Can Exterior Doors Be Used as Interior Doors  | Door FAQs by US Window & Door

Can Exterior Doors Be Used as Interior Doors | Door FAQs by US Window & Door

Interior Doors - French Doors

Modern homes and businesses are completely changing how everything works together inside. Both home and business owners today are opting to use exterior doors inside their home or business. Should you consider exterior doors to be used as interior doors for your home or business? Read the FAQs below to learn more before choosing to use exterior doors within your structure.

What’s the Difference Between Interior and Exterior Doors?

Exterior doors are designed to be used outside the home. They’re sturdier, as they’re built to withstand rain, snow, heat and other weather conditions throughout the year. Standard exterior doors and French doors may be much heavier than interior doors and will swing inward, which may not be desired for an interior door. However, sometimes it is possible to adjust the way the door swings. Another big difference is the size of the door. Standard exterior doors are 36” wide, while interior doors are typically 30” wide.

Can Exterior Doors be Used Inside Homes and Businesses?

Yes. While there may be disadvantages, such as the door being heavier in some cases, exterior doors can usually be used inside a home or business. Consider the type of door you’re interested in as well as how the door will be used to make sure using an exterior door inside your home or business is the best option for your situation.

What Exterior Doors Can be Used Inside a Home or Business?

A number of different designed can be used indoors, depending on the desired look and the desired function. Home and business owners typically choose to use sliding glass doors, French doors, Milgard Moving Glass Walls as well as similar styles if they’ll be incorporating an exterior door into their interior design. The main limitation is the amount of space you’re going to have to work with inside your home or business.

How Are Exterior Doors Used Inside a Home?

Today’s homes include open floorplans designed to have a better flow throughout the home. While this is often desired by homeowners, you may want to section of some spaces with a sliding glass door. There’s still plenty of light and a full view of the space, but it can feel a little more closed off. Another reason to choose exterior doors for inside the home is that it gives you more options to choose from.

Instead of a standard, plain interior door, you might add a French door to the master bedroom. This adds quite a bit of style, while still maintaining the ability to close the master bedroom doors when desired. Frosted or obscured glass can be used in these types of doors for enhanced privacy without detracting from the look of the new door.

How are Exterior Doors Used Inside a Business?

Offices have often included cubicles and other section-off spaces to give staff members some privacy while still maintaining an open floor plan. Yet, the walls are opaque and do not let in a lot of light. Instead, business owners might choose to use sliding glass doors to separate office spaces. The glass provides plenty of light and a welcoming environment, yet the offices are still separated to help minimize noise and distractions. Open concepts have been found to boost the work environment, make communication easier, and to life the mood of employees. If you’re planning on redesigning your office, consider using sliding glass doors for a clean, open look that still provides the separation your employees might need when they’re working on projects.

What Should be Considered Before Choosing an Exterior Door for Inside?

You’ll want to carefully consider exactly what you need and want when you’re choosing an exterior door to use inside a home or office. The type of door is crucial to the design and to make sure your idea will work within the space. Then, consider how the door swings open, whether it’s inside or outside or if it slides like a sliding glass door. Carefully choose the right size for the space, the preferred materials for the door, and the hardware you’d prefer for the door. Depending on the door, you’ll need to change the hardware as you won’t need a deadbolt and lock for an interior door.

What Will the Installation Entail?

Changing an interior door to an exterior door in a home or business is more involved than just switching to a door that fits in the current frame. The interior door will need to be removed, then the frame will need to be altered to fit the new door. The exterior door can then be installed in the space and the finishing touches can be completed to make the door look fantastic. Finishing touches often include replacing drywall that was removed to alter the frame as well as painting the drywall to ensure everything matches properly.

If there is not an existing door in the home or business, the job might be a little easier. The doorway may need to be altered to fit the new door. Otherwise, a frame may need to be created to accommodate the new door. How this works will depend on the current space and the exterior door being used. The installation follows this, and then the finishing touches are completed to ensure the new door looks fantastic. The amount of time this takes will vary depending on everything that needs to be done to accommodate the new door and to ensure the new door looks great once it’s installed.

If you’re planning a renovation for your home or business and the thought of new doors has come up, don’t feel like you’re limited to only using interior doors. Instead, consider all of your options for doors, including French doors or sliding glass doors that are typically considered exterior doors. This really opens up your possibilities, allows you to add more style to your home or business, and enables you to gain plenty of benefits. Check out exterior door options today to learn more about the different styles you can use inside your home or business.