7.

DOORS
Introduction to Doors
In design of residential buildings it necessary to provide the barrier at the entrance to the building. Doors are
hinged or sliding elements that provide access into the building and to the rooms of a building. In this chapter
you will learning about the detail to vertical and horizontal section of the door, conventional symbols used
in drawing the door, dimensioning and Labelling of door. The competence develop will enable you to
describe the design of the door, drawing, and interpret different types of door related with their construction
materials.

Door
A door is a barrier provided in a wall opening to allow movements into the rooms and into the building.
Door increases and makes the residential house to be aesthetically appealing. A door is usually a swinging
or sliding barrier by which an entry is closed and opened.

Types of Doors
There are different types of doors used in residential house construction which provide access and good
appearance based on their design, and materials. Materials used in construction of doors include timber,
uPVC or aluminium, glass and steel.

Conventional symbols of standard door.

In drawing, symbols of door are used to mark or to represent character of the door. The uses of conversional
symbols in architectural draughting of standard door is to communicate between architect and engineer
during the construction. However conventional symbols is sign systems which signify an idea or concept
during the drawing .They represent different features on a drawing scale. They conventional symbol of the
doors are important because it is easy and clearer to use a drawing which has symbols. Symbols can be used
to depict features like door. Normally a drawing is useless tool without symbols because symbols take the
information provided by the draw. The following are the s architectural symbols of doors.

Plan symbol of different types of doors

 Elevation symbol of selected types of doors

Scales and dimensions of the doors.

There are varieties of doors which can either be manufactured or available in the market for ready fixing.
Difference types of door are based on the material of manufacture, position and function requirement. Some
of door types are timber/wood door, battened, ledged doors, framed door, paneled doors, flush doors, glass
doors and steel doors. In designing the door, there are standard dimension which are used. These standard
dimensions are based on the function, position of the door and the requirement of the client. Standard
dimensions of the external doors used in the various residential building is width 1000 mm and the height
2100 mm to width 1200 mm and height 2100 mm. While the standard of the internal doors is width 900 mm
and the height 2100 mm to width 1000 mm and height 2100 mm. Also standard dimension of the bath and
toilet (W/C) is width 700 mm and the height 2100 mm to width 800 mm and height 2100 mm.

Width

Height

Typical standard door elevation

Drawing of an elevation of a door
The drawing of an elevation of the door depends on the floor plan of the building and titled by labeling the
compass side of the building view (elevations). A door shown in elevation is generally allocated to show the
side on which the hinges are placed. This is done by drawing a dotted line from the top and bottom corner of
the door on one side to the center of the door on the opposite side. The side of the door that has the hinges is
the center-point where the two dotted lines intersect.

Dotted lines indicate door opening mechanism

Dimensioning and Labelling of a door.

Labeling of door starts by identifying the door type dictated by size and material. Thus a clear coding
(labeling) of each door is done on the floor plan of the building as shown below for proper identification
during preparation of door schedule.

When you provide the dimension and labeling always write on the top/bottom or left/right of the drawing
object. The dimension of door depend on the floor plan dimension. The dimension of door should be easily
to read and not confuse the object. Normally, the dimension is going together with labelling which describe
the statement that represents some parts of the door. The below Figures show how to label parts of the door
and dimensioning of a door elevation.

Labeling of doors in the floor plan

 (a) (b)
Labelling of door parts: (a) A 3D image of a door and (b) Elevation of a door

Vertical and horizontal section of the door.

Select and use suitable scales in drawing horizontal and vertical sections of different types of doors. The
selection of scale in drawing horizontal and vertical section depends on the scale which it used to draw the
plan and elevations of the particular doors. In horizontal section scale of 1:5 and in vertical section scale of
1:10 are usually used while drawing. Horizontal and vertical section view of door depend on the type of door
as shown in Figures 7.10 and 7.11. The following are the steps used to draw the horizontal and vertical section
of the door.

Step No. 1: From the plan of the door, identify and take measurements of the plan and elevation of the door
and draw them to scale

Step No. 2: Cut the section on the elevation plan by denoting the appropriate place

Step No. 3. Draw the section where you cut the section

Step No. 4. Provide all features or all things you catting on the elevation
 (a)

(b)
Door sections (a) horizontal section and (b) vertical section
TYPES OF DOOR.

Based on the type of materials, positioning of different components, method of construction, intended
purposes, the common types of doors used in the building are discussed below.

I. BATTENED AND LEDGED DOORS.

A batten and ledged door is formed by joining the vertical boards (battens) and horizontal supports (ledges)
securely by suitable joints. The battens are of 10–15 cm wide and 20–30 mm thick, whereas the ledges are of
10–20 cm wide and 30 mm thick. Top, middle and bottom ledges are used. Shutter is hung on T-hinges which
are fixed to the ledges. This is the simplest form of door. It is used where strength and appearance are not
very much important.

Front elevation of battened and ledged door

II. BATTENED, LEDGED AND BRACED DOORS.

These doors are similar to the battened and ledged door discussed above but for the difference that diagonal
members, known as the braces are provided. The braces are generally of 10–15 cm wide and 30 mm thick.
The braces provide rigidity and for this reason such doors are preferred for wide openings. The braces are
usually housed in the ledges. It is to be noted that the braces should work in compression and not in tension.
 Back elevation of battened, ledged and braced door.

III. FRAMED AND PANELED DOORS.

This type of door consists of vertical members, called styles and horizontal members called rails. The styles
and rails are suitably grooved to receive panels. The panels may be of wood, A.C. sheet, glasses etc. The
panels may be flat or of raised type to get good appearance. These are very commonly used doors. They may
be of single shutter or of double shutter. If glass panels are used, they may be called as glazed doors.
 Elevation of framed and paneled doors

IV. FLUSH DOORS

The shutters of these doors are made of plywood or block boards. They are of uniform thickness. There are
two types of flush doors, viz., a framed flush door and a laminated flush door. A framed flush door consists
of styles, rails, horizontal ribs, vertical ribs and plywood. For ventilation purposes, holes are provided in
horizontal ribs. The vertical ribs rest on rails. Hollow space is also filled sometimes by granulated cork or any
other light material. In order to fix the hinges and mortise lock, hinge and lock holes are to be provided. These
doors are light and cheap but weak and not durable. A laminated flush door consists of styles, rails, laminated
core and plywood.
 Types of flush doors.

V. LOUVERED DOORS
Louvers are provided in the shutters which may be fully or partially louvered. Further the louvers may be
movable or fixed. Louvers are arranged at such an inclination that the horizontal vision is obstructed. That is
the upper back edge of any louver will be higher than the lower front edge of the louver just above it. In the
movable louvers, a vertical piece of timber is provided to which the louvers are attached through hinges.
With this vertical piece, the movement of louvers can be performed. Louvers may be of glass or wood.
Louvers provide free passage of air in the closed position and at the same time maintain sufficient privacy.
Such doors are preferred in sanitary blocks of public buildings, residential buildings. However, the louvers
should be cleaned often failing which dust may accumulate.

Louver’s door
VI. REVOLVING DOORS.

In a revolving door, a central support is provided to which four radiating shutters are fixed. The shutter may
be glazed, fully or panelled or partially panelled, or partially glazed. At the bottom of the shutters, called
rubbing ends of the shutters, are rubber pieces fixed to prevent draught of air. The arrangements of shutters
are made in such a way that the shutters may be folded and the opening can be closed. These doors are
preferred in public buildings like stores, banks, hotels, theatres where continuous use of doors is necessary.

Revolving door.
VII. SWING DOORS

Swing door has its shutter attached to the frame by means of double action springs. Hence shutter can move
both inward and outward. They may be single shuttered or double shuttered. Such doors are preferred in
offices and banks. Since these doors can open on both sides it is desirable to provide glass panels or peep
holes to enable user to see the persons from other side.
 Swing Door.
VIII. ROLLING DOORS

It consists of a frame, a drum and a shutter made of thin steel plates. The width of the door may vary from 2
to 3 m. The shutter moves on steel guides provided on sides and can easily roll up. For this counterbalancing
is made with helical springs on the drum. The shutter can be easily pulled down. This type of doors are
commonly used as additional doors to shops, offices, banks, factory, and buildings from the point of safety.

IX. WIRE-GAUGED DOOR

These doors permit easy passage of air into the room. Further prevent movement of flies or insects. They are
made of vertical and horizontal styles into which wire gauge is fixed. They may be provided on a separate
frame or hung. Styles and rails shall be of the same size similar to other doors. The wire gauge shall be of best
quality woven wire webbing. These doors may be of double-leaf type.

Elevation of wire-gauged door

IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGIES.

1. Frame
This consists of a group of members which form a support for a door or window.

2. Style
This is the outside vertical member of the shutter of a door or window

3. Head
This is the horizontal uppermost part of a frame

4. Sill
This is the bottom horizontal part of a window.

5. Top Rail
This is the topmost horizontal member of a shutter.

6. Lock Rail
This is the middle horizontal member of a shutter where the locking arrangements are made.

7. Bottom Rail
This is the bottom most horizontal member of a shutter.

8. Cross Rail
This is also called as intermediate rail which is an additional horizontal rail fixed between the top and bottom
rails.
9. Panel
This is the portion of the shutter enclosed between the adjacent rails

10. Hold Fast

These are used to keep the frame of door or window in position. Three numbers of such hold fasts are fixed
on each side of a door frame and two on window frames. They are of mild steel of size 30 mm × 6 mm and of
20 cm length.

11. Horn
This is a horizontal projection of head or sill of the frame beyond the vertical face of the frame. It facilitates
the fixing of the frame on the wall opening and is of 10–15 cm length.

12. Shutter
The entire assembly of styles, panels and rails is known as the shutter.

13. Mullion
This is a vertical member which sub-divides a window or a door opening vertically.

14. Transom
This is a horizontal member which is used to sub-divide a window opening horizontally.

15. Jamb
This is the vertical wall face of an opening which supports the frame of door and window.
 16. Rebate
This is the depression or recess made inside the door frame to receive the door shutter.