What interior doors are best to choose for an apartment: material and design

Protection from noise and odors, separation of space and decoration of the apartment - all these functions are assigned to the interior doors. It is desirable that within the same apartment they were made in the same style, although slight differences in design are allowed. It turns out that the task is becoming more complicated, because how the housing will be perceived as a whole will depend on the choice. What interior doors are better to choose for the apartment so that they are functional, durable, meet the chosen style of the interior and please the eye? We deal with basic materials, type of construction and color scheme.

Material for interior doors in an apartment

Production material is one of the most important parameters. interior door, therefore, it is of paramount importance when choosing it. Today on sale you can find doors made from wood, MDF, particleboard, glass, metal, plastic or a combination of options. Buyers build their choice on the budget allocated for the purchase, the type of room where the door will lead, the style of the interior and personal preferences. To be fully armed, it is necessary to know the basic operational qualities of each option.

Wooden interior doors

Wooden doors are a standard of naturalness and quality, and if the budget allows, it is better to choose this option. TO main benefits should include:

• environmental friendliness;
• strength;
• durability;
• high soundproofness and low thermal conductivity;
• maintainability;
• chic appearance.

disadvantages:

• fear of moisture, therefore to the bathrooms it is better not to install such doors;
• flammability;
• high price.

Door leaf can be made of solid wood valuable species (oak, beech, hornbeam, ash) or cheaper conifers. If you need to choose a cheaper interior door, you can pay attention to products from glued massif: the bars of a natural tree are glued together under the influence of high pressure, and their fibers are placed in different directions relative to each other, due to which increased material resistance to temperature and humidity changes is achieved.

Typically, wooden doors are treated with paint, stain, varnish or antiseptic to protect material and emphasize its natural beauty. Doors made of glued timber can be covered with veneer, and valuable wood with a characteristic pattern is used.

It is better to buy wooden interior doors from trusted manufacturersthat thoroughly dry the wood is a guarantee of product quality. It is advisable that before installation the door be in the room for several days where it will be installed.

Masonite interior doors

Masonite, or cellular, interior doors For the first time, the Canadian company Masonite began to manufacture, hence the name. Design such a door includes a frame made of bars, an external lining of MDF or fiberboard sheets, as well as a semi-hollow (cellular) filling. As honeycomb filler use:

• paper 0.3 mm thick, from which a three-dimensional accordion is made with cells measuring 5-15 cm. The canvas comes out light, cheap, but does not withstand severe impacts, however, it does not extend to the interior doors with special strength requirements;
• fine-grained squared aggregate allows you to get a canvas of greater strength, but also the weight with a price increase;
• cellular fiberboard. A fiberboard plate is cut into bars slightly less than the thickness of the door, and a lattice with a mesh size of about 3 cm is formed from them. These are the most expensive doors in the category of masonite, as they are strong and light.

From above MDF or fiberboard sheets can be finished with natural or artificial veneer, varnish, paint or a laminated coating with wood imitation.

The main advantages of masonite doors:

• affordable price;
• light weight, which facilitates transportation and reduces the load on the walls;
• a large assortment, so choosing the right option for your interior will not be a problem;
• resistance to temperature changes;
• good performance soundproofing. A masonite door drowns out noise by about 20 dB (a more accurate indicator depends on the design features).

Minuses:

• low moisture resistance in direct contact with water, but the canvas can withstand the intermittent effect of high humidity. When installing such products in the bathroom, it is better to additionally cover the canvas with protective agents;
• low impact strength, especially for paper-filled webs.

Masonite doors are considered today some of the most popular and there are in the assortment of many foreign and domestic manufacturers. Among them, unfortunately, there are unscrupulous companies that produce products of inadequate quality. Remember that the avaricious pays twice - contact the trusted manufacturers and sellers, whose name serves as a guarantee. In Kiev, such a reliable seller is the Vist store, which offers interior doors of the highest quality from major Polish and Ukrainian manufacturers.

Interior doors made of MDF

Doors from whole MDF boards superior in strength to masonite paintings and slightly inferior to wooden counterparts. Such doors are made of wood shavings, which are pressed under high pressure and temperature, while manufacturing do not use resins that can subsequently emit toxic formaldehyde, therefore one of the main advantages of interior doors from MDF - it's theirs health safety. Among the others merits:

• strength, ability to withstand shock and other mechanical loads. The thicker the door, the more pronounced this property;
• durability. In terms of maintainability, MDF is inferior to wood, but some defects on it can be masked;
• light weight;
• cost. Doors from MDF are called ideal in terms of price and quality;
• good indicators of sound and heat insulation;
• great appearance.

