Modern Interior Door Technology

What constitutes a Modern Door?

I want to explore “Modern Doors”, a business sector that is gaining momentum in Canada and the US in the recent years.  The North American market is  generally not known for providing a great selection of contemporary designed products.  But, nonetheless, there has been some progress in accepting more modern themes in the last 10-20 years.  One of these are Modern Interior Doors, which are primarily manufactured in Europe and, therefore, sometimes simply called Frameless Doors or European Interior Doors

The term “modern” refers to a minimalistic designed door that does away with ornate trims and door casing.  It leaves the door basics intact – which are the door panel and door frame.  The focus is to provide no distraction to the eye of the observer.  You go through a door – that is all there is to it.  The less bulk, the better.

A Modern European Door Frame

What sets a European Door Frame apart, is the simplicity and practicality of its installation.  The frame is adjustable in width to allow for easy fitting on varying wall thicknesses.  The trim is flat and very basic and can be pushed and pulled in and out to hide wall inconsistencies.  Some modern interior door frames have hidden hinges to further increase the minimalist look of the door.  Also, concealed door frames are the newest improvement in European Doors.  With this technology, there is no visible door frame once the door is installed.  A look highly desired by the elite ultra-modern designers and architects in Canada and the USA.

A Modern European Door Panel

What sets the European Door Panel apart is the rebated door edge.  When you compare this door edge to the traditional North American flat door sides, you will notice a difference in look and feel.  There is an increased performance in rebated door edges since they overlap the weather stripped door frames and create a barrier to light, sound and smells.  Most Modern Interior Door Panels are flush (meaning totally flat) and this design differs from traditional 2-panel or french doors.

The use of Glass in Modern Doors

Glass is highly underused in traditional doors.  We mostly see a full glass light or sometimes a so-called half-light.  With European Interior Doors you see about 10 times the amount of glass shape and size variations.  Most of them are very modern with the plane of the glass lying flush with the door surface.  Glass can have varying textures but usually is Clear or Satin (Whitish) in finish to provide a modern feel.  It can run all the way from top to bottom of a door without any top or bottom rails.  This frameless door glass look in interior doors is widely considered to be modern and unique.

Door Finishes in Modern Door Designs

Apart from classic finishes such as Paint and Clear Coats, we see a wide range of laminate finishes in Modern Doors.  Horizontal Grain Doors are also a more modern approach in door surface design.  The colours and wood grains in modern doors range from light woods such as Oak to dark woods such as Walnut.  In between we see Concrete or Stone Finishes as well.  Sometimes the use of leather in the door panel is employed.  Modern Interior Doors are usually light Grey with an horizontal grain.  The frame finish can be the same as the door panel finish or it can be different for contrast.  Sometimes there can be metal inlays in the door panel in varying designs and layouts.

European Door Installation

Modern Door products are different in their installation procedure.  Low-Expansion foam is employed to minimise door frame shaking.  Perimeter foam installation in doors also helps to reduce sounds that come through gaps behind the trims.  Another benefit in Modern Door installations is that there is no need for nails or screws since the door foam binds to the door frame and wall.  An overall secure and sound reducing installation of European Doors.

Summary of Modern Door Innovations

Less bulk and less ornate extras when it comes to Modern Interior Doors.  Contemporary designers will love the idea and sometimes design the house around the interior doors.  Concealed Door Frames and Hidden Hinges provide less visibility of the more mundane parts of a door system.  Glass variety and finish selection is abundant and sets Modern Doors apart from the more traditional North American counter-part.

What is a Window (not the computer term)?

