Types of doors

Help & Advice > Product Guides > Internal Doors

This guide to types of doors is in alphabetical order. Most of these types are available as internal doors and external doors in a variety of woods, finishes and colours. Firstly, use our measuring guide in order to find the size of door you need. Secondly, use this guide below to find out which type of door you’d like.

Table of contents

• Bi-fold doors
• Composite doors
• Concertina doors
• Dowel construction doors
• Engineered doors
• Fire doors
• French doors
• Flush doors
• Hardwood doors
• Ledged and braced doors
• Mortise and Tenon doors
• Moulded doors
• Panelled doors
• Part L doors
• Pre-finished doors
• Room dividers
• Side lights
• Sliding doors
• Stable doors

BI-FOLD DOORS:

Bi-fold doors fold shut within the door frame which saves space on a door that opens traditionally. The door doesn’t open into or out of the room. Instead, the two sections of the door just fold left or right. There’s a pivot hinge on the frame and no track on the floor so there are no hazards or obstructions to young children or wheelchair users, for example.

COMPOSITE DOORS:

A composite door is made from a mixture of materials that make it strong and durable. For doors, this make-up usually includes a solid timber or a particle board core which is set inside a wooden frame and faced with a GRP coating. Composite doors are inexpensive and virtually maintenance-free.

CONCERTINA DOORS:

Concertina doors are similar to bi-fold doors except they feature more than one fold and they don’t have hinges. They’re usually manufactured from strong PVCu. This means they can fold and unfold in varying sections depending on the width of the door. These types of doors are more commonly found in kitchen pantries, walk-in wardrobes and other storage or utility areas.

DOWEL CONSTRUCTION DOORS:

Manufacturers make dowel doors from multiple separate pieces. They leave round dowel holes in the timber and join them all together using dowels. Next, they fill the holes with glue and insert the dowels. They then place the door in a press until it is dry.

ENGINEERED DOORS:

Engineered doors are the most common type of mass-produced door. Solid strips or blocks of timber are glued together and faced with a decorative varnish or veneer to give an attractive final finish. Varying thicknesses and materials can be used and then the door grain can be matched with a thick piece of wood around the outside as lipping. Engineered doors are often more consistent in their style of wood thanks to panel matching.

FIRE DOORS:

Fire doors are manufactured to very specific guidelines to give occupiers of a building more time to escape in the event of a fire. FD30 or FD60 doors are certified in accordance with British standard BS 476 Part 22 or the European equivalent BS EN 1634 Part 1 to hold back fire and flame for 30 minutes (FD30) or 60 minutes (FD60). Heavier and thicker than regular internal doors, fire-rated hinges, fire-rated door frames, and intumescent sealing strips must also be fitted to complete the system.

FRENCH DOORS:

French doors, also known as double doors in the UK, are a pair of doors that have hinges allowing them to open outwards. The dramatic effects of these doors, not to mention the fact that they often feature a lot of glazing, means they’re often used between dining rooms and living rooms, and out into patio areas. Many finishes, materials and styles are available.

FLUSH DOORS:

Flush doors are plain, flat doors that have no design features on either side. They’re very simple and elegant, with high-quality manufacture and varnishes available to give many different final finishes.

HARDWOOD DOORS:

Hardwood doors are dense, strong and durable because of the type of timber manufacturers use. In fact, hardwood is more resistant to decay and, because it’s more durable, it’s more suitable than softwood for use externally. External hardwood doors can feature a lovely high-density grain finish due to the nature of the wood. Common hardwoods are beech, walnut, mahogany, and oak.

LEDGED & BRACED DOORS:

Ledged and braced doors are standard timber doors with horizontal and diagonal braces across the top, middle and bottom, and diagonally from one corner to the other. Usually, for internal use only, the boarding is visible and gives a rustic charm. Perfect for listed or dated buildings and interiors.

MORTISE & TENON DOORS:

Mortise and tenon doors are somewhat more durable and sturdy than dowel construction joints, so installers often fit them externally. A tongue from the cross rails fits into a slot in the stile with glue. Then, wedges are driven in from the outside, and this creates a joint.

MOULDED DOORS:

Moulded doors are essentially flush timber doors with a layer of MDF or other similar material on the front of the door to give detailing and a textured finish.

PANELLED DOORS:

Panelled doors are very traditional and feature an outer frame with flat, raised or sunken panels to give the design. This type of door is named after how many panels the door has. For example, doors with 2 panels are known as 2-panel doors. Making this distinction is helpful for matching new doors to the same design as existing internal doors. Above is a range of examples of 2, 4, and 6 panelled doors.

PART L DOORS: