Home improvement topicsBrowse Categories:Full list »Hollow Core Vs Solid Core DoorsIt seems as though every time we build a house for a customer they have a hard time choosing between traditional solid wood doors (typically a solid MDF core with a finish veneer) and hollow core doors. The question always seems to be:Which are better? Solid Wood Doors or Hollow Core Doors?Solid Core DoorsSolid core doors can range from solid uniform wood door sections (wood species is the same throughout the cross section) or doors made with a solid core (usually MDF or similar) with thin layers of veneer wood glued to the outside ready for paint or stain.Solid Door Pros – solid wood doors are great for sound dampening, insulating properties, damage resistance and value to potential buyers.Solid Door Cons – Solid doors certainly have benefits but they also cost approximately 50% more, they are heavy and more prone to shrinkage and expansion due to temperature and moisture changes.Hollow Core DoorsToday hollow core doors are are installed in a majority of low to moderately priced new homes.
Hollow core doors have made great strides in quality compared to the early years when they were extremely flimsy and cheap. Hollow core doors have a wood frame around the perimeter of the door panel, usually one to two inches in depth. The surface is either hardboard or plywood with corrugated structural cardboard stiffeners throughout the center of the door for stiffness.Hollow Door Pros – Hollow core doors are cheaper, lighter, and less likely to warp, shrink and swell. Hollow core doors also take paint much better than solid wood doors.Hollow Door Cons – Hollow core doors are prone to damage from unruly kids, slamming doors into stops and other impact loads. Hollow core doors are also much harder to modify and repair due to the hollow nature.Economics Typically Drives The ChoiceWe actually have hollow core doors in our new home and I don’t regret the decision at all. Today I priced a 2/6 x 6/8 hollow core colonial style door and a solid door, both with pre-hung jambs. The difference in price is $78 vs $114.
$36 doesn’t seem like a big deal, however, our new house had over 20 doors for a total difference of $720.The bottom line really is cost in my opinion. Hollow core doors have performed very well for our house and will likely serve us well over the years. At the time I needed to cut costs wherever possible so it was a wise decision. If we had solid doors I know they would last as long as the house.Photo Credit: schnaarAbout the authorNot what you're looking for? Search for more articles here. Enter keywords like, 'insulation' or 'kitchens' etc to find your topic.9 CommentsMoisture is one of the most challenging issues that can affect door appearance. If you apply the correct finish treatment, your doors might be able to stay as neat as the day they were installed. Some doors might dry depending on the environment in which they are installed, as the moisture inside them evaporate when they are installed at drier places, and so the door will shrink and warp. However, there is always something you can do to prevent that from happening.
There will be times that as opposed as described above, the door will be installed at a more humid location causing additional problems such as swelling and warping issues too. During winter, many builder will be asked for warranty issues as the doors will warp when the furnace is running, so it dries out the moisture out of the air affecting the moisture content of your door. Also when the door is finished on only one side or has different finishes on both sides, then the door might start to warp.Now that you know why doors warp, let’s work together to find a solution to this problem. Start by storing the doors in the same environment and if possible at the same room in which they will be installed for about 36 hours before installing them. Lay the door as flat as possible and apply two coats of finish over all the door’s six edges. Do not save money by applying only one coat as it would not be enough and the door might warp eventually. Be sure to apply the two coats over the top and bottom potions of the doors, as these might be the most critical or the place that would be more exposed to humidity.
Strictly follow manufacturers recommendations on how to apply these two coats. Remember that a wood sealer will not keep out the moisture.The first step before applying the coat is to lay them down on flat surface. Provide multiple support to your doors to avoid curvatures on the door. When the door is not properly supported the actual moisture content of the coating will make the door to take the shape of the position the door is actually supported. Do not lean the door against a surface as it might bow to, having you with a useless door that will eventually will not fit. Remember to apply the same coating to all 6 sides of the door to reduce the probability of warping, not only once but twice.These additional tips will prevent your door from warping: Install a cover over the doorway.Polish the door twice a year.If you are choosing the type of door that you want to use, consider using a fiberglass one instead of a wood door.Use polyurethane sealant to protect your door.Try to get a door that is weather resistant and that can withstand temperature variations.
Are There Doors that Won't Warp?The answer is yes. There are many products or door options that will not warp when exposed to humidity changes. A common door, if manufactured properly, can be design so the warping effect might be addressed by the way it is assembled. A door can have vertical rails made out of two separate pieces of wood, that are laminated together with the grain running in different directions. The stile needs to be assembled the same way so when the moisture gets into the door, it will bow in opposite directions cancelling the warping effect. Steel, Aluminum and fiberglass doors will not warp making it ideal in some instances to have them installed.Isn’t solid wood always the best material? This is a question we’re frequently asked and you may be surprised that the answer is “Not necessarily.” Solid wood has many benefits; it’s strong, sturdy and beautiful in its grain. However, solid wood contracts when subjected to changes in heat and humidity. Unless these conditions are carefully controlled, cabinets, doors or paneling made from solid wood can shrink, crack or buckle.
Medium density fiberboard (MDF) is a high grade, composite material that performs better than solid wood in many areas. Made from recycled wood fibers and resin, MDF is machine dried and pressed to produce dense, stable sheets. MDF is more stable than solid wood and stands up better to changes in heat and humidity. Solid wood boards typically expand and contract both horizontally and vertically when temperatures and humidity rise and fall. Because of this, cabinets, doors and paneling made from solid wood require a high level of care and maintenance. For areas where humidity tends to be high, such as bathrooms, Woodmeister uses Medex® for vanities and cabinets. This is a water resistant, superior grade MDF product. Medex® is also a formaldehyde-free product and can qualify for 'green' home certifications such as LEED® and National Green Building Standard®. In the construction of painted cabinet doors, MDF outperforms solid wood. The conventional frame and panel method for building solid wood doors involves connecting five separate pieces: four frame pieces and a center panel cut slightly smaller than the frame because it needs to float—to allow for expansion and contraction.
This is typically known as cope and stick joinery or 5-piece construction. MDF, because it’s made of processed wood fibers as panel stock allows for a different construction method. MDF can be milled by computer-operated machinery (CNC) in one-piece frames with the center cut out for a recessed panel. Because of its density, MDF does not move independently from the frame and the inserted panel does not need to float like the conventional five-piece solid wood door. Since the MDF panel doesn’t float within the frame, hairline cracks do not form along the edges of the panel or at the style and rail joinery. MDF will expand and contract but with this 2-piece construction method the doors move as a unit and not as individual pieces of wood. Therefore the paint does not crack or peel at the joints. MDF is readily available in much larger sizes—5-foot by 12-foot panels, for example—than solid wood. These large sheets can be milled into bead board panels or wainscot paneling Unlike solid wood, there is no visible grain on the surface of an MDF panel.