An Architect’s Guide To Doors

Doors not only bridge the gap between spaces, but are also technical innovations and design statements in their own right. As crucial components of architecture, doors require careful consideration during the design and specification process.

• Solid Wood: Common among exterior applications, solid wood doors offer great versatility and opportunities for customization. Natural-finish stock and custom wood doors come in oak, cherry, walnut, mahogany, maple, fir, and pine. You’ll also find paint-grade doors in several softwood varieties, such as pine and western hemlock. Many wood doors are a sandwich of wood-veneer skins and an engineered-wood core, which helps minimize warping.

• Steel: Steel is the best option when security and durability are top concerns in your design. Steel doors are stronger than wood and fiberglass doors, and neither crack nor warp. All steel doors have an inner frame made of either wood or steel. The cavities within this frame are filled with high-density foam insulation.

• Aluminum: Aluminum doors come in a huge variety of styles and colors, with smooth or wood-grain finishes. Additionally, they have an enamel finish, which means that the door will not rust or require maintenance.

• Fiberglass-Composite: Tough and maintenance-free, fiberglass-composite doors are a smart choice for harsh or humid climates. They mimic the look of wood with wood-grain texturing and can be stained to match oak, cherry, walnut, and a variety of other woods. Beneath their molded surface is a framework of wooden stiles and rails, including wood edges for the lockset. Voids in the framework are filled with polyurethane-foam insulation.

The new Ultimate Sliding door (horizontal cross-section shown here in an OXXO configuration) breaks new ground for aluminum clad-wood products by featuring a streamlined design with no visible vinyl on the interior and exterior when closed, symmetry and alignment of the meeting stiles, and a lack of interior glazing beads, jamb liners or profiled interior stops to eliminate shadow lines.

Ensure that doors meet fire rating requirements if applicable, and specify safety features such as panic hardware and signage for emergency exits. Consider the need for soundproofing and thermal insulation, especially for doors in sensitive areas or energy-efficient buildings. In addition to the following considerations, always check the technical specifications of manufacturers to ensure proper performance.

Security and Privacy: If security is a concern, consult with your manufacturer or dealer as there may be systems available to increase the door’s performance using alarms, lights, and high performance locks.

Fire Resistance: Fire resistant doors typically receive 90-, 60-, 45-, or 20-minute ratings. Fire resistant door materials may vary from steel to MDF, and can be customized to fit the desired aesthetics of your projects.

Energy Efficiency: A door typically has less glass and a higher glass-to-frame ratio than windows, so it inherently carries more insulation properties than windows. For exterior doors, such as patio doors and other sliding varieties, always check the insulation level of the glazing with the manufacturer. Marvin has put together an extensive guide to energy efficiency as a resource for designers.