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Wood doors are the most common.
Versatility and beauty are their strong suit. Natural-finish stock and
custom wood doors come in oak, cherry, walnut, mahogany, maple, fir
and pine. You'll also find paint-grade doors in several softwood
varieties, such as pine and western hemlock.
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Before Exterior
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Before Interior
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After Interior
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After Exterior
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Many stock wood doors are a sandwich of
wood-veneer skins over an engineered-wood core. This configuration
minimizes the expansion and contraction that cause warping. At about
$200 or so to start, they're a low-cost alternative to solid-wood
doors. Look for tough, furniture-grade veneers at least 1/16 in.
thick; anything thinner damages too easily.
Some companies discourage bowing and
warping by laminating two pieces of wood to create the stiles and
rails. Split construction is also used for door panels, but they have
an insulation core. The result is a wood door with an insulation value
of about R-5 compared with R-2 for conventional versions. These doors
cost about $300 to $500.
Solid-wood doors cost the most. A
3-ft.-wide by 6-ft., 8-in.-high, six-panel fir door runs at least
$200, while hardwood doors are even more expensive. Figure on about
$300 to $4,000 for a complete system that includes a pre-hung door in
its frame, hinges, locksets, sidelights and weather-stripping.
When shopping for finished wood doors,
look for durable stains and clear finishes, such as polyurethane.
High-gloss sheens offer the best protection for painted doors.
Whichever finish you choose, apply it to the top and bottom edges.
This helps prevent a wood door from absorbing moisture and swelling.
Also look for careful detailing. As a
rule, the more intricate the carvings and moldings, and the thicker
and wider the stiles and rails, the better the door. The same goes for
panel thickness. For example, the high-end doors have 13/8-in.
panels compared with the 9/16- and 3/4-in. panels on low-end models.
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