Did you know that in 2022, home improvement project spending in the U.S. reached $472 billion? Experts estimate homeowners to spend even more this year: a whopping $485 billion!
After all, home improvement projects create more comfortable, functional, and aesthetic living spaces. Comfortable living environments, in turn, can benefit mental health.
So if you haven’t had the chance to improve your home for a long time, now may be the best time. And an excellent starting point is replacing doors in your home that have seen better days.
The best interior door options can make your home more livable by maximizing space. Others even have extra perks like improved airflow or helping a small room look bigger.
To that end, we created this guide discussing your top choices for interior doors. Read on to learn what they are, their benefits, and which rooms they’re best for.
Different Types of Interior Doors
French Doors
French doors, often made of glass panes that extend for most of the doors’ length, come in pairs. Their traditional use is as exterior doors that allow more light in. However, they can also be ideal for interior use, such as to separate the living room from the dining area.
Because French doors come in pairs, their openings require more space. At the same time, they provide more entry or exit space when opened. Depending on the width, two or more people can go in and out simultaneously, whereas a single door can only fit one.
Double Doors
Like French doors, double doors also come in pairs. The chief difference between the two is that double doors feature mostly wood. They can be solid, paneled, or have small sections made of glass panes.
Since double doors primarily feature wood, they offer more privacy than French doors. That makes them ideal for master bedrooms and entertainment rooms. Oak, knotty alder, and mahogany are common wood species used to craft them.
Louvered Doors
Louvered doors have multiple horizontal inclined slats. The incline prevents the slats from touching each other and also creates gaps. These spaces allow air to circulate better from within to outside the room.
That improved circulation makes louvered doors ideal for rooms with humidity concerns. These include laundry rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms.
Indoor humidity is a concern because it can promote mold growth. You don’t want molds because they can cause health issues and property damage. And with over 1,000 types of mold found inside U.S. homes, it pays to keep your abode well-ventilated.
So, consider installing louvered doors in rooms where you must control humidity.
You should also look into swinging louvered doors that open inward and outward. Also called saloon doors, these are ideal for kitchens, pantries, and closets. Here’s a page you can click for swinging louvered doors and a more in-depth guide to their pros, uses, and prices.
Sliding Doors
Sliding doors open horizontally by sliding, unlike traditional doors that swing. Some systems mount on top of tracks on floors, while others use suspended overhead tracks.
Sliding doors save space because they don’t require swing space. Instead, they can slide into a gap inside or along the outside of the adjacent wall. This feature makes them a perfect addition to homes with limited space.
Among your best options are glass sliding doors made almost entirely of one glass pane. Aside from saving space, the glass element makes rooms appear and feel bigger. You can install these modern interior doors in bathrooms, shower rooms, and wardrobes. You can contact Gatsby Glass, a glass company in Boca Raton, to help you install glass doors for your home.
Wooden sliding doors are also available and often used in the interior design of large homes. They provide more privacy because of their solid-paneled structure. They’re also ideal room dividers; closing them creates two separate areas.
If you want both glass and wood, don’t worry; you can get sliding doors that use both materials. They typically serve as patio or balcony doors, but you can use them in any other room in your house.
Swinging Glass Doors
These interior glass doors swing inward or outward and can be stand-alone or part of a glass divider. You can get them in solid glass or paneled designs featuring two or more glass panes. You can also choose clear, frosted, or decorative glass.
Like the sliding type, swinging glass doors are ideal for bathrooms and shower rooms. You can also use them to separate a sunroom from another room. This way, you can take advantage of the natural light that comes from the sunroom.
Bi-Fold Doors
Bi-fold doors are similar to sliding doors in that you slide them to open or close them. However, they don’t go into or along the outside of a wall but instead fold neatly in a stack on one end. They feature several panels attached side by side using a hinging mechanism.
Bi-fold doors are suitable for rooms with limited spaces and walls. For example, you can use them for smaller bathrooms, laundry rooms, or closets.
Most bi-fold doors feature wood materials, but you can also get them in vinyl, metal, or glass. You can customize their size and materials depending on your preference and needs.
Accordion Doors
Accordion doors, as their name suggests, resemble the musical instrument accordion.
Like bi-fold doors, accordion doors have many panels hinged together and fold on top of each other. Operating them also involves sliding or pushing them to one side. As a result, they’re also a fitting option for rooms with limited space.
The chief difference is that accordion doors often have more panels than the bi-fold type. Each panel is also typically narrower and thinner in accordion doors.
Explore Your Interior Door Options
As you can see, you have many interior door options, ranging from French to louvered to sliding doors. You can also get them in various materials, including wood, glass, metal, vinyl, or a combination of two or more. And since they work well in different rooms, you can choose multiple styles that best suit your needs.
Are you looking for more home improvement hacks and tricks? Then check out our guide with tips on transforming a living room with a fireplace makeover!
