You may notice many historic homes feature two front doors, and it's a puzzling idea to most people these days. When the homes were built, though, there were several reasons to include a second front door. One of the most prominent reasons was dictated by architectural style alone.
We are all familiar with the single front door and for most homes it's the norm, but double front doors are gaining in popularity for a number of reasons. Where once we may never have given the front door too much thought (a front door's a front door right?). Now there's so much choice out there.
Side by side doors, also known as double doors, are two door configurations where both doors are next to one another. Another name for this type of doors is a French door. The doors can either be active or inactive.
Double front doors can create a more welcoming entryway for both large and small homes. On larger homes, for example, double doors can provide a sense of balance and complement the home's vast exterior.
Two front doors generally mean a duplex. Some have been modified into single dwellings.
Although not always possible or practical, it is a great thing if a home has two entrances. With two entrances, the exit door should have a smaller entry way than the main entrance and if it has a shutter, it should have only one shutter.
When used to paint front doors, black is known to symbolize opportunity, power, and sophistication. This color emphasizes the role of the front door as a gateway into your life. In the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui, black symbolizes water–an element traditionally connected to stillness and wealth.
Boosting Curb Appeal with Double Front Doors
For homeowners aiming to sell, this enhancement can increase resale value. Potential buyers often remember homes with striking entrances, making double front doors a smart investment.
Since doors don't use nearly as much glass as windows, that second door was the cheaper alternative. In some cases, one door was reserved for the dead, lying in repose in the front parlor, and was only used when someone passed away. Simply put, more than one door looked like you hade a home with more rooms.
Space is the most immediate concern. Your entryway may look funny if you install a large double door in a smaller home. If this is the case, consider replacing your old door with something that has customized sidelights to give the illusion of a larger front entrance. Another disadvantage is the costs.
He traces the two-door house back to the combined dwelling house and animal stall—sometimes called a “housebarn” or Wohnstallhaus — which existed in every Germanic area of Europe in the first millennium. At first there were separate entrances to the animal stalls and the dwelling portion of these large houses.
The coffin door is thought to have allowed for a coffin to be moved directly out of the house from the parlor without making a tight turn into the main entrance. Whether that is the purpose for which coffin doors were built is not known, but the name has stuck nonetheless.
A French door generally features one active door, with the second door fixed in place with a latch that can be lifted to open the door. Double doors are mirror image doors, both having the hardware to open them. Either can be used for entry doors or patio doors. (See our hinged patio doors).
Material Costs: Double doors themselves are more expensive than single doors. You're looking at nearly double the cost for the doors alone. Labor Costs: Enlarging the doorway and installing double doors require more labor, which translates to higher installation costs.
Your home must have at least one egress door. Two egress doors, installed at opposite ends of your home, are recommended. Bedrooms must also have an egress window for easy escape in the event of a fire.
Because if the weather is cold or wet, it means you can get into the house without letting all the warm air out. It's often but not exclusively seen in houses where that second door opens on to the living room, thus making a kind of 'airlock' good sense.
It's obvious, but two doors might have been in place to provide separate entrances to the home, opening to different spaces. While one door may have led to a formal area, the other could have been used for day-to-day business.
(US, architecture) a door to the outside from the parlor or hall to allow for the movement of the dead; from the time when the wealthy would host their wakes and funerals in their own homes. It is a supplementary door to the main doors of the home, unconnected from exterior stairs or walkways.
A home can never have more windows or doors than an even number, such as 2, 4, 6, 8, etc.; however, multiples of 8 or 10 are not allowed (count doors and windows individually). It is improper for two residences that are next to one another to open their main gates in an outward direction.
It's true that the weakest point of a double door configuration is the middle, but that doesn't mean they're not safe. If we didn't believe that double doors were as secure as a single door, we simply wouldn't sell them. At no point do we want to sell you a product that doesn't actually protect you and your family.
Potential Value Increase: Studies have shown that certain front door colours can lead to a higher resale value. For example, homes with navy blue or black front doors often sell for higher prices compared to other colours.
One was a formal sitting room where guests could be received at any point in time. The other was a family sitting room. Because of those two front rooms, a single front door would have created issues of imbalance. Thus, double entry doors were created so that both front rooms could be easily accessed.
Pink Front Doors. A super fun choice for a front door, combining the purity of white with the protective elements of red, pink front doors represent femininity, youth, and good health. Pink is often associated with compassion, love, and nurturing, making it a charming and playful choice for a front door.
Red doors also indicated homes involved in the Underground Railroad where fleeing slaves could be safe. In Scottish history, a red door announced that the mortgage had been paid off. (“Out of the red,” so to speak.) And in Ireland, red doors were said to ward off evil spirits.
You can use any color to brighten up your front entrance, but we especially love vibrant shades of yellow and green to really amp up the friendly welcome.