The History And Functions Of Doors
Historical records of doors were found in ancient Egypt. Records, in the Egyptian era, were mainly taken in the form of a painting. There are paintings depicting doors hanging from hinges. These doors weren't framed, like many are in climates with varying weather patterns. Due to the hot, dry climate of Egypt, there wasn't fear of warping.
Olive wood, which is what King Solomon's temple doors were made of was prevalent in door making of ancient times. Not only was olive wood used, but also cedar, elm, cypress, and oak. Wood wasn't the only material used for door making, stone was another type. Ancient stone doors were found in India. They used the pivot and socket method. These doors swung on the pivots, instead of having hinges attached to a frame.
Greeks and Romans were big on bronze. They used if for many items, including doors. Bronze seemed to be the material of choice all throughout ancient Europe. Types of doors made of bronze included, sliding, folding, double, or single.
The purpose of doors is to either keep something (or someone) in or out of an area. Today, doors aren't only made of bronze, stone, or wood. They come in an assortment of substances; metal, glass, plastic, and sometimes paper. A few of the main categories of doors include; exterior and interior doors, people and animal doors, manual and automatic doors, as well as false and real doors.
Exterior and Interior -The doors found inside a house are the interior doors, while ones with at least one side exposed to the out-of-doors are labeled as exterior. Examples of interior doors; bedroom, bathroom, closet, and possibly a basement door. Exterior doors are usually found at the front and back of the house. Some homes even have an exterior door going to the garage.
People and Animals -There are doors for people and smaller ones for animals, since they sometimes need entrance and exit options of their own. The people doors have knobs or handles, in order to pull or push them open. Animal doors are less intricate and mostly consist of a flap of plastic or even rubber. Most of the animal doors found in houses are for cats or dogs.
Manual and Automatic -Most doors found in or around the house are manual doors. These types need to have some sort of mechanism triggered by hand, in order to be opened. Automatic doors didn't show up until 1954, but then they weren't installed anywhere until 1960. A mat with sensors in it is placed on the ground below the door. This mat triggers the door to automatically open. Most revolving doors are manual as well, but there have been a few upgraded to automatic.
False and Real -Real doors, are just that, doors that are real, working doors going from one area to another. False doors, on the other hand, only look like doors. These are non-functioning doors that were used by Egyptians in tombs. They were more of an area to place offerings. There are such entrances as 'hidden' doors as well. These don't look like a door, but they are. Many look like a bookshelf against the wall.
Doors will always be needed, no matter what material they are made of. The evolution of the door has been subtle in design, but dramatic in make-up. In ancient times, who would have thought doors would someday be made of glass!
Annie is an expert furniture and interior design writer. Her current area of specialism is bedroom designs, children's bedding and garden furniture