Need a New Entrance Door? Read our Quick Guide First

by Vitrocsa john Webmaster

Your choice of entrance door has a significant impact on the overall appearance of your property. So, when you are in the market for a new one, what kind of door should you choose?

Many of us choose the traditional side hung door; however, there are other options out there from sliding and bi-folding doors to a pivot door system, which could prove to be more practical and attractive.

Before you rush out and select a new door, here’s our quick guide to side-hung, sliding, bi-fold and pivot doors.

Side-Hung Doors

Side-hung doors are amongst the most popular type of doors and are frequently used for both front and back entrances.

They can be hung as a single door so that they open inwards or outwards or as double doors (French Doors) to create a larger opening space. Typically, a single side hung door will have a maximum width of approximately 1.3 metres.

Sliding Doors

It’s not common to see sliding doors used as front entranceways to a property; however, they do come into their own for opening up the rear of a property to the outside.

Depending on the area you want to cover, you can incorporate two, three or even four panels into the frame, some of which will slide while the others stay fixed, while large panes of glass can be used to give you great views of the garden.

Sliding doors can open in a variety of ways, but the most common types of operation include:

· The doors slide on tracks

· The doors must be lifted via a handle before the door will slide

· The doors slide along the track for access or tilt inwards for ventilation

Bi-Fold Doors

Bi-fold doors have become increasingly popular in recent years. Also known as folding-sliding doors, this type of door opens and closes in concertina style. When the doors are open, each ‘leaf’ is stacked next to each other.

The beauty of these doors is that the leaves can be stacked in different ways according to your needs, i.e. all to one side or split and stacked on different sides.

The big advantage of installing bi-folding doors is that they can achieve up to a 90% aperture to provide a seamless transition from indoors to out.

Pivot Doors

If you want a large opening at the front of your property but don’t want to install bi-fold or sliding doors, a pivot door is a great option.

Stylish and minimal, this kind of door enables you to have a single door that is much wider than a standard side hung door. The door opens by means of a pivot system about one third along the door leaf to create a large aperture plus the threshold is flush to the floor.

Whichever Door You Choose, Buy Quality

Whichever style of door you choose, it pays to buy quality. After all, your doors are there to provide a weatherproof seal for your property and to keep unwanted people out – so always buy the best quality door you can afford.