophisticated and complex devices. Properly hanging a door is far more complex than it seems. A door that isn't installed right may stick or not close properly, and that can go even for cheap pre-hung doors. There are left hand doors and right hand doors, and choosing the wrong type makes it inconvenient to use. Sometimes a single door isn't wide enough and it's better to go with a double door. Some doors need to be lockable, and picking the right type and kind is important.

While we generally take doors for granted, there are times when we need to make decisions about doors. The doors in our home may be worn and need replacement, or they don't look quite right and you're ready to get new ones. Doors can be an important home improvement project. So where do you get doors? Local lumberyards usually have a variety of doors, but their selection is generally limited and fairly utilitarian. Essentially you have to pick what they have in stock and hope it fits your needs. Not an ideal situation when you try to go for the best quality and a special look that's just right for your home.

The alternative is to go to a door specialist, people who do just doors. Unlike lumberyards, they have hundreds of different exterior and interior door and molding designs in dozens of different kinds of wood and finishes. You can choose from solid wood, wood veneer, and an endless variety of designs, colors and finishes. There are louvered doors, rustic ones, doors with glass inserts and various other types. You can also get just the right doorknobs or levers in steel, brass, porcelain, crystal or bronze. Delivery is not a problem either. Specialized door manufacturers usually ship quickly and reliably right to your home.