A Guide to Choosing Interior Doors

Looking for internal doors, but don't know where to start? Our guide is here to help.

When choosing interior doors, the biggest motivation in our decision-making are most commonly cost and size, both of which are factors that we are not able to be flexible on.  

However, with so many options available (at Howarth Timber & Building Supplies, we offer 200+ internal doors through our website), there are a few things you might need to think about to help choose the right one for the needs of your family and home. 

Do I need Fire Doors? 

Ensuring that your loved ones are fully protected is important, therefore knowing where you need fire doors is essential. Fortunately, most of the most popular interior door ranges include fire door options with at least an FD30 fire rating. 

The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) states that “In domestic dwellings above two levels, every door leading to the stairwell (at all levels) must be a fire door, where the door leads to a habitable room. (i.e. not a bathroom or w/c). Fire doors are also required in loft conversions; between the house and integral garage; and between the business and residential elements in a mixed-use building.” 

Although not a legal requirement, if you are adding an extension or renovating your property, it is strongly recommended that you install fire doors in any rooms that are the most likely to experience a fire, for example the kitchen (chip pans etc), living rooms or bedrooms with a fireplace or anything that could potentially cause an electrical fire. For peace of mind for the safety of your family, you might also choose to install fire doors in bedrooms. 

Style 

Take into consideration, the age of your property and decide first if your home would look better with traditional or contemporary doors. Oak continues to be popular no matter what style you opt for, with panel and cottage being a popular choice for the classic home, with horizontal paneling being popular in modern homes. 

Laminate or Veneer? 

Choosing between a laminate or a veneered door will be dependent on what you are looking for. 

Laminated doors are ideal if you are looking for consistent wood grain. They are also ideal if you are keen to have contemporary coloured doors. 

Veneered doors are a great choice if you want a unique but natural wood grain with the authentic colour of the timber. 

Handles 

Choosing ironmongery often starts with the handles, which can be just as complicated as choosing the actual doors because there are so many to choose from. However, once you have picked the right ones for you, the rest including hinges, etc will fall into place as you will likely opt for ones that match. 

Factors you might take into consideration: 

Style

In most cases, this will be a personal choice that suits your tastes or that fits in with the general “feel” of your home. Some styles will inevitably suit some interiors better than others. 

Finish

We offer handles in a wide range of finishes from polished chrome plated to aluminium. 

Handle Shape

Modern door handles are usually sleek simple and minimalistic, whilst the Victorian style is a popular classic handle.  

Design

A handle with backplate is ideal for a classic style of door whilst a rose for a minimalistic and modern look 

To Glaze or not to Glaze 

As a rule of thumb, the answer to this question will depend on how much privacy you want for the room the door is attached to. For example, bedrooms and bathrooms will typically be unglazed, whilst living areas are where you’ll need to ask yourself more questions.  

Glazing is a great way of allowing light to flood into areas of your home that are naturally dark including hallways that don’t have any windows.  

Most styles of doors are available as glazed options, like fire doors, you can ensure your home matches no matter what type of doors each area requires. 

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