Most people don’t think twice about doors… They’re everywhere we go. They’re in our homes, apartments, hotels, grocery stores, offices, and even our vehicles. In fact, it’s probably hard for most people to imagine life without doors.

However, modern doorways are a relatively recent innovation. Before modern fiberglass, plastic, and metalworking technology, doors were typically just made out of sticks and animal hides to provide a moderate level of security and privacy.

If you’ve ever been curious about the history of residential doors and how the stick-and-twig doors of our ancestors evolved into today’s imposing metal-and-glass doorways, then this is a great read! Below, we’ll give you a brief overview of the history of doors and explain how some of mankind’s biggest innovations led to modern door systems such as folding and sliding doors.

A Brief History Of Doors Through The Ages

Most people would argue that the need for doors is a basic human need. Ultimately, it stems from human’s desire for privacy and safety. We want somewhere where we can rest without being stared at, somewhere where we can be safe from pouring rain and cold gusts of wind. So, you can say that doors are not only natural to humans but are a necessity!

The Earliest Form Of Doors… Hides and Twigs

The first type of doors were simple. They were designed to provide visual privacy and keep out bad weather. If you’ve ever seen the archaeological remains of Native American civilizations or some of the construction used in tribal Amazonian construction, then you’ll be able to see for yourself.

Each structure typically has a main doorway. This doorway is then either covered by an animal hide or has a basic door made from sewn-together sticks, straw, and twigs. Unlike modern-day house doors, these doors aren’t going to protect you from a home invasion and will probably blow down if the wind gets too strong. At least you get some privacy, though!

Pre-Modern: Basic Wooden Door Technology

Around 3,000 BC is when historians and archaeologists started to notice residential doorways made from wooden planks. During this period, developing civilizations had moved beyond huts and living in caves. They were building homes from stone, rocks, and trees.

They had also developed tools that they could use to cut planks of wood. This was a major innovation in woodworking and allowed for more elaborate homes and stronger doorways.

Wood is a great natural insulator, which made it a natural choice for doorways. Pure wood doors did a pretty decent job at keeping the warm air from a hearth fire inside and the cold air outside of the living space, allowing for greater comfort in-home.

Ancient East Asia: Stone Doorways

China and East Asia had rich stone resources, which allowed them to create some formidable stone structures and doorways. These provided greater support and allowed for a stronger doorway than the traditional huts and stick homes prior generations.

Wood planks were carved and placed inside primitive hinge mechanisms that allowed for double swinging doors. These were considered advanced for the period and were typically seen in royal residences or used in the construction of elaborate temples.

Greek and Roman Sliding Doors

The ancient Greeks and Romans (who “borrowed” most of their knowledge from the Greeks) arguably influenced modern architecture more than any other culture. Remains of Greek structures and homes revealed that sliding door systems were incredibly common for homes and public structures. These large wooden doors were hung from a track system above the doorway which used a small wheel to allow the doors to slide from one side to the next.

The Romans also utilized sliding doorways but leaned more favorably towards large swinging doorways. Swinging doors could be latched and locked, which provided more security for homeowners. As Rome was one of the wealthiest civilizations in the world at that time, burglaries and theft became a greater concern, leading to more protective door construction.

The Middle Ages: Metal-Plated Doors

While the Bronze Age contributed to some impressive structures, the Iron Age saw great advancements in working with heavy metals and smithing. Around this time was when large metal-plated wood doors were first seen.

The same swinging doors used in Ancient Roman civilization were finely crafted and then encased in metal plates. While it was a more expensive process, it created a more reinforced door that was commonly used in castles and royal homes, where the residents valued greater security.

1881: The World’s First Revolving Door

Throughout most of the 18th and 19th Centuries, doors didn’t change too much. The standard home door was a swinging door which a doorknob or a lever-style latch. The main thing that changed was that locks became more advanced and stronger, which allowed for lighter-weight doors.

During this time, many civilizations also experimented with inlaying glass panels into doors. This allowed for homes to have a more “open” feel, and also let residents see who their guests were before opening the door.

However, in 1881, the world’s first revolving doorway was invented. While it wasn’t exactly a “residential door,” it was used in the construction of homes and other public doorways. The idea was that people could enter and exit a building without bringing in a draft of cold air with them.

The Invention Of Plastic And Fiberglass Lead To Synthetic Doors

In the early 20th Century, scientists synthesized the first plastic polymers and fiberglass. These materials were both strong and lightweight, lending themself to door construction. While wooden doors were still prominent, modern architects experimented with synthetic materials to make them stronger and more applicable in home construction.

Glass Tempering Technology For Large Glass Doors

Shortly after the invention of polymer, tempered glass technology was created. This allowed for larger, stronger panels of glass that could support more weight. This tempered glass could then be covered with a transparent polymer film to create shatter-proof glass that would stay in place, even if it was shattered or broken.

The advent of tempered and shatter-proof glass saw large glass doors used in residential construction.

Modern Doorways

If you look at some of today’s modern doorways, such as folding door systems, multi-slide doors, or even French-style swinging doors, the history is evident. For the most part, doorways have used the same basic physics of hinges, pins, and rollers since the dawn of technology.

However, today’s high-quality building materials have allowed architects and designers to create larger, stronger, safer, and more energy-efficient systems.

Final Thoughts

A lot of us take doors for granted. By the time we’re old enough to walk, we’re already well acquainted with doors and know how to open and close them.

The next time that you see or use a large modern door system, though, take a second to appreciate the history and the centuries of innovation that went into creating them. Every single detail from the doorknobs to the locks and hinges were the result of years of practice, trial, and error on the part of inventors who dedicated their life to discovery.