Types of Interior doors and where to buy them

If you have been to any of the large suppliers such as Menards, it is obvious that there are many choices of interior doors. I will try and give you the basics of door construction, where to buy doors, and the type of doors you should purchase.

Hollow core - As the name suggests, this type of door is mostly hollow. There is interior framing at strategic points for support. If you can picture and old time screen door, then you can picture the interior framing of a hollow core door. The skin of the door is usually made of a composite material or soft wood such as pine. These kind of doors will be your least expensive doors, but some of them look great. I like the raised six panel wood grain hollow cores. These are the doors I recommend when a customer is looking to remodel the interior of their home on a tight budget. It is not uncommon to find hollow core doors in the neighborhood of $20 to $70 Depending on weather you purchase them as a slab or prehung door (more on that later). There are many brands available, and many suppliers in Lansing. I personally have had good luck with Master Craft doors as supplied by Menards. They look good and are not a bad door for the price. That being said, don't expect precision craftsmanship from a $20 door. But they are nice for dressing a place up on a limited budget. The down side to hollow core doors is they feel light and do not have very good sound proofing qualities.

Solid core - You guessed it, the door is solid. You can get true solid hardwood doors, but they are very expensive. For example, solid oak doors can range in price from $250.00 to $450.00 per door on average. A less expensive alternative is veneered solid core doors. These doors are usually constructed with an engineered wood or pine filler. They are veneered with hardwood. This gives the door the feel and sound proofing qualities of a hardwood door for a lot less money. In my opinion, it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between a solid oak door and a veneered door. Veneered doors can range in price from $85 to $150 on average.

Both hollow core and solid core interior doors come in many designs. They may be flat or have panels. Some have windows, while some are mostly glass. No matter what your taste is, chances are that you can find what your looking for.

CHOOSING INTERIOR DOORS

If you intend to have a contractor install your doors then there is not much for you to consider. I would caution you to buy a door that is comparable with your price rang of home. For example, a high end home should have high end doors. A low end home can have high end doors, but they most likely will not increase the value of your home. Therefore it may not be advantageous to install high end doors. Simply exercise common sense and you will be fine.

If you are going to install your own doors, then there are a few things you need to consider. You will need to purchase either "slab' or "Prehung" doors.

Slab - This is the door itself. Not the frame. If your frame is in good shape, you can purchase the door only and then customize it to fit your existing frame. There are no hinge cut outs or holes for the door knob. You will have to make the cut outs for the hinges (know as mortising)and drill the holes for the door knob yourself. This can save you money, but it is hard to do and may be difficult your first time. While I haven't found any outstanding instructions on the internet for do it yourselfers, this article at Lowes is not too bad. There are tools available to make mortising the hinges and drilling the door knobs much easier that the article does not mention. There is a mortise kit for hand held chisels and there is one for a router. The door knob kits can be used with a standard electric drill. Ask your supplier about theses kits when you purchase your door.

Prehung - A pre hung door is “ pre hung” in its frame. The door and frame are purchased as a unit an therefore guarantees the door to fit in the frame. You must remove the original door and it's frame to install a prehung door. I find this is much easier than installing a slab door. With the use of shims, you can adjust the door so it will fit just rite. If your are looking for directions to install a pre hung door, you can try this article at the DIYnetwork. It is one of the better ones that I was able to find. That being said, I was not able to find any site that covers all the potential problems you can run into while replacing your doors.

WHERE TO BUY INTERIOR DOORS

Places like Home Depot, Menards, and Lowes all have a good selection of interior doors. They are generally lower to mid grade quality. These stores can usually order higher end doors. There are other places around Lansing that sell doors as well. I have personally had good luck with Goodrich Brothers. I like thier service and the quality products they offer. They will come out and measure your doors and provide you with a estimate. They do not install the doors, but they will deliver them.

Tanner-Phillips installs doors. We also offer consulting services. We can come out and take a look at the doors you intend to replace and point out any difficulties you may run into with your particular project. If you need some info or have questions, please contact us and we will do our best to help.

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