My house is white with dark wood doors but my bulk head is shiny dark grey. It does not bother me in the least.

Mine is the same color as the trim - barn red. But my bulkhead is also wood.

Thanks, Roarah. I appreciate your response.

In case I wasn't clear, I'm referring to an outside bulkhead. Frankly, I only learned just now that there's something inside that's referred to a bulkhead...I just googled and references seem to be for inside.

I mean the bulkhead outside that covers the door to the basement. I think that's what you meant, too, Roarah - thanks again.

Yes, my exterior bulk head is newer than my doors and is metal rather than wood and I have no painted trim other than white so there was really no choice but to not have it match the doors and trim unless I painted it white which is to much work to keep clean on the ground near grass, mulch and ferns.

Thanks, too, Tibbrix. And yes, mine is metal.

What's a bulkhead?

Haha. Perhaps it's a regional thing? A bulkhead is outside of the house, and it's the doors that cover up the entrance to the cellar/basement. See this page.

Bulkhead

Although, typically they don't open like that - they are 2 doors that meet in the middle and open to the side. More like this:

More typical bulkhead

Thank, I have seen them, but never heard the term. Like in the Wizard of Oz.

I've always called mine a bilco door ....??? And mine is painted the same color as my trim. It is metal and has two doors side by side.

Is that a 'cellar door'? And it's slopes so the kids can slide on it, provided it's painted with a good oil based paint to deflect splintering. I've only heard of an interior soffit referred to as a bulkhead by Canadian ID Candice Olsen. Never hear the term used here in the states.

Definitely regional! We have neither cellars nor basements where I live.

Haha! Pattycakes, I'm in the States. Not sure which term you've not heard - - - bulkhead or Bilco? And no, I wouldn't say that a bulkhead could also be cellar door .... it's the entrance INTO the cellar door.

Auntjen, are you on a slab? I know that there are lots of areas like that.

By the way, I decided today, with my painters, that my bulkhead would be black, just as my shutters will be.

Thanks, all!

Well I learned something new today as I didn't know what a bulkhead was either! I love these discussions as it's so interesting to hear about house building styles in other locations :)

We have had cellars in three of our houses here in England including the current one, but they've always been accessed from inside - current house via a door in the kitchen (soon to become the utility/butler's pantry) - so is having externally accessed cellars a US thing? They were all Victorian houses btw......

We are currently on a slab but our previous older home was pier and beam, with a small crawl space beneath the house. That's unusual for this area though. I think they've put everything on a slab since the 1950s here.

In my area the bulkhead is also referred to as Hatchway

Hah! I thought a bulkhead was a soffit and couldn't understand why you would keep it in the first place and then paint it a contrasting color.

We don't have those where I live either. I would call it a trap door.

Jen, no cellars or basements here, either (central Florida)! And to me a bulkhead is a wall in a ship. :)

Donna

Ha ha - I'm just glad it wasn't a stupid question!

I'm in a rural area outside Buffalo, NY ... these (Bilco) are typical in my rural area to move things in and out of the basement easier. The majority of our houses have basements, houses on slabs don't sell well or quickly since everyone is used to full basements.