You might think that internal doors and external doors are going to be standard across the board, being simple entryways for you to go in and out of rooms. However, there are various functional internal doors that you can have installed to enhance aspects of your lifestyle, such as security, thermal insulation, fire protection and more. These internal door varieties can also be used to transition seamlessly between specific parts of the home.
This piece explores, some of the different functional internal, and even some external doors, so you can feel more confident making installation choices for your home.
Thermal insulation doors
Internal wooden doors can often be lacking when it comes to thermal insulation. Draughts can cost homeowners a fair amount on heating, which is why proper insulation is vital for maximising household functionality. Well-insulated internal doors are especially vital when it comes to houses with connections to:
- Basements (usually unheated)
- Heated or unheated outbuildings
- Garages with access to the house
Thermally insulating doors are also great to install externally, blocking out draughts at the source. Many of these doors are also acoustically insulated, helping to maintain privacy throughout the house and beyond.
Fire retardant doors
A fire retardant door is a great way to improve the internal safety of your home. There are generally around or over 500,000 fire incidents a year in the UK, meaning you never know when your home could be on the receiving end of a dangerous blaze. Fire-retarding doors slow the spread of fires effectively, helping to protect your property while also helping you and your family to escape smoothly.
Internal fire doors should offer benefits and features like:
- Effective physical resistance for up to 30 minutes
- Meeting statutory standards for general entrances and exits
- Smoke tightness between the rooms of the house
- Climatic class 3 – a classification for fridge doors generally, meaning the door can operate and exist stably between different temperatures and moisture levels
- Various aesthetic styles and flush fitting options
- Impact resistant finishes
With these elements in place, a fire door should offer suitable safety while also fitting harmoniously into the overarching look and feel of the property.
Security doors (external)
These doors aren’t likely to be found as internal options like the othes on the list, however, they’re too functionally important to leave out. Burglaries and home invasions can have devastating personal and financial consequences – they might not start and end with a stolen TV or a few missing appliances.
Security doors, fortified against opportunistic criminals and their tools, are an essential tool for protecting your family and your property. They’re especially important on parts of the property like basements, garages and outbuildings. These parts of a property are often equipped with older, less structurally sound doors – light work for dedicated burglars. With over 50,000 burglaries reported in London alone every year, security can’t be treated as a second thought.
These doors can also be used internally for the spaces between extensions and the main property for maximum security.
Room-specific internal doors
Along with all of the specific functions described above, some functional doors are designed purely for specific parts of the property, often including the features included in more function-forward installations.
- Boiler room doors – generally fire rated to ensure safety for boiler/oil tank rooms
- Garage-house doors – touched on before, these doors should be thermally and acoustically insulating, as well as fully fire rated
- Childrens room doors – these should be durable, stain resistant and easy to clean
There’s a lot more to doors than simply opening and closing. If you’re looking for a functional internal door, make sure to seek out a reputable supplier with a strong, long-standing reputation of successfully serving homeowners.
