Choosing Interior Doors

Choosing the right interior doors for your home requires a bit of thought about your home as a whole.  You need to consider the size and style of the room where the door is being fitted, how much clearance the space provides,  the size of the opening, and the room’s existing colour scheme and decor. Answering these questions will help you narrow down your choices and styles of doors that are best suited to your home. 

1. Door Levers or Door Knobs

The door handles are usually what first catches a person’s eye when using a door so choosing these first and then selecting the rest of your door hardware to match is often the best first step. You need to decide whether it’s a door handle you want to fit or whether you would prefer a more traditional look which is more suited to installing door knobs. Whichever you choose there are some functional considerations to take into account too which may sway your decision.

Door Levers 

These come in various styles, from simple and traditional to contemporary designs. Door levers are often considered luxurious and more modern. They can be a better choice for those with limited hand and arm strength.  However, because they can be easy to use,  consider that children and even some clever pets may be able to open a door with a door lever installed. On the opposite side of the coin, opening a door using a door lever is far easier with your hands full of washing, for example, than having to twist a door knob. Also, bear in mind that door levers will match the orientation of the door, so if you have a left or right-opening door, ensure your door knobs open the same way.

Door Knobs

The door knob was patented in 1878 by an African American inventor called Osborn Dorsey.  Most designs will suit even the simplest of traditional doors, and the elegant and simple style will also suit most modern doors too.  They can be difficult for children and tenacious pets to open, which you might consider a safety feature of their design. They are usually more forgiving if you walk into them and you are less likely to catch or damage your clothing on them.

2. Hinges

It is a good idea to choose hinges which match the finish of your handles.  Therefore, if you have selected brass handles, choose brass hinges; if you have chosen steel door knobs opt for steel hinges too.  This will give you a seamless and finished design look. Most domestic internal doors will use two hinges on each door which is usually adequate to hold the door securely and firmly to the frame.  For aesthetic reasons, some people like to have 3 hinges. The standard 3” butt hinge is the most popular hardware choice for the majority of internal door hanging.  Rustic and cottage ledge and brace doors tend to look better with butterfly,  H or T Hinges.

Bolts, Locks, and Privacy Locks

There will be some rooms in your home that you may want to keep secure or private as bathrooms and master bedrooms. There are several options available to you from the standard bolt lock, which sits on the surface of the door, to the latch with a built-in privacy lock which is fitted on the mechanism inside the door. This will need to be fitted with a turn and release key on the outside of the door and provides a better finish than the standard bolt.

So whether you have chosen door knobs or levers for your internal doors,  bolts or privacy locks you will now need to fit them!  hardware.