Renovations and additions often add or change the rooms in your home. And with those changes comes the need to complete an interior door project. You could be replacing old slab doors with something fresh and more upscale. Or maybe you're finishing off a new bedroom, office or bathroom. There are certain choices you'll need to make and those decisions give you an opportunity to save money on interior doors while still resulting in a gorgeous finish.
Two Basic Choices
When shopping for interior doors you need to select between the two basic options - wooden hollow core door or wooden solid core door. You can also get doors made from composite materials, but wood is still the most popular materials option.
The solid core door is obviously more expensive and should only be used where it is absolutely needed, therefore saving you money on all of the other doors included in your project.
Why Choose Solid Core Doors At All?
Besides offering a wider selection of profiles, solid core wooden doors are thick and substantial. The sound may not be blocked completely, but this style of door certainly does a good job at dampening it.
Do you have a light sleeper in the family? Or require silence in your office in order to do work? In those cases a solid core interior door may work well to cut down on room to room noise. Also, in a case where a lot of noise will likely be emitting from a certain room (your teenager's rock band practice, a heavy snorer or a loud TV), it may make more sense to simply put a thicker, solid core door in that spot to help cut the noise down at the source.
Hollow Core Wooden Doors
Often hollow core doors are flat or have a very simple raised pattern. They are by far the best options for closets and will save you a decent amount of money over solid core doors in every application. Bathrooms are another good location for hollow core doors since the need for silence is not overly common.
Pattern on the Door
The more elaborate the pattern on an interior door, the more expensive that door will be. Opting for a six panel door will drive the budget much higher than choosing a four-panel or flat door. Remember that, in general, you'll need to match all of the entrance doors and should truly coordinate each door in the house - although hidden closet doors and certain smaller entrances can be flat and mix in well with other patterns.
There are rectangular raised panels and arched raised panels, some doors even combine the two for a unique look. Have a look at the selection at your local building supply store or view the manufacturer's website for screen shots. A deeper panel will also be more expensive and most often seen on solid doors. You should be able to find a design that comes in both hollow core - for the areas where sound proofing is not an option - and solid core, so that your layout will have that finished, coordinated look.
For whatever reason you are adding or replacing them in your home, there are ways to save money on an interior door project. Choose wisely for the application while still adhering to your tastes. You want the doors to fit into the dècor well without costing you a fortune.
Posted by: TrustedPros