What Are Solid Core Doors And What's The Benefit Of Installing Them?

Have you ever noticed that sounds seem to pass through some rooms in your home very easily? This might be because the doors to those rooms aren't dense enough in their inner structure to reduce the amount of noise that can pass through. Instead of hollow-core doors, you need solid core doors. They provide much better sound resistance while being more sturdy and durable.

These aren't the only two kinds of doors, mind you — there are plenty of door types to choose from — but don't confuse solid core doors with doors made of solid wood. Solid wood doors are made from all-natural wood and are great for their strength, insulation, and soundproofing. Of course, the beautiful look of natural wood is another major selling point, but all this makes solid wood very expensive as a door material. The wood itself is pricey and so are the installation and upkeep.

This is where solid core doors come in. Filled with engineered wood instead of real wood, solid core doors offer the benefits of a solid door without the hefty price tag of a door that's solid wood all through. Doors with solid cores are the secret to helping soundproof your home.

Hollow-core doors are cheap, light, and easy to install, which makes them simple solutions, especially if the doors aren't a priority in a home's design. However, there are various drawbacks to installing hollow-core doors like their poor soundproofing, flimsiness, and limited customization. It's best to use them for secondary spaces like closets and pantries and invest in solid wood or solid core doors for main rooms like bedrooms, living rooms, and home offices.

Solid core doors are a great in-between between hollow-core and solid wood. They are the easiest of the three to maintain because solid wood doors are vulnerable to warping, while hollow doors are vulnerable to both water damage and general impact damage. In terms of prices, a hollow door can cost anywhere from $30 to $150, a solid core door can cost from $100 to several hundred dollars, and a solid wood door costs from $200 to over a thousand dollars — all of that excludes the cost of installation. At this sweet spot, solid core doors give you good value for your money because you know you can rely on their quality. One tip we'll share from HGTV's Jenny Marrs is to use solid, natural wood for your front door, where the effect will be the strongest.