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What are the Advantages of Solid Wood Interior Doors?

Mary McMahon

Last Modified Date: January 24, 2024

Solid wood interior doors have a number of advantages that should certainly be considered when installing new or replacement doors. While solid wood tends to make a door substantially more expensive, some people feel that the cost is acceptable when considered in the context of its benefits. For people who do opt for this style of door, many home supply and hardware stores carry an array of designs, and they can also order custom doors by request.

For some people, the key advantage is aesthetics. Solid wood interior doors look better than hollow core doors or engineered doors, and they have more heft, which can be an appealing feature. The doors will also continue to look good over time, because they are extremely sturdy, and as a result, a solid wood door can withstand years of heavy service, unlike the alternatives.

Solid wood intererior doors provide good insulation.

These doors also make sense from an energy efficiency stance. They provide much more insulation, which will keep rooms cool or hot as needed, especially when the door is framed well. Solid wood also cuts down substantially on traveling sound, a major issue in many households. Noise will not pass as readily through the wood, keeping the house quiet and allowing people to engage in a variety of activities around the house without upsetting each other; grandmother can sleep in the guest room while children play, for example. These doors can also be useful for privacy in settings such as legal offices and medical clinics.

A solid wood interior door could help deter a burglar.

Burglars tend to have more trouble with solid doors, a good reason to use them for all doors that connect to the outside. Using solid wood interior doors can also slow the progress of a burglar through a house, if these doors are locked to prevent access to rooms such as an office. Solid wood also provides more resistance to fire than engineered wood or hollow core doors, although these doors will burn eventually.

The strength of solid wood interior doors is another feature in their favor. These doors should not crack or chip with time, and they will not be dented or perforated by carelessly moved furniture or other accidents around the house. Especially when paired with a good set of hinges, a solid interior door will hold up to even the hardest use. There are also a range of woods to choose from, allowing people to select woods that mesh well with their interior design scheme and the look and feel of the home.

Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a HomeQuestionsAnswered researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

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Discussion Comments

TreeMan

June 6, 2012

@Emilski - I guess it would really all depend on how dark the doors are now. Is the darkness from a stain or the natural wood? If it is just an exterior coating of some sort, you might just be able to sand the doors down and get something that matches the new color of the room. Other than that, there aren't very many options.

If the doors aren't going to work, you could always just try to sell them and pay for the new doors. Oak doors are very popular, and if they are a little banged up, someone might even be willing to pay more since there is a big market for rustic interior doors for renovations and the like.

We did that when we moved into our new house. It was very old and had doors that we didn't care for. A friend looked at them and said they were mahogany doors, which is worth a lot of money and fairly rare. We found a local person who had just bought an older house and was remodeling it. They bought the doors, and we went out and bought doors that we liked.

Emilski

June 5, 2012

I recently remodeled my living room, and the doors that are there now don't fit with the design at all. I guess they are oak interior doors from what I know about the look of the wood. They are pretty dark, though, and the living room is white now.

Does anyone know of any tips for changing the color of the wood? Obviously, there is painting, but the doors are definitely solid wood, and I think it would be a shame to paint over them. At the same time, we don't really want to replace them if we don't have to.

jmc88

June 4, 2012

@matthewc23 - I completely agree. As far as I am concerned solid core wood interior doors are a must if you have kids in the house.

I remember when I was younger I lived in a house where we had a couple of hollow doors. Being the rough kids we were, they didn't last too long. Me and my brother were racing through the house one time and he tripped and landed on the door and knocked the thing off of one of its hinges.

One other time I was throwing a football around with a friend in the hallway. I threw the ball too hard, and he missed it, and it flew straight into the door and put a big dent in it. Needless to say, my parents weren't too happy when they found it.

matthewc23

June 3, 2012

Unless you are on a budget, I think using solid wood doors is a must in any house. Like the article says, the solid doors can help cut down on energy costs, and that might even help the doors pay for themselves over the life of the home.

Personally, I think the best reason for using the solid doors is just the durability. I have a friend who needed a replacement door to his bedroom one time. He went with the hollow core type and regretted it later. Pretty soon after he hung the door, he got a new bed and mattress. While they were moving the furniture around, he tripped and fell into the door and put a big hole right in the middle of it.

In the end, he bought a solid wood door for the room, but could have avoided the extra cost if he had gone with the solid door in the first place.