Door Guide: Types, Sizes, Buying, Installation, and Maintenance

Flush doors: Flush doors have a flat surface on both sides, with no raised panels or mouldings. A wooden frame carries a skin of plywood or MDF. Hollow core versions suit light use, while solid core versions suit bedrooms needing sound reduction.

Panel doors: Panel doors are built from vertical stiles and horizontal rails that frame raised or recessed panels. Victorian homes favour the four-panel design, while Georgian properties use six panels. Each style adds depth and shadow lines that a flat slab lacks.

French doors: French doors are a pair of glazed doors hinged at the sides, meeting with no central mullion. Most are outward-opening, which keeps floor space clear indoors. The pair floods a dining room with daylight and opens onto a patio.

Sliding doors: Sliding doors glide sideways along a sliding track system and need no swing space. Fixed and moving glass panels overlap, so a living room keeps its full floor area. The track at the base collects grit and needs regular clearing.

Patio doors: Patio doors are exterior doors that give garden access from a living area. Patio door styles include sliding, folding and swinging versions. Each style offers its own frame colour, glazing pattern and finish, so the choice shapes the rear elevation.

Fire doors: Fire doors carry an FD30 or FD60 fire rating, giving 30 or 60 minutes of smoke and flame resistance. A self-closing device shuts the door after every use. Vision panels use borosilicate glass that resists heat.

Bi-fold doors: Bi-fold doors use concertina-style folding panels that stack to one side. The resulting wide opening exposes most of an external wall. Panel counts range from three to seven, and the stacked panels sit inside or outside the opening.

Glazed doors: Glazed doors carry glass in part or all of the leaf. Frosted obscure glass keeps a bathroom private, while clear panes pass daylight into a hallway. Toughened or laminated glass is standard for safety. Laminated glass also holds together when cracked.

Stable doors: Stable doors split horizontally, so the top half opens while the bottom half stays shut. The split door design gives ventilation and light in a kitchen while keeping pets and children inside. Cottage properties use them most often.

uPVC doors: uPVC doors are made from unplasticised polyvinyl chloride, a weather-resistant plastic that neither rots nor rusts. The surface is easy to clean with a damp cloth and needs no repainting. Most models include anti-snap locks as standard.

Composite doors: Composite doors combine a GRP skin, a foam core and a hardwood frame. GRP stands for glass-reinforced plastic. The foam-filled core insulates well, and steel reinforcement around the lock improves strength. The skin holds colour without regular repainting.

Aluminium doors: Aluminium doors use a slim frame that holds large glass panes. A polyamide thermal break, an insulating strip between inner and outer metal, limits heat loss. The metal resists corrosion and suits modern extensions and glazed walls.

Timber doors: Timber doors give a natural wood look in oak, pine or hardwood. Heritage homes often keep timber for authenticity. Untreated wood is prone to warping and rot, so a sealed finish of paint or oil protects it from moisture. Solid timber also repairs easily.

Fibreglass doors: Fibreglass doors have a reinforced plastic skin moulded with a wood-grain finish. The skin resists dents and does not swell in damp weather. An insulated core keeps heat in, and the finish takes paint well.