Spanish Doors

Learn How To Find Genuine Antique Spanish Doors And Affordable Reproductions.

What we know today as colonial Spanish doors combine the architectural elements that once pervaded Europe during the Old World with those that had been indigenous to the Americas during the advent of the New World. The Spanish explorers brought with them the aesthetics of España’s homegrown edifices – from the use of shapes and patterns to the meticulous workmanship in evidence – as they sailed around the world in search of new land and exotic spices. Conquistadores left their artistic signature to merge with native house designs wherever they settled or even passed by, from Mexico to Texas, California, the Southwest, Latin America and elsewhere. The richly detailed outcomes of this historic merging are still being enjoyed in the modern world, whether in culture or in furniture.

Mission style architecture dominate the overall appearance of colonial Spanish doors and their antiquated Mexican counterparts. Door panels were typically constructed from solid hardwood such as heavy oak or mahogany. Cut out to be thicker and heavier compared to contemporary doors, they boast the intricately hand-carved facings that emanated from the Old World as well as wrought iron handles, knockers and other door hardware of the time. From pueblo to hacienda doors, these colonial entranceways are typically oversized at 8 feet in height whereas modern conventional doors stand slightly under 7 feet tall. They were also built to be wider since they were intended to serve as majestic entrances to grand homes owned by true-blooded Europeans who belonged to the feudal era, when only the nobility owned lands.

Size and availability are some of the common problems a modern homeowner may encounter when procuring a genuine antique Spanish puerta. Your best bet for finding a reasonably priced beauty is to scour salvage yards for a potential reclamation door, and hope that it is not too beat-up to endure any more repair. When you do find one, it will be odd-sized and you will need to have a custom frame built and fitted, such as by using a door-fitting service. Door sizes were not standardized until the 1950s with the use of the metric system. Previously, imperial bricks were counted to measure them. Needless to say, modern comforts such as secure locks and sturdy pulls need to be added to your antique door to make it fully functional.

An excellent alternative to real antique portals would be reproduction Spanish doors. While retaining the historical character and integrity of their original subjects, so-called repro entrances make use of easier to find, more manageably priced surface materials like fiberglass, glass, steel, metal, vinyl, wood veneer, wood grain instead of real wood, and composite. Wood is still used although it is vulnerable to cracking, bowing and aging prematurely due to fluctuations in temperature. With reproduction doors, entry and exterior doors can look authentic but be in practical sizes. Armoire and closet doors can be space-saving pocket or bypass type sliding entries using rust-resistant tracks and rollers that hardly require repairs. Interior and patio doors can be the conventional flush type, with an option of raised or flat panels.