Window Woman guides
Historic external doors
The front door is the face of the house. Its panels, mouldings, fanlight and ironmongery all say something about when and how the house was built.
Panelled doors
- Six-panel: typical of the Georgian period.
- Four-panel: typical of the Victorian period, sometimes with the upper panels glazed.
- Panel styles: flush, raised and fielded, moulded, or bolection (a bold, projecting moulding).
Boarded doors
- Ledged and braced: vertical boards with horizontal ledges and diagonal braces, used on cottages, back doors and outbuildings.
- Framed, ledged and braced: a sturdier version with an outer frame.
Around the door
- Fanlight: a glazed panel above the door, from Georgian semicircular radiating designs to plain Victorian rectangles.
- Doorcase: pilasters, pediments, hoods and brackets, often as important as the door itself.
- Threshold and step: often stone, and part of the character too.
Door furniture
Knockers, letter plates, knobs, rim locks, bell pulls and hinges. Original or period-appropriate ironmongery makes a big difference, and modern security can usually be added discreetly.
Worth knowing
- Old doors can almost always be repaired, re-hung and draught-proofed
- A new door should match the original's panel layout, mouldings and proportions
- Modern locks and security can be fitted sympathetically
More guides
These guides are general information for England and don't replace advice specific to your property or your local planning authority.