Guide To Home Improvement - Doors for Beauty

Ask any interior designer: aesthetic considerations rule when choosing interior doors and sliding glass patio doors for your home. Hang a new, expensive door that conflicts with your motif or structural style and you may have to live with a costly, ugly match for years. Choose the right one, and your house will light up with charm and grace.

Visit a door and window showroom, tour door styles online and in magazines, or consult a design expert to explore your options. There's a perfect match--in decor and budget--that will complement your house. Don't be overwhelmed by the array of interior doors or sliding glass patio doors in the showroom. Narrow your choices by appeal, utility, ease of maintenance, cost, and your own personal taste.

Screening the Selection of Interior Doors

If you already know your style (modern, country, Victorian, contemporary, etc.) you'll find ready-made doors from which to choose. Interior doors and complementary hardware can turn a room into a statement.

Doors come ready-to-install in wood and glass. Wood doors, with or without glass insets, are made of paneled hardwoods, hardboard, and solid wood. Paneled wood cannot be stained, while hardwoods can be pained to harmonize your decor.

You'll find a wide selection in styles: louvered doors, cafe doors, glazed doors, raised panels, bi-folds, and solid wood. Many interior door kits or custom-designed replacements come with attractive moldings, too. You'll also need to choose between using hollow or solid interior doors. Hollow doors are usually more affordable, but don't offer the durability and noise-reduction properties of a solid-wood door. If you pick an expensive, elegant door, don't scrimp on the hardware.

Surprising Beauty in Patio Doors

Sliding-glass, double-door replacements are the most-common preference in patio doors. Slider sets come in a range of prices and quality. You can substitute French doors for the slider to create an elegant look. Make sure you'll have clearance on the inside of the doors (furnishings, plants, carpets, etc.) so the French doors can swing open.

It's easy to mix energy efficiency with good looks in a replacement patio door. Most exterior doors in the marketplace carry the National Fenestration Rating Council rating for air leakage, tinting factors, solar heat gain, and condensation resistance. Why not recoup the cost of installing a new, attractive interior or patio door in your home through energy savings? Your house will look great--and so will your bank balance!

About the Author
Gabby Hyman has created online strategies and written content for Fortune 500 companies including eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Microsoft Encarta, Avaya, and Nissan UK.