By installing 36 inch wide doors, you'll make life easier for people with disabilities and be able to move furniture easily when you move. Also fiberglass doors are a good alternative for a solid wood front door.

Doors provide security and privacy. They also come in a variety of sizes and materials such as fiberglass, wood, and steel.

Accessibility and Doors
When doing home remodeling and new home construction, you should pay attention to accessibility and space. While interior doors come in various sizes such 24", 30" and 36", we think it is best to get a 36 inch door.

A 36" door makes moving furniture and accessibility much easier for the elderly or people with disabilities. If you are trying to maximize space, consider pocket doors. Just make sure you get something at least 36 inches wide.

Considerations for Interior Doors
Hollow doors made of masonite are found at Home Depot, Lowes, and other home improvement centers. These doors generally come with or without the jamb and are easy to install.

These doors are usually primed, however, they really need to be primed again when you paint them. They also come in various finishes- smooth or 8 panel simulated wood grain.

The downside of masonite doors is that they are very flimsy. If you are going to hang a bath robe hook on the door, you'll have to mount it using mollies and make sure it is very secure. Expensive door hardware manufacturers like Baldwin don't guarantee their products on hollow doors.

You can also get solid wood interior doors. You'll pay more, but you will have the option of either painting them or staining them a natural color. If you are just going to paint them, we don't think it's worth getting the solid wood door.

You'll also have to consider whether a door swings left or right or inside or outside a room. There's no rule here, but remember to install door stops to prevent the door knobs from hitting the wall. Also consider clearances for handicapped use, especially in powder rooms and other bathrooms.

The big exception for interior doors has to do with doors that are used to enter a garage. Because of the fire code, these doors are made of metal. They come in the standard sizes.

Considerations for Exterior Doors
Consider the following when selecting an exterior door:

1. Size (height and width),
2. Material- wood, fiberglass, steel,
3. Finish (painted, stained, or nothing),
4. Styles- solid wood, glass lites, etc.
5. Jamb size
6. Mail box slot, and
7. Brick mold

Building codes usually require entrance doors to be at least 36 inches. This should be the minimum. The larger door sizes make it easier to move your furniture and belongings into and out of your house. Keep in mind that with smaller doors, there's a greater risk of damaging your furniture if it has to be lifted and tilted to get it through the door. Also you can get hurt in the process too. Even on a secondary side door, consider getting a 36" door. We did this on our porch and it worked fine.

When you order a door it will usually be a special order. Make sure that you either have someone come out to measure the proper size or get the dimensions of the jamb from your contractor. If you are doing 2 x 6 construction that usually requires a 5 9/16 " jamb.

On your main entrance door, you'll want to consider what the final finish will be. For example, if you want to stain the door, then you will have to get a solid wooden door. We like the doors that have side lites or lites (glass panes) on the top of the door. If you opt for a solid wood door, think about whether you will need to have a mail box slot. If you do want one, request the manufacturer to do the cut out. Also don't forget to order the brick mold that comes with the door.

If you are going to paint your front door, then we think your choices come down to a wood or fiberglass door. We like the fiberglass doors. They are less expensive and they don't rot or rust. They can be ordered in a wood grain finish and are easy to paint. Even though the doors we order were primed, we primed them again.