Doors in Cottages

One of the greatest offenders in the way of splitting of doors in cottages is the ordinary four-panelled foreign-made door. The old-fashioned ledged doors, with Norfolk latches, overcome the warped panel difficulty if well made, and look more suitable in cottages with their simple character. Strap hinges look well on these doors, and sometimes home-made latches, as shown in the picture on this page: Woodwork in Cottages, are preferred. Where it is desired to afford some means of throwing two or more rooms into one large apartment, doors that slide into the thickness of the walls are superior to folding doors, which are a nuisance when open. It should be remembered that as the wood framing is not soundproof, the loss of some amount of privacy goes to balance other advantages obtained.

A height of 6 ft. 6 in., and 2 ft. 6 in. for the width, is sufficient for any ordinary cottage door, and the lock-rail should be higher than is usual to prevent stooping when turning the handle. Many machine-made doors, especially those from Sweden, are very badly proportioned. If hung upside down, they are more convenient and look better ; and elaborate mouldings should be avoided, as the recesses soon become choked with dust. Care must be taken to hinge the door so that it screens the room when opened.

Outside doorways have a hospitable appearance if kept wide and low ; 6 ft. 6 in. is quite high enough, although lower than usual; and 3 ft. to 3 ft. 6 in. makes a good width. It is often convenient to have two folding doors, not necessarily equal, as shown in the picture below, as they take up much less room when open. All exterior doors should have a small paved space outside. If a paved path of stone flags can be provided in addition, it will prove more valuable in muddy weather than any number of scrapers, and give a delightful old-world effect.