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Depending on your interior design sensibilities, the differences between internal and external doors will vary between practical and regulatory considerations and aesthetic philosophies.
A door is far more than a hinged building component that divides parts of your home or blocks the entrance to your house, but instead is a vital focal point that shapes the journey in and around your home or place of business.
Because of this, internal and external doors have fundamentally different purposes, and explaining these distinctions can help explain why certain types of bespoke doors are only for internal use.
Whilst both internal and external doors can have a similar design and be made of wood, glass, metal and other typical materials, how these materials are used can vary considerably.
An internal door is typically relatively lightweight unless it is being used as a fire door or has been made intentionally thicker for insulation purposes, whilst an external wooden door is usually made from a highly secure core with a secure locking mechanism and an aesthetic veneer.
This core helps protect the external door from the elements, as well as add insulation and security.
Whilst there are no explicit standard sizes for doors in the UK, external doors are almost always thicker than internal ones.
The reason for this is practical and regulatory; the Approved Documents require that external doors meet a particular security rating which would stop a determined burglar with manual tools from breaking in.
This usually requires dedicated frames, a core and hinges designed to withstand ramming attempts and a locking system elaborate and secure enough to deter attempts to break or pick it.
Whilst form must always follow function with a front door, you can have both security and beauty in the same external doorset as long as you work with the right bespoke manufacturer.
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