The aim of this article is to give the layman an introduction to Windows in the 21^st century. We will break down the topic into 4 parts:

1)      Basic Make-Up of a Window

2)      Various Types of Windows

3)      Window Design and Application

4)      Examples of Window Manufactures

1. Basic Make-Up

The 3 basic components of most windows are:

a)      Frame

b)      Sash

c)       Glass

a)      The frame is the outermost border of the window. It is the part that connects to the walls of a house. It can be made out of Wood, PVC, Aluminum, Steel, Iron, etc. The frame gives structure to the window and together with the sash determines what the window looks like on the exterior and interior.

b)      The sash is the second layer, in a manner of speaking, and holds the glass. It can easily be overlooked because it is often difficult to see where frame ends and sash begins. It becomes, however, much easier if the window is operable (able to open) because then the sash moves with the glass leaving only the frame stationary. Again, design-wise, the sash plays a big role and the sash-glass interface, namely the glazing bead or glazing stop, can change the look of a window.

c)       The glass is what makes a window a window. This is especially true for the layman or novice who might not notice anything but the actual glass. However, the glass is just the most central (physically speaking) of the 3 components. It can come as a single, double or triple layer in various thicknesses. It can be Clear, Tinted, Reflective, Textured or have ornate designs such as Stained Glass.

1. Various Types

a)      Picture or Fixed

b)      Single and Double Hung

c)       Casement and Awning (and Pushout)

d)      Hopper and Pivot

e)      Tilt & Turn Canada

a)      Picture or Fixed Windows

The term Picture is used interchangeably with the term Fixed. And they are the same in that both do not open. However, sometimes the term Fixed refers to the fact that there is a non-operable sash present, whereas the Picture Window skips the sash and has the glass mounted directly into the frame.

b)      Single and Double Hung Windows

Single and Double Hung Windows are tried and tested and have been around for a very long time. Both refer to windows that are horizontally divided into an upper and lower sash. In a Single Hung the lower sash moves up and down and the upper sash does not move.  In a Double Hung both sashes move up and down independent of each other. Because gravity would pull these sashes down immediately after being opened, these types of windows use weights, springs or friction to keep the sashes in the desired position.

c)       Casement and Awning (and Pushout) Windows

Both these types refer to a window where the sash opens towards the exterior. In a casement style, the sash is hinged either left or right causing the window to open like a swinging door.  I an awning style, the sash is hinged at the top and pushed out via scissor hinges at the bottom. In both cases a rotary mechanism (with a crank) is employed to operate the sashes. Pushout windows are hinged in the same locations as casements and awnings but instead of cranking the window open you simply push it open once you unlocked it.

d)      Hopper and Pivot

Hopper and Pivot Windows usually open towards the exterior as well but the hinges are located either at the vertical centre or at the very bottom allowing the window to open like a “V”. These types of windows have mostly become obsolete which might in part be due to them catching the water on a rainy day.

e)      Tilt & Turn Windows

Tilt & Turn windows have long been a staple of Europe. This type of window swings or “turns” and “tilts” to the interior when opened. It is hinged on either the left or right as well as always on the bottom. When fully tilted inwards, the windows is open by about 6” allowing for ventilation at the top. The operator is a lever similar to a door handle.

1. Design and Applications

To start off, it has to be said that Hopper and Pivot Windows are almost completely out of use. Of the remaining 4 types, Europe uses mainly Tilt & Turn windows Calgary. This might have something to do with the larger wall depth you see in concrete/stone block construction in Europe and with the higher energy efficiency requirements. Tilt & Turn Windows Edmonton address both these issues better than any other type.

As we have seen, Picture/ Fixed windows do not open. They are still the most widely used window by quantity. Their function is to provide light and to have the closest possible seal towards the exterior. Oftentimes, Picture/Fixed windows are used in conjunction with operable types either in between, below or above. The latter is most commonly seen above entry doors of a house.

North America and the older parts of Europe make heavy use of Single and Double Hung windows which have a great longevity while looking very traditional. Combined with a Stained Wood Interior, they can be very appealing, however, in most cases you sacrifice a bit of the view because of their horizontal division.

The casement/awning window is the most widely used window in North America today. Without any dividers, they offer a clear view while still being operable. A possible downside is the crank operated mechanism which can suffer from prolonged use.

