A door is a solid barrier for opening or closing an entrance way including associated framing materials. Solid wood doors have been the traditional exterior door as wood has certain natural insulating properties, although weather tightness is always enhanced with the addition of a storm door. However, the heaviest wood door does not provide as much insulation value as a poorly insulated wall.
Solid wood doors provide reasonable security depending on the amount of glass area, the hardware used and the quality of installation. Deterioration of the wood veneer on the surface exposed to the exterior is a common problem.
Metal doors, often having decorative moulding on the surface, are commonly used as exterior doors in modern construction and typically have a metal exterior skin together with an internal insulation material (usually polystyrene or polyurethane). Magnetic weather stripping can be used to create a proper air seal. Problems have occurred when a storm door is added to an insulated metal door. The space between the doors may become overheated, the mouldings can be affected, and in some instances, the metal door panel may even buckle. Many manufacturers do not recommend the use of storm doors for this type of metal door.
The framework, upon which a door is hung is made of wood or hollow metal and includes the following:
1) Head – The horizontal top portion of the door frame
2) Jamb – Either the left or right vertical portion of the frame.
3) Sill – The bottom of the door at floor level
4) Stop – A continuous projection around the frame to resist the door from travelling beyond a closing point.
5) Buck – The sub frame of wood or pressed metal to which the door case is fixed.
The sliding glass door has been a popular feature in residential property since the 1950’s. Early models were made of metal that often resulted in condensation and ice on the inside surfaces.
The introduction of thermal breaks between the inner and outer halves, closing/locking hardware and improved framing have greatly improved the product over the past four decades. In particular, the thermal break was effective in keeping the inside metal part of the frame warmer, thereby reducing or eliminating condensation and icing.
Sliding doors typically have two thickness of glass. Each pane can be in a separate sliding door component, or there may be one door sash with a double glazed or even triple glazed pane. Better quality sliding doors are distinguished by more expensive hardware and sophisticated means of adjustment.