Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Cheap, available, non-offensive. I just flipped through some UK listings in the town my SIL lives and saw plenty of standard 6 panel doors over there too. We hardly have a lock here in the US on "boring" doors.
Like anything else, custom will cost you. Most people will take a standard door over higher costs.
In the 50s, 60s and somewhat into the 70s, the door of choice were those cheap luan (or "lauan") type doors. Maybe folks have forgotten them? They are horrid. They were used for front doors as well as interior doors.
Six panel doors became the replacement from those awful luan doors. In the 70s and into the 80s - every home I bought had the luan and so I replaced them all with the much classier looking 6 panel doors.
Yes, there are hollow 6 panel doors available but it doesn't mean the solid 6 panels are not out there and being used.
If you don't remember those doors, here's a photo . . . and there is a paneled door beside one of the luan doors in the picture - easy to see which looks better. And I would mention - that paneled door looks like one of the cheaper ones, but it still looks classier than the luan.
The luan/lauan doors are still available today. If you can find one that is solid rather than just veneer over a cheap hollow construction, they are often the best choice for a mid-century modern home restoration.
I have the classic 6 panel doors, however my doors are stained a dark 'jacobean" color. I hate with a passion painted white doors and painted white trim. I absolutley hate it.
The six panel doors are classic, timeless. They never go out of style, ever.
There are many types of door designs, but you would be suprised at what seems really cool now, looks very outdated later.
this is why I replaced my hollow core luan builders grade doors with solid wood 6 panel stained doors.
Why should a door be interesting, anyway? Maybe a boring door is what the specific house needs.
I think they should fit the style of the house. If you have a "modern" mid-century type house, then the flat luan doors would be quite suitable. If you have an older 20's to 50's house, then the five panel doors would be suitable. Cathedral doors work really well on cathedrals, they are generally pretty hard to properly integrate into many common styles of houses. If you live in an ultra modern house, then maybe finding doors like they used on Star Trek might be fun, although they opened a little odd to be all that useful, IMHO, otherwise I'm sure they'd be popular with Trekkies.
As to why they are so common in the United States, I'm guessing they are made here and contractors can get a good price on them. Or they are made elsewhere but contractors can get a good price on them.
The link that Pitt Chick posted does a good job of describing the history of them. I definitely saw a wide variety of different panel doors growing up in Massachusetts, and our current house has a mix of different panel styles.
Another thing to remember is that historically wood of door thickness was commonly milled to 4" to 8" wide. When you get wider than that the wood is much more likely to split or warp. Narrower stiles just creates more sawing work. Since doorways are usually made to the same rough dimensions, the stile layout of the six panel door makes a lot of sense for ease of construction, stability, and minimal waste of wood.
Any decent builder has access to hundreds / thousands of styles. Most cost about the same, but there is more of a lead time for other than the six panel type...
One reason for the older preference for six panel doors is that back when they were made from planed / milled rails and panels the lumber dimensions made for an easy layout AND there is plenty of "meat" at the lock rail for a nice solid latch. The hinge side also layouts with the other rails and made for easy installation under somewhat "mass produced" conditions.
IIRC, the 6-panel door is a Christian design which is why it's been around a lot in this Country.
The interior of the top 4 portions makes the Cross.
The bottom 2 panels show an open Bible.
That is so interesting to know! Thanks for the fascinating fact (assuming it's a fact, but if not, even more kudos for your imagination ). Now I see just how Christian this country is
I have two types of panel doors in my house - all solid wood.
4 raised panel - original to the 1870's construction date.
2 sunken panel (upper and lower panels) - c 1930 renovations.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
). Now I see just how Christian this country is 