To achieve a traditional look you want to make use of either Wooden Single and Double Hungs or Casements and Awnings with External Grilles. These grilles are glued to the top of the glass on the exterior and/or interior giving the appearance of many small squares of glass.

Contemporary designs tend towards using large glass-to-frame ratios and also the use of metallic frame and sash materials such as aluminum.

Lastly, here are some examples of North American window manufactures that encompass most of the discussed types of windows (and frameless doors as well as invisible doors and also modern interior doors):

Picture/Fixed/Single; Double Hung/Casement/Awning:

a)      Andersen Windows

b)      Pella Windows

c)       Milgard Windows

Doors:

a) Frameless Doors

b) Invisible Doors

Tilt & Turn:

a)      Tilt and Turn Window Store

b)      Euroline Windows

c)       Innotech Windows

d)      Flush Doors (supplier of Frameless Interior Doors)

e)      Tilt and Turn Windows Kelowna

Why the Quality of Goods varies around the World

Why are manufactured products such as interior doors around the world not more consistent?  Why, for example, would most people rather buy a German car than one made in Tunisia (I am picking a random African country)?

Why in an ever more connected world is there no consistency of quality?  It would certainly seem reasonable that with the internet in place everybody has the same info and could get the same know-how.

Yet, that is not so.

I propose 3 major reasons for continuing gaps in quality of goods.  Arranged in order of importance, these are:

1)      Character Traits

2)      Attitude Towards Money

3)      Continuing Exploitation

Character Traits

What character traits produce good merchandise?  I am sure most people will know or at least, should know this – for they are the very traits that distinguish good from bad.  You can only produce that which you are.

Here is my list of the character traits of a given population of people that will be able to produce a quality product:

–          Honest

–          Hard Working and Efficient

–          Attention to Detail

–          Not Wanting to be Wrong

–          Wanting to be Admired

–          Ashamed when Perceived as Lacking

–          Competitive

Now, the opposite traits will logically produce a low quality product.

Character traits are the single most determining factor in quality of products because the product is just an extension of the person.

Attitude Towards Money

The attitude towards money could be grouped as a trait but I have chosen to make it an individual point because it is a little different and more far reaching.

By ‘attitude towards money’ I am referring to a person’s sense of how much is enough.  How much money do you need to make before you say: “Okay, I will take a rest now because I have enough money (for the day, the month, the year, my life, etc)?”

The person that has an absolute sense of how much is enough will produce a higher quality product.  You might think that it should be the other way around – the person who cannot get enough will produce the better product because he works so long and hard, continually striving for more money (success) and, thereby, producing faster and better.

If that were so, Germany would not be a leader in performance machinery; neither would Japan make some of the best cars I know.  It is the countries like the USA that have an almost insatiable appetite for more, that produce a less-than-optimal product.  The same goes for China or India where people often work long, hard hours without having weekends off and in the end the consumer gets a feel that the articles coming out the countries are mass-produced and mediocre at best.

So, chasing after money will not make you produce better quality items (such as Modern Interior Doors).  In fact, the countries where people value their free time so much that working hours and mandatory free-time are strictly regulated, excel in quality production.

Continuing Exploitation

Lastly, the continuing exploitation of the 3^rd world means that a poor country will not have its efforts rewarded.  All the profit coming out of the labour of the people flows to another place – a vicious cycle that is almost unbreakable.  Producing quality products can be possible for any country but in order to get to the point where you can, you cannot have your profits leave the country.  This is a physical and emotional problem – physical because monetary profits are inconsequential and emotional because if you do not see the profit of your labour you lose heart.

All in all, optimal conditions for Quality Produced Goods are as follows:

–          Character traits that generate shame for anything less than perfection

–          The sense to balance the thirst for profit with the need for leisure time

–          An environment that allows for achievements and rewards  to stay within its borders

Well worth thinking about.

Authors websites:  Frameless Doors, Invisible Doors, Concealed Doors