Doorway Details for Your Home

Doorway details are a feature which can add a delightful architectural interest to a home interior. But, before we get into some of the options, we should answer the question about how door casings function and what they do for the finished home.

During construction, the drywall is added to the frame of the house. After installing the drywall, but before the door casing is installed, the doorway looks unfinished and ugly. The ugliness issue is compounded later by the fact that doorways are an area of high traffic knocks punctuated by handling. Touching the frame of the door, and, for some, the top of the door, is a common habit. A door frame then becomes not only a feature of beauty, but one which adds protection to a weak,  hapless portal which is continually dinged, banged, and touched.

Mitered or butted casing?

There are a couple of different options when it comes to door casings. A mitered casing is when the joints are angled. A butted casing is when the joints are horizontal. While this is simplistic, it needn’t be any more complicated than that.   Features like casing details, plinths or rosettes may be added to butted casings.

Header moldings

What is a header molding? A header molding is nothing more than an additional piece of molding above the door frame. It can also provide a segue from a door frame to crown molding. In doing so, it creates a smooth connection between the two, which is sensational. It’s appealing to the eye and adds a lot of pizzazz to an already beautiful door frame.

Even exterior wood casings can make a bold statement.

Plinths

A plinth, or plinth block, is a base at the bottom of door casing or another feature. The plinth used to be made of stone and was used to create strength and stability. Plinths can also be transition pieces between the door casing and the baseboard.

Rosettes

Rosettes are sometimes added to a door frame at the joint between the vertical and horizontal piece. A rosette is to the top of a door casing what a plinth is to the bottom, and is a way of connecting the two parts with grace and style. Rosettes and plinths aren’t always used in tandem.The decorative element on a rosette isn’t always a round shape, either.

These details can add to a simple door casing by making door openings a beautiful decorative element in your home. If you’re considering adding architectural features to your doors, these options will get you started in dreaming about your doorway details. Call your wood pro for details.

The Wood Doctor is the leader in wood restoration, refinishing and refacing in the Portland area. Call 503-560-5220 for a project consultation.