A door is a barrier and a connecting link at the same time. It creates a circumscribed atmosphere for the inmates of a building, free of the disturbances of the outside world. A door also reconnects them to the outside world when necessary. A simple rectangular piece of hand-woven palm fronds does the job of a door in small huts. At the other end of the spectrum are huge, carved or sculptured wood-cum-metal doors which can be pushed open or closed shut only by the joint effort of two or three people. In between the two are a variety of doors, big and small, variously designed to suit different comfort parameters.
Doors of different patterns, and doors used for different purposes, have acquired distinctive names over a period of time. Some door models are named after specific geographical areas and might have evolved as a result of the local climatic conditions or living styles of the people. Some of the commonly used door names are given below:
French doors: French doors are glass doors where the glass panels are divided by wooden frames. Bringing in good light, or rather bringing in the whole of the outside nature to the interior, is the main purpose of a French door. French doors give a feeling of roominess and openness and are very popular for conservatories.
Dutch doors: Dutch doors are two half doors that combine together to form one door. The door here is divided into two in the middle horizontally. Both the halves can be opened together or closed together like a single door, or the top half can be kept open separately. Dutch doors, which are also known as stable doors, are found in houses where doors need to provide good ventilation and light.
Saloon doors: A saloon door, as the name implies, is a type of door common in bars. The specialty of saloon doors is that they can be opened to the outside or inside as required. Saloon doors are only half the size of normal doors and are fixed in a way that there is a gap below the door and above the door. The effect of a saloon door is only like having a curtain in front of the door. It is not useful either for weather protection or security.
Wicket door: A wicket door is a smaller door built within a bigger door. A wicket door does not have to conform to any specific size. Larger castles or palaces with huge doors mostly have a smaller door cut into it for daily movement of people. These doors would be the size of a normal door of the house. Wicket doors could be much smaller also if they are built into a smaller gate or door.
These are some of the door patterns but there are many more types. Many house owners also fashion designer doors, which defy categorization.
