1. Internal wooden, aluminium, or PVC doors

When deciding on the material for your door, there’s a great deal of choice. Wood, aluminium, or PVC? With or without glazed elements? Try to decide on the door material at the same time as you choose the flooring materials (parquet or laminate) and the colours of the interior walls, as this will make it easier for you to find colours, materials, and designs to complement and match each other. Wooden doors can be made from maple, birch, spruce, mahogany, beech, oak, etc. and there are also combinations of wood-glass, wood-aluminium, and glass-aluminium.

1.1. Wooden doors

Wood is the most suitable material for internal doors. The fact that it’s a natural material means it oozes welcomeness and warmth, which is reason enough to choose it. Internal wooden doors come in an incredible number of colours and patterns and with numerous different styles of frame, so you’re bound to find something to your liking, no matter what you’re looking for. Veneers, varnishes, oils, and other coatings are also available to make the choice even wider. The final decision is whether you want a classic ‘hollow-core’ door or one made from solid wood.

A solid wood interior door is made from panels, up to 4 cm thick, consisting of three crosswise glued layers. In addition to these panels, other elements can be used - veneers, planks, or slats.

1.2. Veneer doors

While a veneer internal door has the appearance of solid wood, it is much lighter. There are as many veneers to choose from as there are types of wood, but oak and walnut veneers are considered the best, primarily due to their hardness and durability. Veneer doors are, in fact, wooden doors that are covered with a thin sheet of hardwood that gives them a contemporary, elegant look, but makes them easier to keep looking good - they just need a quick wipe with a damp cloth.

1.3. Wooden doors with glass

The combination of wood and glass is a popular choice as it enhances the appearance of both the door and the room. Glass panels in a wooden door help to improve natural lighting even when the door is closed, which may be why these are among the best-selling types of internal doors. High quality, safety glass is always used, but it comes in a range of types and designs.

1.4. Glass doors

Glass doors have a special purpose. They are used when we want a visual transition or when more natural light is needed, while keeping noise and draughts out. This might take the form of a standard door with glazing to one side (a sidelight) or above the door (a transom window) or maybe a door that is entirely made of glass. For safety, all doors are made of tempered glass, so they can be sandblasted, acid-etched, or covered with a film to achieve the visual effect you want.

1.5. Aluminium doors

Aluminium is much more commonly used to make external doors due to its strength and the anti-burglary protection it offers. Such a durable material is not needed for internal doors, especially as it is more expensive than wood. However, it is commonly used for the frames of sliding glass internal doors.

1.6. PVC doors

Although wood radiates homeliness, warmth, and comfort in any room, we can’t escape the fact that it is more expensive than PVC. This is why internal PVC doors are becoming increasingly popular. They are easy to install and maintain, are lighter, and come in a whole range of designs, shapes, and sizes. Different coatings and decorative films can make them look like real wood. Another advantages is that the frames are designed so that they open and close easily and silently. The lower price of the material which the doors are made from means that money can be spent on various ‘upgrades’, such as anti-burglary protection or a certain design or colour.

1.7. Felt as an extra

PVC is one of the materials most commonly used for folding internal doors. For this type of door, felt is used on the inside to provide better insulation and soundproofing.

2. Methods of opening

Once you’ve decided on the size and material for your door, a third important consideration is how your door will open and close. This will depend on the layout of the room, i.e. the available space, as well as the furniture in the room. After all, you want to be able to move around freely and open and close the door without it hitting a wall, sideboard, or armchair.

2.1. Swing doors

Swing doors are the most common type of door in any home. They have hinges on one side and a simple opening and closing system using a door handle. If you go for this type of door, remember the leaf of the door takes up a lot of space when it opens and closes so think about the size of the room and any obstacles that may be in the way. Furniture or even the location of the door itself may prevent it from being fully open. Of course, every door leaf needs a door frame. The frame can be between 85 and 175 mm wide and up to 300 mm high. The door opens and closes thanks to the hinges which it is hung on. The most common material for swing doors is wood, maybe with additional glazing. There’s more information on materials above.

2.2. Sliding doors

Sliding internal doors are more suitable for smaller spaces, those where installing a swing door would result in even less space. This is why sliding doors are a great solution for cramped apartments that have very little free space anyway. Sliding doors are considered quieter than ordinary, swing doors and are available in a number of designs, which can make them look very attractive. They move along rails, which can be located at the top of the door (a suspended sliding door) or both above and below the door. A sliding door can be opened directly into the wall (a cassette door) or along the wall (a compartment door). Their only real disadvantage is that they detract from the soundproofing and insulation of the room, especially compartment doors.

2.3. Folding doors

Folding doors, also known as ‘bi-fold doors’ or ‘concertina doors’, open by folding back on themselves. These are becoming ever more popular in modern houses as partition walls or to separate the kitchen from the living room to prevent the spread of odours. They are easy to hang and can be virtually any size, even up to 18 m wide.

