Open the Door! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Steel

The front door market in the United States has been dominated by steel since the early twentieth century, but the rest of the world has been very slow to adopt what they believe to be a far more expensive product than a wooden door. However, taking into consideration security, longevity and weather resistance the typical six (or eight) paneled American steel door is a sensible choice.

Answer: Hollow wood

Thin wood (like plywood) tacked onto a wooden frame, forming a hollow door, may be a cheap internal door, but it is prone to buckling and is easily damaged by accidents, temperature changes and steam. It is an unsuitable door for bathrooms and kitchens, yet many homes built since the 1950s have hollow doors throughout the building - sometimes even for the front door!

Answer: Pocket door

A pocket door is by far the best investment for an internal door (should your wall structure permit it). The actual door slides into a cavity within the wall and is completely hidden from view. The pocket door runs on top-level tracks and is completely stable because when it is half-open, the other half is encased by the wall. You cannot pull it off its tracks!

Answer: French windows

French windows, sometimes called French patio doors, can either swing outward or inward. A standard window can easily be converted to a French window. There is no particular requirement that the two panels of the French window must add up to a standard 'door' size, but most do. Given the benefits that French windows bring to a room - more light, more space, access to the outside and an easy escape if necessary - it is amazing that people still prefer conventional windows!

Answer: Sliding door

Most of us are familiar with the big glass door-cum-window sliding doors which run on ground-level tracks, but the internal sliding door is not very common - probably because it is not particularly attractive or stable. The sliding door runs on top-level tracks which run twice the length of the door (in order to allow the door to slide in front of the wall when the doorway space is open).

A pelmet hides the tracks. Without ground-level tracks, however, the internal sliding door is wobbly and unstable - but it serves a purpose in increasing room space and is a lot less dangerous than a swing-door.

Answer: Folding door

A folding door is concertina shaped and can be made from various materials, including fabric. It is constructed with narrow panels hinged together to allow the door to fold out to its full extent or to fold in to the width of a narrow panel. A folding door usually works on a top-level track, but some are designed to be attached to one side of an opening (when closed) and both sides of an opening (when extended).

Answer: Stable door

Obviously named for its resemblance to the type of door used in stables (allowing the horse to poke its head out, with the door being shut), the stable door is a much-loved relic of the 1950s that is fast going out of fashion. It is, however, prone to differences in deterioration because its top half is often open all day, exposing it to elements that the bottom half never experiences.

This type of door is also known as a Dutch door.

Answer: Double door

In huge rooms, a standard sized single door would look positively out of place so the double door was designed primarily for aesthetic purposes - but, of course, it is far more practical than a single door in terms of moving furniture and allowing two people to enter and depart a room at the same time.

Answer: Fanlight

The architecture of the front door was one of the main differences between the Federal Style (1780-1920) American house and its Georgian predecessor. The fanlight was often accompanied by sidelights on either side of the door. It is a style which is still very popular today, bringing natural light into hallways and offering a pleasant impression to visitors approaching the front door.

Answer: Buy a 'finished' door, installed by professionals

Painting a 'raw' new door is definitely easier than painting an existing door - which requires removing it from its hinges (not easy!), placing it flat on a saw horse and sandpapering between coats before the desired finish is achieved and it's ready to be re-hung - but would you really trust yourself or your mate to do a good job with painting the new door let along hanging it? This is, after all, your front door - the entry to your home - and if the door is not 'finished' or hung properly, it will cause you more trouble down the line. So, be smart, buy a 'finished' door and get it installed by professionals.