"Solid-core" or "Solid wood" interior doors

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Old 12-25-2007, 12:13 PM
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"Solid-core" or "Solid wood" interior doors

The interior doors in my house are the cheapest POS hollow-core doors you can imagine.

I recently replaced a set of bypass closet doors with solid wood and was really happy with the results. I selected solid wood because I needed to trim about 1.25" off the bottom and didn't want any issues.

I want to start replacing the rest of the doors with a higher quality six panel door. Besides cost, is there any reason to pick solid-core over solid wood? I don't want the doors to look or feel cheap like they do now. I will use pre-hung doors and paint them white.

Here is descriptions of both types of doors that I scraped from lowes.com.

Solid-core interior doors look and feel like solid wood doors, but they feature a wood fiber core. They offer greater sound-deafening properties than hollow core doors, and they can withstand rougher treatment. While these are not "fire doors," their solid core offers extra fire protection, since it burns through slower than a hollow door. The solid-core door offers the style and properties of a wood door without the cost.

Solid wood panel doors can be stained or painted for a rich finish. Solid wood has natural sound-deadening qualities that keep the noise in or out. The properties that give wood its character may determine if these doors are an option in your home. They are very heavy, and you may need an extra hand to install them, but the weight gives solid wood doors a stable feel.
Old 12-25-2007, 12:35 PM
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The solid wood doors don't seem to be particularly advantageous for interior use over solid core-doors. I've got the solid wood doors, painted white, but they don't seem to offer much over the solid core-doors unless you want to put in a safe room without a steel door. And yes, the solid wood doors are really heavy when taking them off the hinges for moving large desks into a room.
Old 12-25-2007, 08:01 PM
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Originally Posted by doopstr
The interior doors in my house are the cheapest POS hollow-core doors you can imagine.

I recently replaced a set of bypass closet doors with solid wood and was really happy with the results. I selected solid wood because I needed to trim about 1.25" off the bottom and didn't want any issues.

Hollow core doors are an easy place for builders to shave construction cost, we have'm in our new home and to be honest, they don't really bother me. Our older home had solid wood doors, but for interior doors I simply don't see the need, especially just for a closet.
Old 12-25-2007, 08:20 PM
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I have solid core. Worth the $$$.
Old 12-25-2007, 08:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Scrib
I have solid core. Worth the $$$.
Why? Convince me.

I just ran around the house and counted 18 interior doors (not counting closets). What kind of dinero are we talking?
Old 12-26-2007, 05:31 AM
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Originally Posted by Fibonacci
Why? Convince me.

I just ran around the house and counted 18 interior doors (not counting closets). What kind of dinero are we talking?
With kids, they stand up better to abuse. They also deaden the sound more. Hollow is cheap feeling.

We didn't spend that much money (going by today's trends) on our home. However, solid doors, to me, give the feeling of a "nice" home, and not a cheap one.

I've been in houses that were $400-$500K and had hollow-core doors.
Old 12-26-2007, 07:54 AM
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while there is NO question that solid core are FAR superior to hollow core doors for any and all interior applications, solid wood doors in interior applications are unncecessary at best. NO ONE (short of the parents of bam margera in the jackass movies) experiences enough abuse in their homes to necessitate solid wood doors over solid core...

solid core doors are more than enough. its not worth the extra cost to go with solid wood on interior doors.

also, the top, jamb, and bottom of solid core doors is a peice of solid wood so you can trim it, etc, without "issues" as you say.

go for the solid core and spend all the money you save on another useful project!
Old 12-26-2007, 11:17 AM
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for the cost savings from where i am now, i would say the hollow panel 6 panel doors.

then again i upgraded all the doorhandles in the house @ $25 each
Old 12-26-2007, 12:54 PM
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Originally Posted by BubbaMarkTL
...solid core doors are more than enough. its not worth the extra cost to go with solid wood on interior doors.

also, the top, jamb, and bottom of solid core doors is a peice of solid wood so you can trim it, etc, without "issues" as you say.
I've always wanted to say this: "I'm with Bubba on this!"

Most of the solid wood doors we have don't get much use either- they are left open and just sit there, unless the wife and I lock ourselves in for sex while the kids are home. The only interior doors that get constant use are the bathroom doors, and solid core would be fine for that application. We do have one solid core door, for the closet in my son's bedroom-- it feels a lot better than hollow core doors like the one for my workplace office.
Old 12-26-2007, 01:32 PM
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If painting white, I see no need for solid wood over solid core. As mentioned above, there should be solid wood at top, bottom, edges and middle for sizing and handles. I believe that solid core may end up being heavier than solid wood, but I'm not sure.
Old 12-26-2007, 03:23 PM
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Thanks for all the opinions! I'm going to take a look at the solid core doors, probably end up with them.
Old 12-26-2007, 03:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Scrib
I've been in houses that were $400-$500K and had hollow-core doors.
I've been in plenty of $700-800K homes which had hollow-core. Like I said, builders around these parts just don't include them unless you custom order.

Hopefully my son won't make a habit of head butting teh doors.

If hollow-core is good enuff for teh busted jack, they're good enuff for me!
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