Best interior door material: how to choose right?

Looking to replace or purchase internal doors for your home? Selecting suitable interior door materials for your house may appear to be a daunting process. However, once you understand the many varieties, their benefits and limitations, as well as their applications and costs, everything becomes quite simple. In one room, you might wish to create a quiet environment, while in another, you might prefer beauty and flair. There is a door type that will fulfill all of your preferences and practical requirements. Internal doors have the potential to make or break your home's flow, functionality, and aesthetic.

 

In this article, United Porte, a leading doors manufacturer in US, provides an interior door material comparison that encompasses MDF, solid-core, hollow-core, and metal and glass doors.

MDF Doors

For people who prefer an affordable but still strong substitute for solid wood, there is MDF wood material. MDF stands for medium-density fiberboard, which is a low-cost material manufactured from reprocessed wood fibers and designed to mimic solid wood. In contrast to solid wood, MDF doors do not deform, split or crack in the presence of moisture and severe heat. This, together with their affordability, has driven their popularity among homeowners looking for the best interior door material.

 

Moreover, MDF doors are loved by buyers owing to their versatility, as they can be painted over, experimented on with varied colors, and are readily accessible in diverse appealing styles. Being able to boast a glossy finish is also something MDF can do that solid wood timber cannot. They are also simple to install, making them a favorite among installation professionals.

 

However, if you are someone drawn to rustic finishes, then MDF's lack of a wood grain texture is going to be a bit of a drawback. Additionally, MDF doors are still prone to denting despite being harder than hardboard.

Solid Core Interior Doors

Do you want to enjoy the benefits of solid wood without paying the hefty price for the actual solid wood? Solid core materials for interior doors are engineered to mimic the look and feel of solid wood. Not only do they borrow the properties that make solid wood special like sound and heat insulation, but they also take things up a notch with fire resistance. They are also less likely to deform over a lengthy period of time. Just like MDF doors, they also come in a wide range of attractive designs.

 

On the downside, these doors are weighty and have a propensity to shrink when exposed to excessive heat and humid air. Because of this, they may not be convenient for use in rooms where the air can get hot and moist. Solid-core doors may be more cost-effective than their solid wood equivalents, but they still cost more when compared to doors made from other materials.

 

While genuine solid wood may be irreplaceable, a solid-core door comes close, albeit at a significantly lower price.

Metal and Glass Doors

Looking to add sophistication and elegance to your home? Consider metal and glass doors. Made from metallic frames and glass panels, these can offer a sleek and sophisticated look that allows the passage of light from other rooms. For areas where privacy is a priority, like bathrooms, there is the option to choose the more opaque frosted glass. And while glass may not be a good insulator of heat and sound, these properties may be enhanced by double or triple glazing the doors.

 

However, glass is not cheap, and with any enhancements, the price only goes up. Compared to the several types of interior door’s material, metal and glass doors costs are only lower than solid wood.

Hollow Core Doors

You have a limited budget but you still need to buy new or replacement doors for multiple uses in your house. What option do you go with? Hollow-core wood hatches are probably the most common interior doors material. Not surprising, given that this material happens to be the cheapest in terms of price, while the most versatile in terms of functionality. A door of this material differs from its solid counterparts in that it has an empty core making it less durable and insulating.

 

However, this results in the door being lighter, allowing it to be easily manufactured and fitted as an interior prehung door. Being your typical interior door material, they can be used in whatever room of the house. Where heat efficiency is a concern, hollow-core doors can be modified by filling their cores with material that can insulate heat.

Conclusion

To wrap this up, picking the best interior door material will mostly depend on four factors. These are functionality, preference, design, and pricing. Distinct functional needs will require different types of interior door materials making functionality the most important of these factors. A balance can then be reached between the rest of the factors.