The first doors appear in paintings of Egyptian tombs from 5000 years ago. They believed doors separated us from the afterlife.  Some tombs had false doors painted to fool spirits, and others resembled windows to symbolize the entrance to the afterlife. We have come a long way since a wooden plank was put across a cave entrance. 

Stop now and count how many different door uses you encounter at home and work. An interior room, bathroom, garage, wardrobe, conference room, patio, shed, barn, office, and elevator have various doors. They all serve different uses and attributes. Have you heard the saying,” As useless as a screen door on a submarine”? Like a rotating door in a prison, some doors need replacing. 

Now add to that list how many types of doors you have. Do you find wooden, collapsing, steel, pivot, rotating, rolling, or sliding doors? Each has its proper application for a specific use or room type. Within each type there are variations. Take “Sliding Doors’ as an example. They can also be called pocket doors, centre-opening, or bypass doors. It can be confusing, and I’ll admit to walking into one once at a new home. Here are other examples;

• Exterior doors protect our homes from unwelcome intruders, shield us against tough weather, and insulate us from temperature variations and noise.
• Interior doors are usually less substantial and are designed to be room separation for privacy. They are called swinging doors and are hung on multiple hinges. 
• Bathroom doors have to mitigate moisture and heat leaching into the interior of your home and not become waterlogged.
• Garage doors cover large openings and require increased structural support for the walls and roof. Generally, garages aren’t climate-controlled so the door thermal value is low.
• Storm doors are used in certain climates or on homes where entrances face prevailing winds in hard seasons. They will resist strong wind-driven rain.
• Fire doors can be used on basement access or to secure your HVAC equipment safely. Made of metal, constructed to withstand fire and not allow fire to pass the seal.
• Security doors can be a reinforced screen door that allows airflow with protection. They would be used in a safe room or storm shelter.
• Collapsing doors or panel doors are used to enclose large openings.

At this point, your head might be spinning as if you have been listening to Jim Morrison and The Doors. Be sure to understand what application each door is good for and which is overkill. There is no need for an expensive, heavy, steel door on your kitchen pantry unless you live with teenage children. Likewise, you wouldn’t install a rice paper panelled door in the car park.

Door installation is no joke. Hire a professional to handle structural concerns. Improper fitment can result in an inability to use the door and an ineffective environmental control. Rehanging a new door is simple, however, installing a door frame or casement is a job for a professional with experience. Become “Doora The Explorer” and find an open, reliable tradesperson, then close the deal.