Solid wood doors

Solid wood doors have long been considered the premium—and only—choice for homes. But as times have changed, innovations have come along that place other doors—hollow-core and solid-core—on an equal playing field with solid wood doors. At a glance, many wood interior passage doors and wood exterior doors look like they are made entirely of solid wood. But more often than not, these doors use construction methods designed to make them look like solid wood while avoiding some of the drawbacks of solid wood doors.

Wood doors used in residential construction come in three types: solid wood, hollow core, and solid core. Each type of door is constructed differently and has its own advantages and disadvantages. Today, it is more a matter of choosing the door that is best suited for your own needs. No single wood door is perfect for all needs.

Solid wood doors are made either from a solid wood slab or, more commonly, a frame-and-panel construction that uses natural wood—whether a softwood like pine or a hardwood like oak or maple. Exterior doors made from wood typically use solid wood construction for strength and security. With interior doors, however, you have other options.

Solid wood doors are 100-percent natural wood, except for the hardware or accessories. Few solid wood doors are single, unified slabs of wood. Solid wood doors are now more often built with a frame-and-panel construction. Sound-blockage is good to excellent, depending on wood species. Softwoods like pine are not very sound-proof, but hardwoods such as oak and maple are excellent at blocking sound transmission between rooms.

The classic wood panel door looks and feels like one piece of wood, though it is not. The classic six-panel door has been around for centuries and is constructed of individual panels, mullions, stiles, and rails that hold floating panels. When stained or painted, a wood panel door looks like a solid slab of wood that has been shaped with decorative contours