With the rise of farmhouse and rustic-styled homes, the exterior Dutch door is making a big comeback. Originally designed in the 17th century, this split exterior door opens in halves – the top and bottom portions move separately, or can be latched together to work like a traditional door.
Like standard doors, a Dutch door has a deadbolt, handle, and hinges – but it also features a shelf in the middle and a second handle near the top for easy operation. That being said, Dutch doors aren't without their shortfalls. Before we jump into why you may want to avoid one, let's look at why people choose these doors in the first place.
What Is a Dutch Door?
A Dutch door – also known as a split exterior door, half door, or Dutch entry door – is a door divided horizontally into two independent halves that operate separately. You can swing the top open while keeping the bottom closed, or latch both together like a traditional door. Double Dutch doors exterior configurations use a pair side by side for wider openings. Some homeowners also add a Dutch screen door with a retractable screen to enjoy airflow while keeping insects out.
Key Benefits
One of the first areas a person looks at when visiting a home is the front door – these entryways are what everyone waits at when knocking or ringing the bell. The unusual nature of a Dutch door can bring some extra personality and serve as a conversation starter. Here are the key benefits:
- Unique curb appeal – Dutch doors come in a large number of different sub-styles and colors to add uniqueness to the front of a home.
- Ventilation with safety – open the top half to let fresh air in while keeping pets and children safely inside. The bottom half acts as a barrier that animals have a hard time traversing.
- Convenient interaction – being able to open at the top makes these entryways more easily interactable with delivery personnel while also doubling as a more attractive option for a baby gate.
- Privacy options – these doors can come with a windowed or solid top. The solid option is perfect for those that want a bit more privacy.
Common Uses of Dutch Doors
Beyond serving as a front door Dutch style entryway, these doors are commonly used in homes with children or pets (the bottom half acts as a built-in barrier), farmhouses and stables, kitchens and back entries where a door with a retractable screen provides ventilation, and coastal or cottage-style homes where double Dutch doors exterior setups complement the relaxed aesthetic.
Nonetheless, despite all these advantages, a Dutch door has a few problems that should be mentioned more in full.
Disadvantages of Exterior Dutch Doors
As the name implies, Dutch doors originated from the Netherlands. While no doubt unique and beautiful in their own right, the design of this door reflects the climate it came from.
If you live in a humid area with lots of insects, a Dutch door really won't be ideal for you.
While screens can be installed to repel against bugs from entering your home, these devices are often extremely cumbersome to install. Even if you manage to get a good Dutch screen door setup, this only covers up the intrinsic problem.
The selling points of these doors are effectively moot if the environment outside is either extremely warm or cold. In the same way you wouldn't open your windows in an extreme environment, you also wouldn't take advantage of the main selling point of a Dutch door.
Furthermore, Dutch doors do require a bit more upkeep than their more-traditional counterparts. Every door, especially ones found on the outside of a home, will face a deal of maintenance as the forces of nature work to erode it. Because Dutch doors require more parts to work, such as hinges and handles, they're much more susceptible to creaking or breaking over time.
There can also be additional problems with insulation - the warping of frames and the door itself with the changing of the seasons naturally causes gaps around the perimeter. Being dividable down the middle adds an extra set of weak points for this split exterior door.
Other Exterior Door Options
If an exterior Dutch door seems like a much less attractive choice now, you're going to want to consider other exterior door options. Thankfully, there's a wide variety of what you can find here ranging from style to material.
Exterior door options range from simple to the more intricate, with different types recommended depending on your location.
When it comes to what these doors are made out of you can typically find them in three materials – wood, metal, and fiberglass. Wood is the oldest type and is very popular as it's considered one of the most beautiful.
Doors made from wood that are from the tropic zone, have a natural insulation against the weather. Regardless, a wood door requires a bit more upkeep as it's prone to warping and bugs, requiring owners to apply a level of stain every couple of years.
Metal doors are some of the hardiest material, but they can have an issue with insulation as it's naturally reactive with the outside air.
Fiberglass doors are also hardy and can have great insulating features.
In terms of style, you can find exterior doors usually come in one of five – carved, windowed, panel, storm, and sliding. As imagined, a carved door typically only comes in wood and is the most ornate of the styles.
Windowed doors are pretty popular and allow for a good deal of natural light to come into the home. The panel is by far the most common though and consists of a series of raised panels to create a fairly mundane style.
Storm doors are often put on the outside of other doors as an extra layer of protection. Finally, a sliding door can be found around patio enclosures and offer a much larger entryway compared to regular hinged doors.
Final Thoughts
While they've been around for centuries and originated in the Netherlands, Dutch doors are still a popular choice across the world. It's not a wonder either as these doors have a unique look and a certain practicality that's admirable.
Unhooking the top portion of this door can allow for interaction with the outside world while also serving as a comfortable barrier.
That being said, these doors are notorious for not being viable in environments with lots of bugs or more extreme weather found in the far North and South. These doors can also suffer from inferior insulation and have some issues related to their hardware.
The good news is that there are plenty of other options for exterior doors on the market that can fit your preference of material or style. Whatever door you pick, make sure to follow proper maintenance procedures so you can get the most out of your door.
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