As for moisture resistance, then some manufacturers use special additives, due to which a good level of resistance to moisture is achieved when its exposure is not constant, therefore MDF doors can even be used in the bathroom. Much depends on the quality of the coating. Of cons It is worth noting the ability to catch fire and the fact that thick paintings with high-quality lining are not cheap. As a coating, veneer can be used, ecointerline interval, laminate, enamel or PVC film.

On sale can also be found chipboard doorsbut in terms of performance and durability they are inferior to the analogue of MDF and can emit toxic formaldehyde.

Glass doors

Glass can serve not only as an insert, but also as an independent material in the manufacture of doors. For these purposes use these types of glasses:

• triplex, which is made of several layers of glass glued together with a film. It turns out durable material that is difficult to damage, but in which case fragments will remain on the film;
• strained glass 10 times stronger than usual and in case of a strong blow it splits into fragments with smooth edges;
• matolux - frosted glass that transmits light, but allows you to see what is happening outside the door. It is inferior in strength to tempered glass, but at times surpasses ordinary.

If it is necessary to choose such an interior door so that it delimits the rooms and at the same time visually increases the space, then you can stop on the glass version. To others the benefits environmental friendliness, chic appearance and the possibility of applying any drawings and stained glass, durability, resistance to water. Glass can be made either completely transparent or frosted. A significant minus of glass doors is poor insulation. Despite their high strength, they are not recommended for use in a children's room.

Plastic interior doors

Folding and sliding doors are usually made of plastic, but swing structures are also found. On top of the plastic canvas can be covered with a film with a pattern or even veneered. Such products became widespread due to such the benefits:

• low cost;
• light weight;
• moisture resistance. Plastic is absolutely not afraid of the effects of water, so it can be safely used in rooms with high humidity;
• hygiene and ease of operation;
• good strength, as the basis of the design is an aluminum profile (for swing and sliding options);
• sufficient sound insulation (except for plastic folding doors).
• A large assortment of colors and textures.

Main minus - this is unnatural. In addition, plastic is a brittle material, and with a strong blow it can be injured.

Aluminum interior doors

Aluminum doors are made of anodized aluminum, which is electropolished. Usually the metal is supplemented with glass inserts, but can also be used as a blank sheet. Sometimes it is stained to achieve the desired effect.

To the main the benefits such doors include moisture resistance and resistance to corrosion, temperature extremes, durability, strength, resistance to shock, excellent sound insulation. Among cons high cost and high thermal conductivity. Such doors will be a great addition hi-tech and loft styles.

Door trim

A lot of people confuse the material for manufacturing the door leaf and the material of its decorative coating, which leads to incorrect questions such as which doors are better, masonite or laminated. The external coating plays a decorative role, also protects the door from moisture, abrasion and other negative influences. We already figured out the materials for the execution of the door leaf, now we find out what can be a decorative layer:

• natural veneer - Thin section of wood with preservation of its texture. The most expensive cladding option and an excellent replacement for solid doors. The veneer is attached to the canvas under high pressure using glue, varnished on top. Veneer can be trimmed with almost all types of door leaf;
• ecointerline interval (artificial veneer) is also made of wood. First, thin longitudinal sections are made, which are pressed with the addition of glue and resins. Then transverse sections are made from the prepared material, getting the finished material for decoration. Eco-veneer is cheaper than an all-natural analogue;
• laminate to cover the doors, they are obtained from several layers of paper and film with a pattern applied on it and a protective coating. The picture can repeat the texture of any tree species or anything.Laminate on fiberglass will be several times stronger than laminate on paper, it is not susceptible to sunlight, abrasion, it can be washed, but it also costs more;
• Pvc film can have any pattern and is applied to the door leaf in chambers with high pressure and temperature. Foil can be coated with the most difficult terrain, suitable for plastic doors, MDF and masonite doors. Such a coating has high moisture resistance and low price;
• coloring with the help of enamels, tinted antiseptics, varnishes. Depending on the type of canvas, a finish is selected with the necessary level of transparency and protective properties. For example, it is better to emphasize the texture of natural wood by impregnation or a translucent antiseptic, and the surface of an aluminum door can be painted with a dense color.

