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Door Anatomy – Entry Doors

sliding doors Edmonton - Door Anatomy

Door Anatomy – Entry Doors

To most people, a door is just that – a door.  But a door can also be a subtle statement of who you are.  Regardless of how you see your entry door, there’s more than meets the eye.  Let’s take a closer look at the door anatomy of an entry door.

Entry Door Anatomy

Every door can be a combination of materials – wood, vinyl, aluminum, or glass – and has a handle and hinges to open and close it.  

This chart shows the various elements of an exterior front door:

Knight Doors and Windows - Door Anatomy

Door Terminology
  • Door System – a door slab & frame assembly, with slab pre-hung in the frame
  • Frame – an assembly of structural parts used to fasten a door to a structure
  • Keyway – the slot in a lock in which the key is inserted
  • Lite – a framed piece of glass within a door slab (sidelight or transom)
  • Rail – the horizontal pieces of a door slab
  • Sidelight – fixed, usually rectangular, decorative glass on either or both sides of a door
  • Slab – the operating part of a door system
  • Stile – the vertical pieces of a door slab
  • Sweep – flexible seal material attached to the bottom of a door slab
  • Threshold – bottom component of a door system
  • Transom – decorative glass above a door system

It helps to know the component names when you’re talking about doors, shopping for a new one, or even thinking about building something yourself.  

You can personalize your door and add beauty and complexity by incorporating different design elements such as a transom, sidelights, rails, panels, mullions, stiles, and brickmould.

If you want to learn more about entry doors and their design, or if you’re in the market for a new one, contact us today!

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