Solid Core Door: Everything You Need to Know

No one lives in a house without doors. So, even if you’re building a small house, it must have this fixture at the entry. However, our choice may vary when it comes to the door to install for the different rooms.

Many might settle for solid core interior doors, while few would like it at the exterior doorway. One thing that is certain is that the solid core door offers great benefits when installed in residential and commercial buildings. These benefits include soundproofing and insulation.

If you want to know more about this type of home fixture. Here in this article will tell you about what is a solid core door and why people prefer it to the regular hollow core doors. 

What is Solid Core Door?

Solid core doors are made of wood but have its hollow core filled with wood composite materials, mostly wood. You can see these doors mostly in high-rise commercial buildings with offices. Solid core doors appear more in resident suite entries and not central fire passage.

The fire corridor has a hollow metal door because it has a high fire rating, and also it’s more affordable. Class A office apartments majorly have solid core interior doors. You could mount them into a pocket of mortise latch if you didn’t plan on panic hardware.

However, you can install an electric mortise lock by drilling a hole between the center hinge for the cable. But if you need the door position switch magnet, then you should drill or in the field. Since these doors a heavy-duty and resist anything, it needs about three or five hinges.

You may most times improve the beauty with elegant wood laminate to get a well-furnished solid core door. To achieve a better fire-resistant blend, you mount the entries in hollow metal or aluminum frame. With these frames, you can get 60 and 90 minutes of fire ratings, respectively.

There are three types of electrified locks used in solid core doors. These latches include magnetic doors, electrified panic hardware, and electrical mortice locks. They all may be on the surface or concealed by vertical rods in place of electronic panic hardware. These may be with mortise bolts, rims, or rods.

The more hinges you attach to a solid core door, the better the security it provides. So, it’s typical to see up to five to seven hinges on these robust doors.

Hollow Core Doors vs Solid Core Doors

Many get confused when it comes to the installation of hollow core or solid core doors. However, the decision lies in how much security and your budget.

Furthermore, interior doors are mostly hollow core interior doors because they are not safe enough for exterior entries. And you can move them quickly -this is an advantage and disadvantage of the solid core types. That’s why it’s best to go with solid core door slabs on external doorways.

Hollow core doors also do not protect you well from exterior elements, and they are not highly soundproof doors. But they are easier to move, the main reason they are great for inner rooms better or places with little need for privacy.

Just like the hollow core interior doors, there are solid core exterior doors as well. These doors provide excellent insulation, protection, and quietness. But they can shrink or expand when exposed to moisture and temperature changes, unlike solid wood doors.

Although solid core doors are difficult to move due to its weight, they come with many profits. But then, you should also consider the price as they are twice as costly as the hollow core doors. So, you can combine both hollow core and solid core doors to save small cash when installing these fixtures for multiple rooms in the building.

Solid Wood vs Solid Core Doors

Looking at the solid core doors and solid wood door, you might find it difficult to differentiate them. Many confuse these doors thinking they are the same, but they aren’t.

Solid wood doors have timber as its primary composite material and assembled in pieces. They offer regular banister and stile design seen in most modern homes for some time. However, they are more elegant and expensive than solid core doors.

But that doesn’t make solid core the cheapest as it cost more than the hollow core doors. That’s why bedrooms and convenience rooms have them instead of a solid base or solid wood doors.

Pros and Cons of Solid Core Doors

Pros

These doors are molded with a single layer of wood glued on each side of concrete wood material. The solid core is inside layers of wood, which can withstand wear and tear plus moisture invasion. It also provides enhanced security and insulation from cold.

Additionally, they offer soundproof functions depending on how thick they made the solid wood core. The thickest of them is better than a solid wood door. During winter months, you shouldn’t be a worry if you have solid core doors.

Cons

You may think solid core doors do not have downsides, but they come with a couple of drawbacks. As much as they may seem a better choice than hollow-core door, they do not come cheap. Like we noted earlier, it costs about two times the price of hollow core doors but less than solid wood.

You also find it hard to saw it to size if your frame doesn’t suit just like hollow core doors. Any cut given to it to get a flush solid core door would spoil the design, but you can cut solid wood doors easily. Hence, you should try and buy the exact size of the solid core door slab for your frame.

Cost of Solid Core Interior Doors

With a great sturdiness and elegant design, a solid core door comes at a wide range of reasonable prices. In regards to cost, the authentic types fall between solid wood doors and hollow core prices.

The doors would cost between $120 and $200 for the standard grade. But for high-end solid core doors with sleek finishes and additional hardware, cost about $325 or more.

Final Word

When you’re building a new house or renovating an old one, the door remains an essential factor. The type of door you choose would determine the security and privacy you get in your home. To get this benefit as earlier mention, it is best to get a solid core door. This article answered the question – what is a solid core door? 

These are doors that have wood edges but a stronger core. Solid wood core exterior doors come with great style and offer more functions. Although it may be as robust as solid wood doors, it guarantees enough insulation and protection from elements.

However, they are expensive and cost more than hollow core doors but are cheaper than solid wood doors.