Type of opening the interior door

The choice of the mechanism for opening the interior door depends on the type and area of ​​the room. Most popular options:

• swing doors probably installed in 90% of the apartments, if not more. They open in one direction, consist of one or two paintings. If the door opens to the left, it is called left, to the right - right, this must be taken into account when choosing accessories. Please note that a space must be provided for opening the door leaf of the swing door. If it is not, it is better to choose sliding or folding doors;
• sliding doors (compartment doors) suggest shifting the canvas along or in the wall. Guide rails can be above, below, or above and below. The last option is the most durable and practical. If the rail is only on top, then a draft that is not heavy enough can swing. Sliding doors are perfect for those apartments where every square centimeter counts, but they are inferior to the classic swing option in terms of protection from sounds and smells;
• folding doors (accordion doors) consist of several panels connected by hinges, an upper rail (sometimes there is a lower one) and a roller. Bearings are built into the roller, so the blade moves softly and silently. Folding doors are often equipped with stoppers for fixing the canvas in a certain position. Such canvases are made of plastic, aluminum, MDF, can be deaf or with glass inserts. Of the advantages, space saving, of the minuses - poor sound insulation and fragility;
• stable doors - a variety of swing, consist of upper and lower parts, each has its own hinges and lock. Previously, such doors were used in stables, today they are used in apartments, especially in the country style. Such doors are well suited if there are animals and children in the house: the lower leaf can be closed to block the path, and the upper leaf can be left open for ventilation;
• swing doors - an infrequent phenomenon in apartments. Designs that open in both directions can often be seen in shopping centers, subways and supermarkets, but today there are also “home” options for sale. A significant minus is the inability to ensure tightness, so there is no reason to expect high levels of sound and heat insulation.

Type of door leaf

Door leaf can be:

• panel board;
• paneled.

Panel door made of a single piece of material, has a flat surface, without any hint of relief. These are simple and minimalistic options that can be made both from solid wood, from MDF, plastic, or with honeycomb filling. Panel doors assembled from the frame and panels, which can serve as wood, MDF, glass, etc. As a result, it is possible to obtain an interesting appearance of the door with curly inserts.

Also door leafs are divided into:

• deafmade entirely of opaque material;
• with glass insertscompletely transparent, matte or patterned.

Interior door size and type of construction

The main parameter that you should build on is doorway width. If it is 80-90 cm, then you can stop on a single-leaf door, if more than 110 cm, you will have to choose a double-leaf interior door or reduce the doorway. Depending on the design of the door, there are:

• single leaf. Doors with a single leaf completely cover the opening, have a width of, as a rule, 70-90 cm, but can reach up to 100 cm. The most common option;
• bivalve suitable for wide openings, consist of two identical parts, both can open;
• one and a half They include one full canvas and a second much smaller, often fixed motionless. Option for large openings, but not wide enough for double doors.

  

  

  

  
  

Color of interior doors

To choose color of interior doors it is necessary so that the canvas resonates with the trim or furniture. When choosing a shade use the following principles:

• under the color of the floor - the most common option, ideal when all rooms have the same flooring;
• the color of furniture;
• the color of the walls;
• contrast shade.

The universal option is always white, and enter the door of a non-standard shade into the room will help skirting boards to the tone of the door. In extreme cases, from different sides of the door, you can use the finish in different colors.

What else to consider when choosing interior doors?

When personally inspecting the door, pay attention to the following points:

• geometry accuracy. We take a tape measure and measure the diagonal distance from one corner to another, compare two values, if the difference between them is up to 1 mm, you can take the door;
• door end should be perfectly even, and the presence of the “figure eight effect” indicates that the production technology has been violated and the curvature will only increase in the future;
• surface should be smooth and without roughness, incl. and the surface of the ends, easy to check with a simple touch;
• if there is a door glass inserts, you can shake the canvas a little. A rattling will indicate that the glass is not securely fastened. You can’t deduce cloudy spots on frosted glass - these are production defects;
• sealant must be included door kitIt provides complete tightness of the structure.

Finally, pay attention to hardware qualitybecause from pens and the loops will depend on the comfort of operation. Ideally, if all the doors in the apartment will be made in the same style, but at the same time they can differ in the type of opening and even the material of manufacture.