A common confusion that bugs homeowners is: What kind of door is a better choice, sliding or hinged? While both the doors have their fair share of style and functionality, some aspects set clear distinctions between both of these variants.
And that’s exactly where homeowners get confused about which of the unique interior doors is better suited for their homes. In this article, we have laid out a detailed comparative study to help you make an informed decision before you finalize your purchase.
Sliding vs Hinged Doors- Understanding the Basics
Before delving into the detailed pros and cons of each of the door variants, let’s understand the basic mechanisms that these doors work upon.
Sliding doors, as the name suggests, consisting of glass or wooden panels, move horizontally parallel to your walls! This door variant exudes more of a contemporary design because of its sleek properties and is popular for its space-saving potential.
On the other hand, hinged doors, also referred to as swing doors, reflect a timeless and traditional feature. Its classic design and simplistic operation make it a great choice among many homeowners across the world.
Learning the Differences
Before you finalize your decision of replacing interior doors and frames, make sure to learn the key differences to make an informed purchase-
- Space saving properties
Let’s start with the striking difference that sets the major point of difference between a sliding and a hinged door. Sliding doors sit at the top when it comes to space-saving features. Its horizontal operating mechanism lets it sit parallel to the wall, and therefore, helps reducing up valuable floor space.
On the contrary, hinged doors indeed take up some space and it depends on how wide the door panels are, and how far they swing while being opened.
- Visual aesthetics
Coming to the visual part, sliding doors portray a contemporary style that looks sleek, minimalist, and stunning. Especially if the door has a large glass panel, it allows more natural light to enter into your room and serves as a treat to the eyes. Added to that, sliding doors are available in a variety of materials and frame options and can match your interiors to create an opulent vibe.
When it comes to hinged doors, it has more of a classic and traditional appeal. It looks more complete with the locks, latch sets, and handles, and can be manufactured from a plethora of materials like wood, metal, or glass to match up with your interior decor.
- Total cost
The more unique interior door designs you choose, the more will you have to pay the price! That’s the rule of thumb that you should keep in mind while choosing between sliding and hinged doors!
Anyways, coming to the cost, sliding doors usually come at higher price points. This is because of the additional hardware requirements like the tracks and rollers. Additionally, you also need to spend behind the maintenance of this extra hardware.
In contrast, hinge doors come at a lower price, and maintaining them is a relatively inexpensive matter as well. Coating the doors with fresh paint after every 4- 5 years, along with oiling the hinges is enough to keep the doors in good condition.
- Accessibility
For people suffering from severe mobility issues, sliding doors are some of the best options you can opt for! Unlike a hinged door requiring a bit of elbow grease to open/ close, you can just push the sliding door panel to open or close it along the tracks.
Whereas when it comes to hinged doors, opening and closing them can feel like a task in itself! You need to put a bit of extra effort into undoing the latch every time you want to open the door. Moreover, people with mobility issues would face difficulty in handling hinged doors.
- Thermal Efficacy
When it comes to thermal efficacy, sliding doors stay a step ahead of hinged doors. This is because a sliding door perfectly fits into the frame, and hence creates a more consistent and effective thermal seal, which means that the cool air present inside your home gets less or no room to escape.
Compared to that, the thermal efficacy of hinged doors is quite less. Since it has two door panels and operates on a swinging mechanism, it has gaps around its panels that let cool air escape outside. That’s why many homeowners prefer sliding closet door installation along with sliding doors for their interiors for enhanced energy efficiency.
What’s Your Best Pick?
Both sliding and hinged interior doors are great choices for your interiors. However, the best option depends on your usage requirements and aesthetic sense. If you want a more contemporary outlook, sliding closet doors and sliding interior doors are your best picks. And if you are more of a classic-style lover, hinged doors are your go-to option.