DIY Network

Open Door Policies: Interior Door Options From "Blueprint for Home Building" episode DBHB-111

You've just learned about the exterior-door options for your new home, and in this segment host Jeff Wilson will explores interior doors.

Because the doors inside your home don't have to keep out the elements, they have two primary functions:

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	Figure A -- Pocket Door
	Figure B -- Accordion Door
	Figure C -- French Door

1. Privacy -- Interior doors are mainly to give privacy to the rooms. Ordinary hinge doors provide the most privacy inside the home, however, achieving that privacy means a hinge door must have the ability to close and open easily. And how easily a door closes has much to do with the surface beneath the door.

   Interior doors will usually have a 1/2" space between the door bottom and the floor, in order to facilitate movement and allow for ventilation. This measurement should be adjusted in you intend to install something other than standard carpeting. For example, longer carpeting might require a higher space along the bottom of the door. Conversely, tile or hardwood floors might work better with a lower one.

2. Style or interior aesthetic -- There are a wide variety of interior doors that can add style to your home. Some of the most common options include:
   • Pocket doors (figure A) -- The nice thing about this type of door is that if you slide it, it's hidden.

   • Accordion doors (figure B).

   • French doors (figure C) -- This is a popular choice because it allows light to travel between rooms.

As always, cost and durability will be factors in what kind of door you may choose. Also keep durability in mind when deciding on what kind of interior door to use in a particular space. Pocket doors, for instance, on closets can sometimes create a maintenance problem because of continual usage. They have a limited lifespan. A hinge door basically has a longer lifespan.

Once you decide on the doors of your home's interior, your builder will have a professional install them. In fact, it's the job of the trim carpenter to come in and perform the actual installation.

Constructive Advice: Avoid doors that open in the wrong direction or that can't close because of furniture placements. By planning the interior layout of your rooms ahead of time, you'll save some hassle later. You don't have to know where every lamp or bookshelf will go, but knowing what may block a door from opening or closing will help you to avoid possible frustration in the future.

In the last segment you'll learn all about garage doors.

GUESTS :

Bruce Dickson
Project Manager
IBACOS
Website: www.ibacos.com

John Broniek
Buildings Programs Manager
Ibacos
Website: www.ibacos.com

John Holton
Senior Architect
Ibacos
Website: www.ibacos.com

Patrick Janes
Andersen Windows
00 Fourth Ave. N
Bayport, MN 55003
Phone: 651-264-5150
Fax: 651-264-2068
E-mail: patrick.janes@andersencorp.com
Website: www.andersenwindows.com

Larry Shapiro
Director of Marketing
Grace Company
62 Whittemore Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140
Phone: 617-498-4888
E-mail: Lawrence.s.Shapiro@grace.com

Janet Greenway-Rader
President
Summit Door Inc.
1233 Enterprise Ct.
Corona, CA 92882
Phone: 909-272-6633
E-mail: jrader@summit-door.com