When it comes to choosing the best interior doors for your space, it's crucial to ensure they align with both the functionality and aesthetic needs of your home.
Choosing new interior doors for your home may seem like simply an aesthetic choice. Traditional or modern? Classic white, a fun color or a wood finish? However, there's a whole lot more to consider. Interior doors serve not only as dividers that provide privacy and separate different areas but also as design elements that reflect your personal style.
The average homeowner stays in their home for more than 10 years — and with today's interest rates, that time could get longer as people look to enhance their current home instead of investing in a new one.
During those 10 years or more, a home will experience a lot of wear and tear, so it's essential to think beyond aesthetics and consider various factors like door material, style and construction to ensure longevity. Prioritizing durability and functionality is practical and will ensure your home remains beautiful for years to come.
There are three primary types of interior doors: hollow core, solid wood and solid core. They each have advantages and disadvantages and vary in price, durability and sound-dampening capabilities. Let's take a closer look.
The most common door type in many new builds and starter homes is hollow core doors because they are often more affordable than the alternatives. Usually made of a thin layer of wood or fiberboard, these doors are lightweight and easy to install. However, they offer significantly less durability, insulation and sound-dampening ability than their counterparts, making them a better choice for areas with less foot traffic, like closets and pantries (see our hollow core bifold doors for these spaces).
Beloved for their classic look and feel, as well as quality, solid wood doors offer a balance of style and longevity to homeowners. With added density, they provide more insulation, durability and sound-dampening capabilities than hollow core doors. You can also customize interior wood doors in various finishes and designs to match them seamlessly with your interior decor, whether you prefer a minimalist, rustic or elegant look.
However, these quality doors can be tiresome to maintain, as even with staining and sealing, wood is always at risk of warping in changing temperatures and humidity. And because their cost to manufacture is dependent on wood prices, which is a fluctuating market, the total cost of a new wood door can often be much higher as well.
Solid core interior doors combine the best aspects of hollow core and solid wood doors into one superior solution. Of course, when it comes to solid core vs hollow core doors, the only upside to hollow core is its lower price point. But solid core doors, often made with composite wood materials, are a high-quality option that is less expensive and provides added durability and sound-dampening capabilities. In the long term, they're well worth the investment.
Overall, interior solid core doors are a cost-effective way to enjoy the premium feel and functionality of a solid wood door. And they require far less maintenance than solid wood.
Solid Core Doors: Built for Real Life
While increased value and decreased maintenance are important benefits of solid core doors, they truly shine when it comes to their quality, durability and sound dampening. To illustrate, Masonite solid core interior doors are made with 70% more material than standard hollow core doors — resulting in a door that's stronger, heavier and quieter. These doors are engineered to withstand life's inevitable bumps and bruises, while also resisting warping and shrinking, which affect function and appearance over time.
Our solid core interior doors are made with more recycled material, too, for a more mindful utilization of Earth's resources. Plus, they come in a wide array of styles, ranging from traditional to Craftsman to modern. They're available in two distinct categories: flush and molded. Flush options offer a clean finish to a room, with the door sitting in line with the door frame, while molded options incorporate paneling and design work that add visual interest by emulating the craftsmanship of solid wood doors.
Although the primary differentiator of solid core doors is their internal structure, their external facings come in a range of styles to fit any home design. Here are some of our most popular solid core door designs — and the places in your home they may be ideal for.
This simple-yet-timeless design fits in well with most home styles, especially Craftsman and traditional ones. Use the Logan 2 Panel as an office door to separate your workspace from any chaos that may be going on in the rest of the house.
Similar to the Logan, but with one panel instead of two, the versatile design of the Lincoln Park is highly compatible with many home styles. It fits best in transitional and modern spaces and is used here as a bathroom door.
The 2 Panel solid core door has molded panels, providing well-balanced elegance inspired by historic details.
In contrast to the simple recessed panels of Logan and Lincoln Park, the Livingston door features three molded panels that provide architectural detailing and elegance to any room. Here it's used as a bedroom door.
Clean lines are a central part of this Winslow solid core door. With three Shaker-style recessed panels, Winslow is most compatible with Craftsman homes and is seen here as a laundry room door.
So, when you're approaching your next renovation project, or even making a simpler door swap, remember the importance of choosing materials and products that will last for years to come. Shop Masonite solid core doors for some of the best quality interior doors, providing premium quality, dependable durability and impressive sound-dampening capabilities. They're built for real life, making them a solid choice for any space within a home.
There can be a lot to navigate when it comes to doors. Here are some additional items to think about, decide on and be prepared for.
When shopping by style for interior doors, you'll find a variety of options that cater to different aesthetic preferences and functional needs. Solid core doors are a top recommendation, but there are other doors you may want to incorporate into your home depending on your needs.
We've already discussed the typical price and value differences between hollow core, solid wood and solid core interior doors, but prefinished and primed doors should be a consideration as well.
Prefinished doors come with an applied finish, which ensures a uniform appearance and eliminates the need for additional painting or staining. This makes them a convenient and time-efficient choice, as they arrive ready to install and offer consistent quality and durability with minimal effort. They do typically come with a higher upfront cost but can save you money in the long run.
Primed doors are pre-coated with a base primer, providing a blank canvas that allows for greater customization. You can paint or stain these doors to match or complement your existing decor, offering flexibility to achieve a personalized look. Because of this, primed doors are potentially a lower initial investment.
Before purchasing your new interior doors, read on for essential information to think through:
Accurate measurements are necessary to ensure your new interior doors fit perfectly and function seamlessly. When measuring, take precise dimensions of the jamb depth and the rough opening's height and width. The jamb depth is essential for a proper fit, especially if you're installing a prehung door. It's also important to account for any uneven floors or walls that might affect the installation. If you would like additional details on measuring for an interior door, our how-to article can help.
If you feel unsure about taking these measurements yourself, consider enlisting professional installation services to guarantee a flawless fit.
When it comes to purchasing and installing interior doors, understanding the difference between prehung and slab doors is essential for making the right choice. Here's what you should know:
Regular maintenance and care of your interior doors are essential to ensure their longevity and optimal performance. Make sure you:
Ready to find the perfect interior doors for your home? Browse our top interior styles today.
Knowing how to measure for your new interior doors is an important first step in any replacement project.
Installing new interior doors can completely change the look, feel and functionality of your home.
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