3. Additional elements

3.1. Door handles

Door handles don’t only have a functional purpose, but an aesthetic one, too. When choosing one, you need to think about the material, shape, type, and style of the door itself. Most commonly they are made from aluminium, but brass, stainless steel, PVC, and increasingly, wood are also popular. You’ll find various types of L-shaped handles and spherical doorknobs, and they can operate in different ways - push/pull, twist, or lever. Spherical doorknobs are mainly used for the front door as they open more slowly and are thus more secure. More specifically, you can choose between a lever on a backplate, a lever on a rose, thumb turns, handles with a keyhole and a cylinder slot, handles with covers, handles with protectors and slow-release mechanisms, and so on.

3.2. Door frames

The door frame is fitted in the opening where the door will go, together with the supports to which the leaf will be attached. The frame is as much a technical element as an aesthetic one and should be aligned with the door leaf, load-bearing, and resistant to temperature changes and moisture. Most often, the frame is made of solid wood or chipboard, although PVC, aluminium, or a combination of these materials can also be used.

Concealed frames are particularly stylish at the moment - those that are flush with the wall and the door leaf. This means that only the edge between the door leaf and the wall remains visible, with the frame completely hidden by plaster or plasterboard. The aluminium frame and supports are installed before plastering and painting the wall, meaning the decorator can make sure all the edges are rendered properly so they are not visible.

3.3. Style

Choose the style of the door based on the look you are going for and what you think will fit in with the aesthetics of the room. Think about the surroundings first, the space where the door will be installed. Is the house old or new? Classic or contemporary? Residential or commercial? Which materials and which colours are dominant? Do you want the door to be concealed or visible? Tall or wide? The answer to each of these questions will gradually narrow down your options until you find the right door for you.

Classic doors have clear, visible frames, ornamental details, stained-glass, and the like, which can make it feel like you’re entering a castle. Contemporary doors are stripped back, with the emphasis on clean, simple lines. They’re mostly made of wood or aluminium. Honouring modern minimalism, there are doors that are completely impersonal and compact with concealed supports because the emphasis is only on the surface itself, which can be neutral or rich in texture and visual elements. You won’t go wrong if you consult an interior designer first and then order a custom-made door.

3.4. Fire doors

Fire doors are used for those rooms and spaces where we want to prevent the spread of fire, i.e., to slow it down. In family houses or apartment buildings, this usually means boiler rooms. You can choose from steel, aluminium, or wooden fire doors. The door must be kept closed at all times to prevent smoke and fire from spreading. Standard fire doors protect against fire for an average of 30 minutes (EI30), while there are more expensive ones that offer up to 90 minutes of protection (EI90). When purchasing a fire door, pay attention to the identification label, which provides all the technical data and specifications: the certification issuing authority, the door’s fire rating, the manufacturer, and the document number.

4. Internal door dimensions

Precise measurements must be taken before buying and installing internal doors. For the width, the width of the entire wall opening is calculated. Internal door widths vary according to the purpose of the room. Sanitary facilities, such as toilets and bathrooms, or service areas, like storage rooms or utility rooms, have a regular 75-80 cm wide door, while other rooms can have doors that are up to 120 cm wide. If wheelchair access is required, the door must be at least 90 cm wide.

5. Projects

5.1. Installation

Installing an internal door requires precision in order for the door to open and close smoothly and to make sure the leaf doesn’t sag or the frame crack. First, the condition of the opening in the wall is checked. It must be level and plumb and 3-4 cm wider and 1-2 cm higher than the external dimensions of the door frame. The frame can then be placed into the opening in the correct position and fixed with door packers and battens. The door leaf can then be hung and the gap between the wall and the frame filled with insulating material, which is most often expanding foam. When the foam has set, any excess is removed, and the door leaf is fixed on the hinges. The final stage is to attach the door handle and lock.

5.2. Custom-made doors

If you want something special, a door that is different from any you’ll find in the showrooms, either in appearance, size, or the way it opens, then you should go for a custom-made one. Tell a carpenter what you want and try to provide him with a sketch or a picture. This way your door will be in perfect harmony with both your vision and your room. You can let your imagination run wild!

5.3. Repairs

You may end up having problems with your door if its weight isn’t supported evenly, if it is exposed to moisture, or simply due to frequency of use. The door leaf can warp or fall off its hinges, the hinges can start to squeak, the frame can swell, metal parts can rust, and so on. In these cases, you’ll need to repair it. A professional will be able to repair wooden or sliding doors and door handles, deal with insulation, soundproofing, lubrication, spare parts, and broken glass, and carry out similar, minor repairs. If none of this helps, you might have to consider buying a new door.