Interior Doors
I am changing interior closet doors. Does anyone know the difference between solid core doors and Mdf doors covered with wood panels? I know mdf are heavier. is this the only difference? They are 8′ h.
I am changing interior closet doors.
Does anyone know the difference between solid core doors and Mdf doors covered with wood panels?
I know mdf are heavier. is this the only difference?
They are 8′ h.
Not sure where you’re located DecoDesign, it seems from a previous post that you are out of state, but here in NY, you can get interior wood doors at the big box stores, especially closet bi-fold doors, that are finger joined pieces, making them paint grade even though they are technically solid wood. One of the things I hate about posting online is that it’s hard to tell the tone of a post, and there are a lot of really obnoxious posters here on Brownstoner, which I would prefer not to be. That being said, I’m not trying to be one of those obnoxious posters, just pointing that at least in Brooklyn you can buy a solid wood door that is pre-primed, sold as paint grade.
OP, I think it’s really a matter of personal preference. I like wood, but irrationally so. MDF is dense, so it usually sounds more solid, it holds paint very well, with less prepping than wood, it is less likely to warp, especially on an 8′ door, but I like wood. Go figure. I think part of that is the joinery. To me, a solid wood door’s seams look better than a solid core door, but it is a pretty slight difference. Sorry, not much help when all is said and done…..
MDF and solid core doors are the same. The different is MDF is paint grade where solid wood or mahogany is stain grade.
Thank you Bond.
what would you recommend?
to paint on top of Mdf or go with the solid wood?
They all will be painted and definitely prefer not having a cheap look.
You may be a bit confused with your terminology. Solid core is not usually a solid wood door, but some sort of veneer over a substrate, usually a wood veneer over fiberboard, masonite, or even MDF. So when you say an MDF door covered with a wood panel, that is a solid core door. If you mean a solid wood door versus a solid core MDF door, or a plain MDF door, the main difference is that MDF is much more stable, it is much less likly to warp, contract, expand, ect. than a solid wood door. You won’t get that little unpainted strip of wood that you see so often on solid wood doors, especially during the winter. If the MDF door isn’t primed at the factory, you will have to seal any raw edges, otherwise it just sucks up paint. MDF also off gasses so if you’re worried about air quality, that may be a concern. Wood also holds screws better, but that shouldn’t be a concern unless you plan on hanging from the doors and swinging back and forth (or your kids do). Last but not least, a lot of the the solid core doors use a fake wood graining that I think looks cheap and fake.
Huh? When painted, MDF doors are indistinguishable from solid core doors.
Yes the solid wood doors look great and the mdf ones look like plastic or cheap furniture.
I bought Morgan doors for my house, painted them white, and they look fantastic. Got them at a big hardware/lumber place on the pier in Brooklyn Heights.