When it comes to doors my clients often come to me puzzled, with numerous questions on the differences between the various types of doors on the market. Doors can be broken down into three rough categories which will clear up most questions that need to be answered. All these three categories have their own values and qualities which means that each job must be evaluated and have the correct door chosen for it.

Top of the Line Doors

Solid Wood Doors:

Solid wood doors are the Cadillac of the interior door world. These doors are constructed completely using solid wood and no man made substrates. They have a beautiful weight and feel to them as well as excellent sound deadening qualities that complements their high cost. One of the great advantages of these doors is if you have stained or clear coated solid wood trim throughout your house, you can have these doors finished to perfectly match your trim, creating a feeling of luxury in the look and feel of the natural material.

On the downside these doors do run into some issues. Because of the natural materials used to create the beauty of these doors they are less stable than their solid core cousins. This means having a controlled interior humidity and temperature in your home will make sure that the doors will not swell and shrink. As with anything in life, quality comes at a price. These doors are the most expensive on the list as not only are there many hours in their manufacturing process, you will want to hire only the best installers to insure that they are hung with care and precision and that the frame they are hung in can take their weight. But with the proper installation and finishing you will have beautiful doors for decades to come.

Pros: -sound deadening – weight and feel -can be finished in any format to match stained or clear coated trim -natural beauty

Cons: -Cost -issues with swelling and shrinking

Stay tuned for part two where I will break down Solid Core doors and Hollow Core doors!
Pablo Willis, Alair Homes Toronto Project Manager