Wooden Doors: Your Guide to Understanding Types and Styles

Hollow core doors are molded. Thus, they come in a variety of slab or paneled styles. Hollow core doors are also used as bi-fold closet or pantry doors. They work with diverse home designs. Depending on the construction, you can paint or stain certain hollow core doors, though most are painted.
Hollow core doors are suitable for interior use and not exterior use. Hollow core wood doors are not good insulators of sound or weather. They are also not strong enough to withstand concerted efforts to break in.
Wooden doors are some of the oldest kinds of interior and exterior doors. Why do wooden doors benefit today’s homeowners? Wooden doors aren’t just functional, they can display artistry and craftsmanship for those looking to enhance their home’s design style.

Wooden Doors: Types

Wood-clad doors come in different styles including solid doors and doors with glass like French doors. Also, manufacturers make wood-clad doors with bi-fold and sliding door closures to fit any exterior door opening. Therefore, these doors fit a variety of home designs. You can customize wood-clad doors with paint and stain.

Interior Wood Doors

There are two broad categories of wooden doors: interior wooden doors and exterior wooden doors.

Exterior Wood Doors

Manufacturers create solid wood doors from different varieties of wood. These include pine, alder, white oak, red oak, teak, bamboo, ash, poplar, walnut, and maple. Some of the most popular woods for solid wood interior doors are poplar, pine, and alder. They are inexpensive and create a good sound barrier. Walnut is one of the most expensive varieties. It has a gorgeous deep brown color with a dense grain and texture.

What are Solid Wood Doors?

There are several types of wooden doors. Each has specific strengths and weaknesses, though some are general for all.

Style of Solid Wood Doors

Pros

Location of Use

Wood-clad doors are also known as wooden composite exterior doors. They are doors crafted with different materials including wood as one of its components. Some homeowners value composite doors over solid wood front doors because it creates a door that is long-lasting and less maintenance.

Wood Varieties

Hollow core doors are made from wood composite panels that have been glued together over a hollow core of plastic or honeycomb cardboard. These doors have become the most popular type of interior door as they are inexpensive and easy to install.

Home Design With Solid Wood Doors

Wooden exterior doors are used to protect your home from weather and from intruders. Wood exterior doors also enhance your home’s style and design. Solid wood and composite wood doors are two common wood exterior doors.

What are Solid Core Doors?

Solid wooden doors work to enhance a variety of home designs with their texture and style. Solid wooden barn doors complement rustic and farmhouse style. Painted or stained solid wood paneled doors have wide ranging applicability among such disparate styles including modern to classic.
Wooden doors are an attractive addition to any home in both interior and exterior spaces.

Style of Solid Core Doors

Some homeowners and designers love the look and feel of solid wood entry doors for certain home styles. Solid wood doors work well for farmhouse and rustic design where the look and feel of textured wood is a bonus. For others, wood clad doors achieve the same results of beauty and style and are far less maintenance.

Location of Use

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What are Hollow Core Doors?

Cons

Style of Hollow Core Doors

Solid core doors are heavy, often heavier than solid wood doors. They offer better soundproofing than some solid wood doors. These doors do not expand or contract with the weather but maintain their shape in all weather environments.

Location of Use

Manufacturers craft solid core doors in a wide variety of styles from slab doors and several styles of paneled doors. Also, you can customize the look of these doors with paint and stain.

What are Wood Clad Doors?

Wooden doors also work better for homes across different climates. According to premium door manufacturer Pella, wooden doors adjust to climate better than synthetic doors. The wooden panel within a fixed frame can expand and contract with temperature fluctuations. This means that a wooden door will act as a natural insulator.
Solid wooden doors are crafted from pieces of solid wood fitted together in different styles. One of the most common solid wooden door styles is paneled doors made from fitting panels into frames of horizontal stiles and vertical rails. Another common solid wood door is louvered doors. Manufacturers create louvered doors with small vertical slats fitted into horizontal stiles.

Style of Wood Clad Doors

Wood-clad doors are used as exterior doors and do not have interior applications.

Location of Use

For these doors, manufacturers create a door with two sides; the interior side is wood and the exterior side is another material like fiberglass or metal.

Wooden Doors Pros and Cons

Popular options for interior wooden doors like hollow core doors make wooden doors accessible for everyone.

• Beauty – Wooden doors have an undeniable beauty. Solid wood doors and solid core doors have the gorgeous warmth and texture of wood. Even hollow core doors have attractive styles.
• Durability – Solid wood and solid core doors last for decades with proper maintenance.
• Versatility – Manufacturers create wooden doors in diverse styles to fit different home designs.

You can find inexpensive hollow core door options at local home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes. Look for architectural salvage stores in your area if you want to find inexpensive solid wood doors. Your choices will be limited to the styles and sizes they have in their warehouse.

• Maintenance – Wooden doors require routine maintenance like painting and staining when they become worn.
• Cost – Solid wood and solid core doors are some of the most expensive varieties of doors available.

Conclusion

Wooden front doors with no glass are safer because they are less penetrable than wood doors with glass. Solid wood front doors with no glass also preserve your privacy better than doors with glass.
The structure of solid wood doors is all wood. Some solid wood doors feature glass or metal as part of their decorative design. A wood door with glass or metal can still be considered a solid wood door as long as it is made from all solid wood besides decoration and hardware.
Exterior wooden doors do require some maintenance, but their beauty and durability help balance this effort.
Solid core doors have an exterior surface of wood veneer but are filled with wood composite material like MDF. Door experts tend to consider this a compromise door between solid wooden doors and hollow core doors. They are less expensive than solid wood doors but still have the look and feel of solid wood.