Solid Core vs Hollow Core Doors: Everything You Need to Know

Doors play an important role in every home as they provide a specific function and bring a certain aesthetic. This is why choosing the right door type for your home is important. 

Different types, like solid wood doors, solid core doors, and hollow core doors, offer various specifications. Once you start thinking about interior door features (materials and finishes) and include your budget, needs, and lifestyle, making the right decision can be quite difficult. This is why many get stuck at the solid core vs hollow core doors consideration. 

The solution to your problem doesn't have to remain behind closed doors. To make the best decision, we'd like to let you in on the specifics of the solid core and hollow core doors.

Types of Interior Doors

In modern-day residential buildings, there are three main door constructions available: 

• solid wood door
• solid core door
• hollow core door

Each of these has a function to fulfill in a home, like protection, comfort, privacy, etc. In this sense, one door type isn't better than the other. They are only the solution to your needs and lifestyle so that your home and office spaces meet your perfect vision.

Manufacturers use 100% natural wood to produce a solid wood door. It is not a single slab, but consists of softwood (pine) or hardwood (oak) frames and panels. As a traditional choice, due to their sturdiness and classic design, solid wood doors are always featured on the home's exterior.

The two other door types available on the market are solid core doors and hollow core doors. These interior-only doors are the result of modern techniques that make them look like solid wood doors while mitigating some of the shortcomings, like their environmental impact.

So, what is a solid core door?

And what is a hollow core door?

In order to have a better overview of what they offer, let's take a look at what is behind both of these doors and do the solid core vs hollow core doors comparison.

What Is a Solid Core Door?

A solid core interior door consists of engineered wood and a high-quality wood veneer that covers it. Wood fibers are processed into a heavy fiberboard, making up the inside of a solid core wood door (hence their name). 

Because of their design, which has up to 70% more material than hollow cores, solid core doors represent the golden middle between solid wood doors and hollow core wood doors.

Pros of Solid Core Doors

The composite wood inside solid core doors and their construction provide the following benefits:

1. Durability – Solid core doors can withstand physical collisions in everyday use.
2. Protection – Their sturdy structure allows greater security for private rooms and office spaces.
3. Comfort – The material density of a solid core wood door blocks sound and heat transfer between the rooms.
4. Longevity – A solid core interior door is resilient to temperature and humidity changes, so it doesn't warp.
5. Stability – Due to its make-up and physical properties, a solid core door slab requires minimal maintenance.
6. Esthetics – The design is similar to that of a solid wood door, without being so expensive.
7. Quality – The feel of the solid core door enhances the grade of the home, ensuring the home's greater selling value.

Cons of Solid Core Doors

The synthetic wood within solid core doors also comes with some less appealing features:

1. Heaviness – The dense material of the solid center makes them quite weighty: 55 lbs, 66 lbs, and up to 77 lbs.
2. Difficulty – As the solid core door slab is massive, it is difficult to properly operate and install it where it is needed.
3. Feel – While it offers a better feel than hollow core doors, it doesn't feature the same quality as traditional doors.
4. Irreparable – Because of its solid structure, it can be difficult to repair in case of any damage.
5. Style – Solid core doors do not offer great stylistic diversity in comparison to solid wood doors.
6. Expensive – While cheaper than traditional doors, solid cores are more expensive than hollow core doors.

What Is a Hollow Core Door?

A hollow core wood door received its name from the unfilled space within its structure. However, hollow core doors are not totally empty inside. There is a cardboard or plastic honeycomb structure inside a hollow core door, making it more rigid to preserve its optimal shape. 

The honeycomb area is sandwiched between two fiberboards, and the whole hollow core door construction is enveloped in wood veneer. This wood veneer typically does not cover the edges of hollow core doors.

Pros of Hollow Core Doors

The specific nature of hollow core doors offers the following characteristics:

1. Lightweight – A person can easily handle hollow core doors because they lack internal substance, making them DIY-friendly.
2. Simplicity – As hollow core interior doors aren't hefty, they are easy to install, requiring lightweight hinges for this process.
3. Affordable – The price of hollow core doors is lower than those of solid wood and solid core doors.
4. Cost-effective – Being inexpensive, hollow core doors allow you to easily replace many doors at once if there's a need for them.
5. Stability – The specific structure inside hollow core doors makes them less likely to warp, shrink, and expand.
6. Customizable – The internal honeycomb area allows you to fill the space with another material for additional support.

Cons of Hollow Core Doors

The honeycomb framework of hollow core interior doors also brings less pleasing traits:

1. Delicate – Hollow core doors aren't as durable as solid cores, meaning they are quicker to damage.
2. Irreparable – The lack of substance inside hollow core doors makes them prone to damage and hard to repair.
3. Vulnerability – A hollow core door doesn't offer advanced protection – you shouldn't use it between the home and the garage.
4. Conduction – The air pockets inside hollow core doors easily transmit sound, heat, and cold, lowering comfort levels.
5. Feel – The lightweight nature of hollow core doors denies them the feel of traditional doors, which can affect the resale price of the house.

Solid Core vs Hollow Core Doors: Which Is Better?

The closure of the solid core vs hollow core doors debate boils down to budget, usage, and style.

If you have a thicker wallet, you can place solid core doors for all your spaces and not worry about a single detail.

For those with a more limited income, you can install hollow core doors throughout your home. This option is also practical if you have many doors that need to be replaced ASAP.

The best option is to use the knowledge of the hollow core vs solid core doors deliberation and to combine these doors to achieve a specific purpose. In short, both solid cores and hollow cores have their uses.

You can reserve solid core interior doors for private spaces, where you want peace and quiet. For this reason, solid core doors are an excellent choice for your bedrooms, bathrooms, and home offices. Heat insulation also makes them a good candidate for kitchens as well.

Hollow core doors are optimal where a private atmosphere isn't of great importance, but the ease of use is. From this point of view, hollow core doors are the perfect fit for closets, washrooms, and pantries.