Doors are an important factor in determining a home's style and functionality. There is a huge selection of doors to choose from and understanding your requirements will help you select each door's material, style and operation. This article discusses the two basic door categories, interior and exterior.

Exterior doors are sturdier and more decorative than interior doors. The exterior door will need to provide security, keep weather out, and aid in giving the home the style the owner is striving for. The different types of exterior doors include, front entry doors, back doors, french doors, sliding glass, and patio doors. These doors may either be paneled, flush, or have glass inserts. Panels are raised inserts that are framed into the door. These are fitted into grooves in the door, which allows the wood to expand and contract without damaging the door. Flush doors are covered or sheathed with a veneer that will provide a smooth, or unbroken exterior cover on the door. This veneer can include inexpensive pine or costly exotic wood. Glass can be inserted into doors to provide style, such as multipaned french doors, or entry doors with smaller windowpanes. The panes of glass that are inserted into doors are often referred to as lights. A door can be identified by how many lights it has. A single large pane of glass placed in a door often classifies the door as an atrium or patio door.

Exterior doors are constructed from wood, steel, fiberglass, aluminum, or a combination of these materials. Exterior doors may be flushed, paneled, and with or without glass. The standard exterior entry door is 3 feet wide and 6 feet 8 inches tall.

Wood is still the most common material used for doors. Wood doors are most often constructed using oak, fir and pine. Because wood has a tendency to warp when it becomes damp, wood doors are often constructed with vertical rails, pieces on each side of the door that run lengthwise, made from separate pieces of wood. These are then laminated together lengthwise. If the door becomes damp, the pieces will warp in opposite directions, negating a bowing effect.

Steel is becoming more commonly used for entry doors for security purposes. Steel doors are usually sheathed with 24-gauge steel which come either paneled or flushed, and in a variety of colors. Some steel doors are given a vinyl coating for greater weather resistance. A disadvantage with steel is that it can dent fairly easily, and if exposed to the hot sun for periods of time it can bow out causing paint to crack.

Fiberglass doors are resistant to warping and bowing so they are an ideal choice for humid parts of the country. This also makes it more maintenance free than doors using other materials. Fiberglass doors can be either flush or paneled and come in a variety of faux wood stains or finishes for a natural wood look.

Aluminum doors are exclusively manufactured and then sold on a local level to be custom fit into unique door openings. This is often a good material choice for odd shape door requirements. With similar finish work to fiberglass, they can be produced to have a natural wood look. Since they won't rust, aluminum doors often have longer warranties than doors constructed of other materials, but being a lightweight material they can dent easily.

Interior doors can be solid wood, hollow core wood, solid core wood, or fiberglass. They are typically constructed from lighter materials than exterior doors since they are not required to provide security or be weather resistant. Interior doors are usually smaller than the standard exterior door. Widths of 30 or 32 inches are commonly found. There are several types of interior doors available, including swinging doors, pocket, gliding, and folding.

Swinging doors are your standard hinge-mounted doors found throughout the interior of most homes.

Pocket doors slide along on overhead rails and tuck into a recessed space in the wall. This type of door is ideal for tight spaces because the door is completely pushed out of the way to gain full access to the doorway. This type of door is easily installed during construction, but adding one at a later date can be an extensive remodeling project.

Gliding doors roll along the bottom of the doorframe on wheels in a track. French doors and patio doors are the most common type of gliding doors.

Folding doors are most commonly found on closets. This allows the doors to be pushed or pulled to the side to allow full access to the doorway. This type of door is a good choice where there is not sufficient room for a swinging door. Bypass doors are similar to folding doors in that they are typically found on closets where there is not enough space for a swinging door. The downfall of the bypass door is that only half of the closet doorway is accessible at one time since one door slides behind the other to gain access.

The doors you choose will establish the style of home you are striving for. An entry door invites the outside world into your home as well as protect your family from it. You may want to have several french or patio doors leading to the outdoors to let a great amount of light in, or in the interior to give a dramatic entrance to a special room. Choosing the styles and location of doors will add to the unique appeal of your new home.