Internal door guides and advice
Plain-English internal door guides written from what we see on jobs across Newcastle and the North East. Use them to plan your project, ask better questions and avoid the usual mistakes.
- How-to
- Regulations
- Buying guides
Practical internal door guides for your home
New internal doors change how a house looks and how it works day to day. Getting them right comes down to a few decisions made early on. These guides cover the questions homeowners and landlords ask us most often.
How to Measure an Internal Door
Measure the door and the opening properly, check the handing and find your size in our UK imperial and metric size table.
Read guideFire Door Regulations for Homes & Loft Conversions
When homes in England need fire doors, what FD20, FD30 and FD60 mean, and what a correctly fitted fire door involves.
Read guideOak vs White Internal Doors
An honest comparison of oak and white doors: look, light, cost, wear, care and which suits which type of home.
Read guidePlanning an internal door project
Most door projects go smoothly when the planning is done first. Here is the order we suggest working through it.
Think about how each room is used
A busy kitchen, a quiet bedroom and a downstairs toilet all need different things from a door. Solid-core doors cut down noise between rooms. Glazed doors bring light into dark hallways. A sliding or pocket door can free up space where a swinging door gets in the way of furniture.
Measure before you fall for a door
Older homes in Newcastle, particularly Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often have openings that are not quite standard. It is worth knowing your sizes before you choose a style, because some designs only come in certain sizes.
Check whether any doors must be fire doors
If you are converting a loft, have a door into an integral garage or let out a flat or HMO, some doors may need to be fire-rated. It is far easier to plan for this at the start than to change doors after building control has visited.
Set a realistic budget
The door is only part of the cost. Frames, handles, hinges and labour all add up. Our internal door cost guide explains what affects the price without guesswork.
What each guide covers
How to measure an internal door
This guide explains the difference between measuring the door and measuring the opening, and why the opening usually matters more. It covers height, width and thickness, the common UK imperial and metric sizes, how to work out which side the hinges go on, and how much gap to leave under the door. Read the measuring guide.
Fire door regulations for homes
Fire door rules in England can be confusing, so we have set out the main situations where homes need them. These are loft conversions that add a third storey, integral garages, flats and HMOs. The guide also explains FD ratings, self-closers and why the whole assembly matters. Read the fire door guide.
Oak vs white internal doors
This is the choice we are asked about more than any other. The guide compares the two on looks, light, cost, durability and upkeep, and looks at how to mix them in one home. Read the comparison.
We add new guides when the same question keeps coming up in enquiries. If you can't find what you need here, the FAQs page covers shorter questions, or you can email us and we'll answer it directly.
Choosing a door style and finish
Once you know your sizes and any fire door needs, you can choose a look. Panelled designs suit period homes, flush and simple shaker doors suit modern interiors, and cottage-style doors suit older houses and conversions in Northumberland and County Durham villages. Our door styles guide shows the main designs side by side.
Think about how the door opens, too. A standard hinged door is the simplest and most affordable option. Where a swinging door would block a bed, a wardrobe or a narrow landing, sliding and pocket doors save floor space. Between a kitchen and a dining room, internal bifold doors let you open two rooms into one and close them off again in the evening.
Finish matters as much as style. Oak gives warmth and grain. White or painted doors keep things bright and can be repainted later. Glazed doors work well for hallways and kitchens where you want light to travel between rooms.
When should you call in a door fitter?
Hanging one door in a good, square frame is a manageable job for a confident DIYer. Things get harder with older, out-of-square openings, heavy solid doors, glazed doors and anything fire-rated. Fire doors in particular need to be fitted to the manufacturer’s instructions for their certification to count.
If you would rather hand the whole thing over, our door supply and fitting service covers measuring, ordering, fitting and taking the old doors away. Before you book any fitter, ask whether the quote includes handles, hinges, disposal of the old doors and any trimming for new flooring, so you can compare like with like. We cover Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside, Sunderland, and parts of Northumberland and County Durham.
Questions about our guides
Can you measure the doors for me?
Yes. When we supply and fit, we check every opening ourselves before ordering, so you don’t need to get the measurements right on your own.
Do the fire door rules in these guides apply in Scotland or Wales?
No. Our fire door guide covers Building Regulations in England. Scotland and Wales have their own rules, so check with your local building control team if you live there.
Can I ask a question that isn’t covered here?
Of course. Email us or use the quote form and tell us what you are planning. We are happy to give advice even if you are not ready for a quote.
Ready to upgrade your doors?
Send us a few details and we’ll come back with a clear, itemised quote. There’s no pressure and no obligation.