TYPES OF DOORS BASED ON MATERIAL OF MANUFACTURE
There are large varieties of doors and windows which can either be manufactured or are available in the market for ready fixing. Based on the material of manufacture, some of their types along with their main feature, advantages and disadvantages are given here to facilitate easy selection for the house owner.
1. TIMBER/WOOD DOORS
Traditionally, timber or wood as it is popularly known has been the mainstay for the manufacture of doors/windows. Its main advantage has been local availability of material and the ease with which it can be made by the local carpenters.
Presently large varieties of wood are available in the market and its selection should be made based on the properties of longevity and the budget of the house owner. Although they can be used for all locations in the house, they are best placed for exterior locations.
Timber is most commonly being used for making of doors/windows.
2. 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 with about 35 mm thicknesses which are usually tongue and groove jointed. Usually three ledges (horizontal members) 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, WC etc and also in houses where economy is of prime consideration.
3. FRAMED AND PANELED DOORS
These types of doors and windows 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 door 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.
Such doors have a flexibility of design which can look aesthetically pleasing.
The design can be made according to the requirement and location in the house.
The door frame for such types of doors can be made out of wood itself or of metal sections like steel etc.
4. FLUSH DOORS
A flush door is a completely smooth door, having plywood or Medium Density Fiberboard fixed over timber frame which is comparatively light. The hollow core so obtained is often filled with a cardboard core material.
Flush doors are most commonly employed in the interior of a dwelling, although with some variations they are also used as exterior doors in houses.
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 and are commonly available in the market.
While providing these doors for toilets, baths; the inner face of the door should be covered with aluminum sheets to provide protection against water.
Frames for such doors/windows can be made in any of the traditional manner.
5. GLASS DOORS
Glass is usually provided for doors and windows, mostly for paneling. However if the owner so desires, doors can be made out of glass for specific locations. 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 a frequent and beautiful option for front doors. Such doors are costly and require good maintenance.
They are usually heavier than other doors besides being costly.
6. PVC DOORS
PVC is a common term for the product called Poly Vinyl Chloride. 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 the market in different colours and designs.
The advantages of using PVC doors are that they are termite proof, durable, anti corrosive, light weight, moisture resistant etc. They are also easy to fabricate and install.
However they are not suited for entry doors as they are very light in weight, not weather proof like wooden or metal doors, also they cannot resist the harsh environmental conditions.
Such doors are being manufactured by a number of entrepreneurs and can be easily adopted as a substitute for wooden or other type of doors in the house.